The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-07-12
IoWA's TERRIBLE CYCLONE.
The Town OF Pomeroy Literally Wiped
Away-Whole Families BLOWN Away
and Others Crushed to Death.

IOy3 d IO"u VI uiuS houAiSN i'''o"i
tants in Calhoun County, was partially
wiped out last night by cvclone.
Between fifty and one hundred per-
sons were killed and nearly two hun
dred injured, most Of whom will die.
The scene were appalling as men went
about with lanterns among the debris.
In some instances entire families were
wiped out, their mangled remains
being found in the ruins of their homes.
The south half of the town was razed.
There was no place to care for the iu-
jured, and church just outside the
track of the storm was used as hospi-
tai.
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE AT POMERoY.
PoMERoY, Iowa, July 7.-Fifty-:hree
dead, seventy-6ve fatally injured and
one hundred and fifty with broken
limbs, cuts and bruises more or less
severe-this is what the tornado oflast
night accomplished in the matter of
casualties. The town Of Pomeroy is
one complete wreck. There is scarcely
house left standing. About fifteen
acres of debris constitute now what was
yesterday village. Splinters are all
that remain. 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 hundred
and fifty houses were in all destroyed,
and the money loss on these and their
contents is placed at 100000.
The tornado, for such it was, came
from the northwest. All who saw it
agree that it was not Of the funnel
shape species, but came bounding along
the prairie like huge ball. 1t was of
a dark green color and accompanied by
q terrific noise. Many saw it when it
was far out from town. Those gave the
alarm and many were prepared for the
monster when it reached the village.
Most of the people, however, became
panic-stricken. They ran out Of their
houses and fled up the streets, crying
and shrieking till struck by the flying
timbers of the whirling trees. The
cooler ones, however, especially those
who were near to them, made for two
caves in the southeast part of the town,
built especially for such occasions as
this. Into one of these caves collected
twenty-five people and in another one
five. All escaped without scratch.
It is pretty well agreed that the tor
nado struck the town about $50
o'clock. Half an hour before this it.
was exceedingly sultry and save for a
few small clouds there was no evidence
of the approaching whirlwind. The
tornado was of but few minutes dura-
ton and was followed by terrific rain
storm, which continued at intervals
more or less throughout the night. The
path of the storm seems to be eabout an
eighth of mile wide and twenty miles
long. .~.-. 49,. ...
The death list out in the country is
heavy, and many of the neighbboring
towns report many casualties. In
Fairfield, in Cherokee County, the
number of dead is fifteen. Eight more
are reported killed at Storm Lake, and
many other places give notice of one
or two deaths. It was not until noon
to-day that the work of rescue began.
By that time there was good supply
of doctors, not large enough, however,
to care for the wounded. Ladies of
Fort Dodge went as nurses, and there
was a plentiful supply of bedding and
food.
AS rapidly as possible the injured
were taken to improvised hospitals and
given medical attention. The build
ings were inadequate to the needs of
the injured. A company Of militia
from Fort Dodge brought their tents,
and these were used for hospital pur-
poses. The heat Of the sun was very
great, the thermometer rising among
the nineties. The tents were very hot,
and deaths among the injured were
very frequent.
...' HoLOCAUSTS OF ANIMALS.
Hundreds of willing hands dragged
the dead and dying animals, with
which the ground seemed to be liter
ally strewn to the outskirts Of town,
piled them in heaps and covering them
with the remains of houses applied
the torch. Fully dozen of these
strange bonfres were kept going all the
afternoon.
THE TERRIBLE LOSS OF LIFE.
Whole families were in many in
stances wiped out by the tornado, and
in houses that contained from four to
eight persons not more than one es-
capped alive. Husbands have been left
without wife or children. children are
left orphans and there are fifteen or
more women in Pomeroy tonight who
have nither husband nor children
left.
AtQuimby, south of Cherokee, where
the storm started, Mrs. Molyneaux and
Mrs. Lester were instantly killed. Five
miles south of Aurelia, Samuel Burch
and wife and three children were killed,
also a farm hand named Johnson, Lu-
lu and Ella Slater and aSwede girl
were killed.
Five miles southwest of Storm Lake,
N. J. Breton and child and q man