Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1893-07-21
IOWA TOWNS WIPED OUT.
A CYCLONES TERRIBLY DE-
STRUCTIVE WORK.

Pomeroy. town of 900 inhabitants in Cal
houn County, Iowa, has been almost entire
Iy destroyed by tornado. Between fifty
and 100 persons were killed, and nearly 200
were injured, many ofthem fatally. The ut
most confusion followed the advent Of the
storm. and Il was several hours before the
condition Of affairs there was known. AS
soon as the extent OF the disaster was
learned, relief trains over the Illinois Cen
trail were sent out with corps OF physicians,
tents and provisions.
The town was In total darkness and the
streets were filed with the wrecks of homes
and business houses. The scenes were ap-
palling as men with lanterns went about in
the debris. In some instances entire families
were killed, the nutilated bodies being found
In the ruins of their homes. The cries Of the
injured were heard OIL all sides and the gen
eral confusion was increased by the frenZed
behavior Of the survivors who were separat-
ed from friends or who had relatives in the
wrecks. The work Of rescue was slow. and
the train-load of help made little Roadway.
The south half Of the town was RACED.
There was no place to care for the in ured.
and church which was just outside of the
track of the storm was Turned into hospital
There the surgeons worked by the aid Of
lanterns. The most seriously injured vera
stretched upon the long peWs. while others
who needed surgical attention for less severe
injuries were compelled to stand or lie upon
the floor and await their turn. The dead
were laid upon the ground in vacant lot at
the edge of the devastated district. Through
the narrow aisles left between the dead bodies
the survivors passed looking for lost ones.
ALI telegraph communication was cut Off and
trains could be run only to the edge Of the
town.
The storm broke about o'clock .. M All
day long the clouds were skurrying across
the sky. An occasional shower would be fol-
lowed by hot burst of sunshine. Just be-
fore dark great banks of black clouds massed
In the southwest and in the west. Just be-
fore o'clock the two threatening piles
moved towards one another and then joined.
The clouds took on green tint, which was
pierced with the suns rays for q moment.
Then darkness set in rapidly. Scarcely
breeze stirred the treetops in the streets of
PomerOy. Those who were watching the
phenomena say that a cloud-like column of
smoke dropped to the ground and gathered
in strength as it advanced towards the town.
They reco gnized 1t as a tornado and gave the
alarm. Many sought shelter in cellars, and
others mounted horses to flee from the path
of the coming destruction. There was dash
of hail binding flash Of lightning, and
deafening E,eals of thunder.
Men and women ran wildly about the
streets shouting and gesticulating. The tor
nadO struck the town at the northwest
among the scattering houses in the out
skirts. Boots and shingles and sides Of
buildings were wrenched loose and were
thrown about. Moving to the more densely
populated district, the tornado leveled all
before it. and leaving in its wake a cloud OF
splinters and scores of wrecked homes.
Later particulars state that the tornado
which passed over Pomeroy left f1fty-three
dead, seventy-t1ye fatally injured and $50
with broken limbs cuts and bruises more or
less severe. The town Of Pomeroy is a com
plete wreck. There is scarcely house left
standing. About fifteen acres of debris con-
stitute now what was a thriving village.
SpllnterS are all that remain. Pomeroy is
level with the prairie.
Scarcely tree remains Piles of broken
timbers and occasional pieces of furniture
are all that can be found of what were once
the largest buildings in the place. Two hun
dred and fifty houses were in all destroyed.
and the money loss on these and their con-
tents is placed at 5000. 900.
Everywhere about POmeroy next day were
dead and dying people. dozen men were
digging graves in the burying ground on the
hill just north of town, and the one hearse
of the village was kept busy carrying the
victims of the storm to their last resting
place.
The intense heat made it impossible to
keep the bodies Of the dead, and those that
were not claimed by relatives or friends and
by them buried or taken away by noon were
placed in the graveyard by the officials
Forty graves were dug and filed with dead
up to 9 o'clock on the evening after the
storm passed, and at that hour the fitting
lanterns in the cemetery showing plainly
that the work Of burial was going still.
Hundreds of willing hands dragged the
dead and dying animals, with which the
ground seemed to be literally strewn, to
points on the outskirts Of the town, piled
them in big heaps, and covered them with
the remains Of the houses and applied the
loren. Fully q dozen OF these strange bon
fires were Kept going all the afternoon.
Whole families were in many instances
wiped out by the tornado, and in houses that
contained al the way from four to eight per-
sons not mora than one escaped alive. HuS-
bands have been left without wife or chill
dren, children are left orphans, and there
are fifteen or more women in Pomeroy wno
have lost husbands and children. Several
little babies were found alive and well, but
it has been impossible TO find their parents
The National Be1S OF Pomeruy was ma1e
the Headquarters Of the relief movement
Here those willing to work or to act as
nurses were assigned to the various hCspi-
tails, and here also provisions, money, bed
ding and clothing were received, and all OF
these necessaries rolled in rapidly.
By o'clock in the afternoon the Office OF
the bank was stacked clear to the ceiling with
1000 and clothing, and boxes Of each were ar
rVlng on every train. Governor Boies arrived
at 4 clock and took charge of the whole af-
1alr. Hehrst drove out over the ruins, then he
visited the hospitals and the morgue, consult
cd with those who had thus far directed
tnlngs, and then issued a proclamation set
ing forth the needs of the sufferers and call
ing upon the people of Iowa to contribute
literally.
Late reports from the counties of Chero-
kee, Buena Vista. Pocahontas and Calhoun
ana the parts of Ida and Sac Counties over
winch the tornado swept show that the loss
u NE Is somewhere between one and two
hundred, and that the damage to properly
runs up to hundreds of thousands Of dollars