The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-07-15
A DEATH DEALING TORNADO.
Pomeroy, Iowa, Blown Away, and
Eighty Persons Killed and Over
Two Hundred Wounded, of
Whom at Least Twenty
Will Die.
MONEY And SUPPLIES FURNISHED.
REPORTS FROM OTHER TOWNS.
Incidents and Details of the Storm.

Incidents and Details of the Storm.
Many western and Eastern States Swept
by n Terrific Storm Saturday.
PoMERoY. Iowa. July - Fily-three dead. rs
fatally injured and $50 with broken limbs and
bruises. more or less severe This is what the tor
nado OF last night accomplished in the matter OF
casualty. The town. Pomeroy. is one complete wreck.
There is house iefl standing About fifteen
acres OF debris constitute what was yesterday q
thriving village. Splinies all that remain.
PomeToy is part and parcel of the prairie the death
dealing wind having left It barren and desolate.
Scarcely tree remains. Piles of broken timbers
and occasional pieces of furniture all that can
be found of what once the largest buildings in
the place.
Two hundred and fifty houses were in all des-
troyed and the money lost on these and their con-
tents is placed at $4,000. Everywhere about
Pomeroy today dead and dying people. A dozen
men were delying graves in the burying ground
on the hill, just north of the village. and the
hearse was kept busy carrying the victims 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 soldiers car
rying collins Special trains from all the surround
ing towns brought thousands who were ready to
take part in the work of caring for the dead and
wounded. Clothing. food and medicines were
shipped in by the ton. Soon order was brought out
o1ehaos Relief corps were organized and things
were going along in a bnsinesslike way
After the storm Broke.
Last night in Pomeroy is one that will never be
forgotten by those who were here. Darkness fol-
lowed quickly in the wake of the tornado and those
who escaped death and injury were compelled to
grope their way among their ruined homes, guided
along by the cry of some poor unfortunate who was
pinned under the falling timbers Almost every
light of any description whatsoever was destroyed,
and the people from Fort Dodge and the surrounding
places who were first TO reach the failed TO
bring lanterns with them. The search for the
victims therefore, was necessarily slow till morning
came.
1t was not until the first streaks of light appeared
in the east the enormity of the disaster dawned
upon the people They looked where once town
stood and saw nothing but timber strewn prairie.
Every residence to the south of the railroad tracks
had disappeared and the spires of seven churches
in the place that only few hours before shot up
ward to the skies were nowhere TO be seem Pomeroy
yesterday had wealth ofshade trees. but this morn
ing nothing was 10 be seen of them save broken
cattle lay dead in the Streets pigs stuck in the sides
of horses and dead cats and dogs and chickens
scattered over tiSground.
Fools of human blood mingled with the mud at
every turn, showing where some victim of the tor
nado had been tossed after life had been crushed
out of him. The air was full of means and sobs
and shreks and every other face met on the street
was stained with tears The people in Pomeroy
seemed poweress to do anything for the sufferers.
and IL was not until this morning early. when the
people from outside towns arrived, that anything
was done toward recovering the dead and caring
for the wounded.
MOrgue aud Hospitals.
What is called the post office building, but which
has recently been used as a billiard room. was
turned into morgue, and hospitals were establish
ed in the remaining buildings, the biggest one
being the Pomeroy Hotel. The scene in the I'M
poyised morgue this morning was CHASTITY one
Billiard tables were turned into slabs and on these
mangled remains of the dead were placed The
floor was badly sunken in the middle and here the
blood as It dropped from the tables, ran in small
streams soon with the assistance of the water from
the rapidly melting ice form puddle OF gore up to
the tops of the attendants shoes.
On the tables were bodies without heads and
bodies without arms; bodies whose legs had been
blown away by the cyclone and bodies with heads
that had been crushed beyond recognition by the
falling timbers on table lay the remains of an
old woman, hole as big as mans fist torn in the
rear part of her head. Close by was baby, not
more than year age, one offs legs gone and its
little arm crushed TO jelly.
Came from the Northwest.
The tornado-for such 1t was came from the
northwest All those who saw it agreed that it was
not of the funnel shaped species, but came bound
ing along the prairie like huge ball 1t was OF a
dark green color. and accompanied by terrific
noise There many who saw it when 1t was far
ont of town. These gave the alarm, and many were
prepared for the monster when it reached the vii
lage. Most of the people, however. became panic
stricken They ran out oftheir houses and fled up
the streets, crying and shrieking till struck by the
flying timbers of whirling trees. The cooler ones,
however, especially those who were near to them.
made for the two in the southeast part of
town. but especially for just such occasions as this.
Into one of these collected twenty-five people.
and in another one, five. All escaped without a
scratch.
Tornado Followed by Terrific Rain
storm.
II is pretty well agreed that the tornado struck
the town aLout $50 O'Clock. A half hour before
this 1t WAS exceedingly hot and sultry, and save for
a few small clouds there was no evidence of the
approaching whirlwind The tornado was but OF
iew minutes ou'a'ion anu was :, .
rihe raihslorih' "hlcn eon'iuueu ~ A'e NJ. ~
or less throughout lhe hisn1' ine pam " ''s
storm seems To be an eiyh'h OF mile Ill "iu'" anu
twenty miles long.
Death List Out in the Country.
The death list out in the country is heavy. and
from many of the neghborng towns casualties are
reported. Fairfield in Cherokee county swelling
the total number of dead 10 fifteen. Eight more
are reported killed at Storm Lake. and many other
places give notice of one or two deaths.
work Of Reseue.
TWAS not until noon today that the work of res
che really began. By that time there was a good
supply of doctors. not large enough, however,
to care for the wounded The ladies of Fort
Dodge went as nurses and there was plentiful
supply of bedding and food As rapidly as possible