The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1893-07-26
: iowa TOWNS Wiped OUT.
A CYCLONES TERRIBLY DE-
STRUCTIVE WORK.

Pomeroy Almost Totally Raced 10
the Ground-Scores Of the Inhab-
itants Killed and Wounded-Res-
cue Work Among the Ruins-An
Improvised Hospital.
Pomeroy, a town of 900 inhabitants In Csl-
houn County, Iowa. has been almost entire
ly destroyed by tornado. Between fifty
and 100 persons were killed, and nearly 200
were injured, many Of them fatally. The ut
storm, and it was several hours before the
condition Of affairs there was known. A.
soon as the extent Of the disaster was
learned, relief trains over the Illinois Gem
tral were sent out with corps Of physicians,
tents and provisions. --,s - = @@''.s1 s,
The town was In total darkness and the
streets were filed with the wrecks Of homes
and business houses. The scenes were ap-
palling as men with lanterns went about In
the debris. In some instances entire families
were killed, the mutiiated bodies being found
In the ruins Of their homes. The cries OF tho
injured were heard on all sides and the gen.
eral confusion was increased by the fren1ed
behavior of the survivors who were separat-
ed from friends or who had relatives In the
wrecks. The work OF rescue was slow, and
the train-load Of help made little headwsy.
The south half Of the town was razed.
There was no place to care for the injured,
and a church which Was just outside OF the
track Of the storm was turned into hospital
There the surgeons worked by the aid OF
lanterns. The most seriously injured were
stretched upon the long pews. while others
who needed surgical attention for less severe
injuries were compelled to stand or lie upon
the floor and await their turn. The dead
were laid upon the ground In vacant lot at
the edge of the devastated district. Through
the narrow aisles left between the dead bodies
the survivors passed looking for lost ones.
ALI telegraph communication was cut OF and
trains could be run only to the edge OF the
town. @
The storm broke about o'clock p. m. All
day long the clouds were skurrying across
the sky. An occasional shower would be fol-
lowed by hot burst Of sunshine. Just be-
fore dark great banks Of black clouds massed
In the southwest and in the west Just be- /
fore Z o'clock the two threatening piles
moved towards one another and then Joined.
The clouds took on green tint, which was
pierced with the suns rays for moment.
Then darkness set in rapidly. Scarcely .
breeze stirred. the treetops In the streets OF
Pomeroy. Those who were watching tho
phenomena say that q cloud-hke column sof
smoke dropped to the ground and gathered
In strength as it advanced towards the town
They recognized 1t Us tornado and gave tho
alarm. Many sought shelter In cellars, and
others mounted horses to fee from the psth
of the coming destruction. There was dash
Of hail, binding fash of lightning, and
deafening peals of thunder. "'E
Men and women ran wildly about the
streets shouting and gesticulsting. The tor.
10 ak~ all xha NJ . I'm ~
among the scattering houses in the OUT 4
skirts. Roofs and shingles and sides OF
buildings we're wrenched loose and were
thrown about. Moving to the more denselyS
populated district, the tornado leveled all
before It. and leaving In its wake cloud OF
splinters and scores OF wrecked homes.
Later particulars state that the tornado
which passed over Pomeroy left ffty-three
dead, seventy-fve fatally injured and 16o
with broken limbs, cuts and bruises more or
less severe. The town Of Pomeroy Is q COM
plete wreck. There is scarcely house left
standing. About fifteen acres Of debris con-
stitura now what was a thriving village.
Spinter1 ore all that remain. Pomeroy iB
level wib& the prairie. fH q
Scarcely tree remains Piles Of broken
timbers and occasional pieces of furniture
are all that can be found Of what were oncel
the largest buildings In the place. Two hum
Ul6Q 6uQ HOUSES WeEo oil uostIUJ0U,
and the money loss onthess and their con-
tents Is placed at 5000, 900. ), ~, d b NJ
Everywhere about Pomeroy next day wero
dead and dying people. A dozen men wero
digging graves In the burying ground on tho
hill Just north Of town, and the one hearse
of the village was kept busy carrying the
victims of the storm to their last resting
place. .Egg
The intense heat made It impossible to
keep the bodies OF the dead, and those that
were not claimed by relatives or friends and
placed In the graveyard by the officials.
Forty graves were dug and filed with dead
up to 9 O'Clock on the evening after the
storm passed, and at that hour the fitting
lanterns in the cemetery showing plainly
that the work of burial was going on still.
Hundreds Of willing hands dragged the
dead and dying animals. with which the
ground seemed to be literally strevn, to,
points on the outskirts Of the town, piled
the remains Of the houses and applied the
torch. Fully dozen Of these strange bon
fires were kept going all the afternoon. =
Whole families were In many instances
wiped out by the tornado, and In houses thst
contained all the way from four to eight per-
sons not more than ons escaped alive. Hus-
bands have been left without wife or chill
dren, children are lett orpnanS, anu tuero
are fifteen or more women in Pomeroy who
have lost husbands and children. Several
little babies were found alive and well, but
it has been impossible to find their parents.
The National Bank OF Pomeroy was msie
the headqarters OF the relief movement.
Here those willing to work or to act as
nurses were assigned to the various hospi-
tails, and here also provisions money bed
ding and clothing were received, and all Of
these necessaries rolled in rapidly.
BY 8 o'clock in the afternoon the Office Of
the bank was stacked clear to the ceiling with
food and clothing, and boxes Of each wers ar
irving on every train. Governor Boies arrived
at o'clock and took charge OF the whole af-
fair. Hearst drove out over the ruins. then he
visited the hospitals and the morgue, consult.
ed with those who had thus far directed
things, and then issued a proclamation set
ting forth the needs OF the sufferers and call
ing upon the people OF Iowa to contribute
literally.
Late reports from the counties Of Chero-
kee, Buena Vista, Pocahontas and Calhoun,
and the parts OF Ids and Sac Counties over
which the tornado swept show that the loss
OF life is somewhere between one and two
hundred, and that the damage to property
II h-