The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1893-07-15
Pomeroy Nearly Wiped Out.

FORT DODGE. Ia, July T.-Pomeroy, a
town of 900 inhabitants in Calhoun
county, was practically wiped out at !
o'clock Thursday evening by tornado.
Between fifty and sixty people were
killed and nearly 100 were injured,
many Of whom will die. The utmost
confusion followed the advent of the
storm, and it was several hours before
the condition of affairs there was
known. As soon as the true state OF
affairs was learned relief trains over
the Illinois Central were sent out with
a corps of physicians, tents and pro-
visions
The town was in total darkness anil
the streets were filled with the wreck.
of homes and business houses Thc
scenes were appalling as men with
lanterns went about in the debris. In
some instances entire families were
wiped out, the mangled remains being
found in the ruins Of their homes.
The cries of the injured were heart.
rending, and the general confusion
was increased by the wailing of the
survivors who were separated from
friends or who had relatives in the
wrecks The work of rescue was slow
and the train load Of helpers made lit.
tie headway.
The south half of the town was
razed. There was no place there to
care for the injured, and a church
which was Just outside the track of
the storm was turned into a hospital.
In here the surgeons worked by the
aid of lanterns and lamps Those
with broken bones were stretched
upon the long pews, while others who
needed surgical attention on less
severe injuries were compelled
to stand or lie upon the floor and await
their turn. The dead were laid out up
on the ground in a vacant lot at the
edge of the devastated district.
Through the narrow aisles left be
tween the dead bodies the survivor.
passed looking for loved ones In the
confusion it was impossible TO secure a
list of the fatalities. All telegraph
communication was cut of, and train
could only be run to the edge of the
town.
The storm broke about o'lock. Al
day long the clouds were scurryinf
across the sky. An occasional shower
would be followed by a hot burst o
sunshine. Just before dark great bank
of black clouds massed in the south
west and another in the west Just be
fore o'clock the threatening pile
moved toward one another and thel
joined. The clouds took on a greer
tint, which was pierced with tn
suns rays for moment Thel
darkness set in rapidly. Tn,
elements seemed to form about tn
combined clouds, though scarcely
breeze stirred the tree tops in tn
streets of Pomeroy. Those who wer
watching the phenomena say that
column of smokelike cloud dropped +
the ground and gathered in strength
as 1t advanced toward the town. The,
recognized it as tornado and gave tn
alarm. Many sought shelter in cellar
and others mounted horses to Zee fror
the path Of the coming destruction
There was Q daah Of hail, blindin
fash of lightning. and . dcafeninI
peal of thunder.
Men and women ran wildly sbou
the streets shouting and gesticulstsns
The tornado struck the town at IN
southwest among the seatter.n
houses in the outskirta Roofs an
shingles and sides Of building wer
wreuched 1ooee and were thrown {
one side. On TO the more den,sl
populated district the mouster of d,
struction swept leveling al tefor
and leaving IN its wake q cloud 6
sPlinters snd wreckad hones deat
and demorali<esion.
Whole fsmainliss fsma,inl ssFs u uaay j.