The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1893-07-10
Some Further Particulars OF the
Damage Done by the Iowa
Storm.
FOrty.fonr Are Dead and Nearly as
Many More Fatally Injured at
Pomeroy.
Fourteen Deaths and Number of
Persons Mortally Injured In
Cherokee County.

PoMEaoY. Ia, July 10. -Forty-four
numbers the dead at Pomeroy. II is
one of the saddest scenes ever witnessed,
and even the strongest are compelled to
turn away from some of the sights at
the city hall hospital, where the worst
of the 1O8 injured now are.
Every dwelling now standing can be
well termed hospital, as all have been
thrown wide open. and from two TO
eight wounded are being kept in each.
Pomeroy is one complete wreck. There
is scarcely a house left standing.
About IL acres of debris constitutes
now what was once thriving village.
Splinters are all that remain. Pomeroy
is part and parcel of the prairie, the
death-dealing wind having left it bar
rem and desolate Piles of broken tim
bers and an occasional piece of furni-
ture are all that can be found of what
were once the largest buildings in the
place.
Two Hundred and Fifty Houses
were in all destroyed and the money
loss on these and their contents Is
placed at 5000 GOO. Everywhere about
Pomeroy Friday We're dead and dying
people. A dozen men were digging
graves in the burying ground on the
hill Just north of the village and the
hearse was kept busy carrying the vic
Tins of the storm to their last resting
place. Doctors from dozen or more
places hurried through the streets and
in their wake followed squads of SOL
diers carrying coffins. Special trains
from all the surrounding towns brought
thousands who were ready to take part
in the work Of caring for
The Dead and Wounded.
Clothing, food and medicine were
shipped in by the ton. Soon order was
brought out OF chaos, relief corps were
organized and things were going along
IN business-like shape.
Thursday night at Pomeroy was one
that will never be forgotten by the sur
vivors. Darkness followed quickly in
the track of the tornado, and those
who escaped death and injury Were
compelled to grope their way among
ruined houses, guided along by the cry
of some poor unfortunate who was
pinned under the falling timbers. Al.
most every light of any description was
destroyed. and the
Search for the Victims,
therefore, was necessarily slow TIL
morning came. 1t was not until the
first streaks of light appeared in the
east that the enormity of the disaster
dawnad upon the people. Horses and
cattle lay dead in the streets, pigs stucl
in the sides of horses and dead cats
dogs and chickens were scattered ove1
the ground. Pools of human blood
mingled with the mud at every turn
showing where some victim of tht
tornado had been tossed after the life
had been crushed out of him. The all
was full of means and sobs and shrieks
and every other face met on the stree
Was Stained with Tears.
The people in Pomeroy seemed power
less to do anything for the sufferers ani
1t was not until morning, when tn,
people from outside towns arrived, tina
anything was done towards recoverins
the dead and caring for the wounded
What was called the postoffice buildin,
but has recently been used as billiard
room, was turned into a morgue ant
hospitals We're established in the re
naming buildings, the biggest beins
the Pomeroy hotel. In this improvised
morgue there was ghastly sight. Bill
lizard tables were turned into slabs ant
on these the
Mangled Remains Of the Dead
were stretched ont. Blood ran in small
streams on the floor from the, bodies
that had to be stretched on it, formins
a puddle of gore up to the tops OF at.
tendants' shoes. Upon the tables la,
bodies without heads, bodies withou
arms, bodies whose legs had been tori
away with the cyclone and bodies tha
were crushed beyond recognition b,
the falling timbers.
The tornado-for such it was-cam,
from the northwest. All those VIII,
saw it agree that it was not of the fun
nel-shaped species, but came boundin,
along the prairie, like q huge ball. I
was of dark green color and was &C
companied
by Terrific Noise.
There are many who saw 1t wlen i
was far out of, town. These gave th
alarm and many were prepared for til,
monster when it reached the village