The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-07-08
50 DEAD IN P0MEROY ALONE.
10 PRoBdBLT Fd1ALLY INJURED AND
MINY MORE UERT.


Ever struck Iown-One-hnif OF the Town
of Pomcsoy L-veiird with the Prairie
Fifteen Acrcs OF DcbrI--The Irjarrd Lay
All Night Wuhont Ieip-Gov. Roles
Arrives on tn. scene with Troops.
PoMERor. In. July THE tornado which
passed over this town last night left SO dead.
as fatally injured. and $50 with broken limbs.
cuts. and bruises moro or less severe.
Tho town Of pomeroy Is complete wreck.
There Is scarcely q house left standing. About
fifteen ncros OF d;bris constitute now what
was yesterday thririn. villng.. splinters
are all that remain. Pomcroy Is level with the
prairie.
Scarcely n tree remains. Piles OF broken
timbcrs and occasional pieces Of furniture are
all that can he found OF what wsro once tho
largest buildings In tho place. Two hundred
and fifty houses were In all destroyed. and tho
money loss on these ami their contents 10
placed Mt 5000. 900.
EVERYWHERE about Pomcroy to-day wcro
dead ana dying reorle. dozen men wore
digging graves in the buryinG ground on tho
hill Just north of town and the one hcarse Of
tho village was kept busy carrying tho vic.
tins OF the storm to their last resting place.
Doctors from dozen or moro places hurried
through the streets. Squads Of soldiers car
rying collins followed them. Special trains
from all the surrounding towns brought
scores who were ready to take part inthc work
OF caring for the dead and wounded.
Clothing. food and medicines were shipped
in by tho ton. Relief corps were organized. and
tho work Of bringing order out OF the chaos is
progressing MS rapidly as possible.
Last night in Pomeroy is ono that will never
be forgotten BY those who wcro here. Darkness
followed quickly In tho wake Of tho tornado.
"A thoa h, nd n ant 4, nd In MO-
compelled to gropc their way among the ruined
homes. guided along By tho 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 tho surrounding places who
were the first to reach the scene. failed to
bring lanterns with them.
The search Tor the victims. therefore. was
neee rs slow tn morning 1I came: II Vas
the east that the enormity Of tho disaster
d%wned uron the neople. A.. .,.s
tracks had disappeared. Pomeroy yesterday
had wealth OF shade trees. but this morning
anaE Sc nnd
What is called the Post Oilice building. but
which has recently been used Ms q billiard
room. was turned into a mor9uc. and hospitals
We're established in the remaining buildings.
the biggest one being the P2meroy Hotel In
turned into slabs. and on these tho bodies Of
the dead were placed a.,
Inc tDrQuuO came from tnc nOrtHweSt. All
those who saw 1t agreed that 1t was one Of the
fpnnel;shaped species. hut 1t came bounding
along the prai5is like huge une bn o,ou
panied by n terrific noise. There are many
who saw it when 1t vas fur out Of town. These
the mo "H When It reached the viilaEe Mast
Of The people. however. became panic stricken.
stee,s . crying s and sHrieKnr iii Struck lie
Tying tlmbers and ~, whirLIins trees rS The
gSSsr hsm sp' ae those os wh the T sws
caves caves in the southeast part Of tho town.
op for ns spss sh Int
the other one five All escaped without
Tho tornado struck the town about 0:50
o'clock. A half hour before this 1t was exceed:
incly hot and sultry and save fora few snail
clouds there was no evidence OF tho approach.
The but q few
Which h" eo m at intervals more or ss:
throughout the night The Path Of the :, storm sn,
seems to be about AZ eighth OF mile In width
a The t"d death list out in the country is heavy.
and from many Of the neighhorinc TOWNS cas-
county. tho total numner OF dead is fifteen.
Eight more are reported Killed at Storm Lake.
and many other places give notice OF one or
It was not Until noon To-Day that the , work
%as sod 5sa supy Of aSoo nos s
i The Iades Of Fort bodse went as nurses and
As rapidly as possible the injured were. taken
eeived medical attention. 4 was soon
found however that tho buildings din sm mse,d
a aGr shs the
Of patients in each. This was no easy task.
'o Gd ,nsSs r. fo%srf Pa'
commanded by Lieut.. ". r. Chnttsnd. forty
strong, arrived with full camp equipment;
t% es Tho. injured were not psrtIo.
the sun was Intensely hot. and caused the
thermometer to rise into the ninctles, a
%hS ali d"y s%S
had expired Of their injuries up to this eyen-
inf San sssd Bant 81 wa. made tho
head1uarters Of the relief movement: Here
those willing to work or to act rs nurses Tere
also provisions. money; bedding. and clothing
were, received, and all OF these nccossarles
rolled IL in o ssBfHy this the oeo Of
bank was stacked clear to the ceiling with
food end clothing and boxes Of each 1,i WERE
o'clock and took charge OF the whole affair h h
suited with those Who had thus far directed
things and then issued a proclamatio 40, SCI. SET
ing upon tho people Of Iowa to contribute lio-
orally,
ing that would add to their comfort and relief
would be left undone, H.. ordered NOR. tents
from Des Moines and said he would have o
company or moro of soldiers on the grounds
before to morrow. "
tho bodies Of tho dead. and those tn at wercno
claimed by. relatives or friends and Wy them
buried or taken away by noon were placed
in the graveyard by tho, Officials. Forty
graves were dug and I'LL with dend hn 10
q o'clock this evening. and Mt that hour tho ut
ting lanterns In the cemetery showing plainly,
that the work Of buria WAS going on stiL
sre was much trouble In securing collins.
and by o.nicht the supply Of the towns In
this vicinity had leen exhausted.
Hundreds OF willing hands dragged the dead
and dying animals with which the E roIn.i
on the outskirts OF the town. piled
them in big hears. and covered them
torch. Fully ,iozen Of these strange bonflres y
were kept going all the afternoon. ,.
Whole families werc In many lnstancoe
wiped out by tho tornado and in houses that
contained all the way from four to eight per-
son not IN ore than on" ESCAPED alive
Husbands hnyo been left without wife or
children. children are left orph&ns AMI thero
IOmeFDy who