Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-07-15
A TERRIBLE TORNADO.
Fifty-Three Persons Dead in the
Town of Pomeroy, Iowa.
Cattle and Horses Killed and Crops
Ruined.

A despatch from Pomeroy, Iowa, says -
| Fifty-three persons dead, seventy-flve fatally
injured and $50 with broken limbs, cuts and
bruises more or less severe. This is what
the tornado accomplished In the matter OF
casualty.
Several little babies have been found alive
and well, but IL has been impossible to ind
parents for them.
The town of Pomeroy is one complete
i wreck. There is scarcely house left stand
ing. About fifteen acres of debris constitute
now what was thriving 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 was.once the largest buildings in the
place. Two hundred and fifty houses were
in all destroyed aud the money loss on these
and their contents is placed at 100000.
Everywhere about Pomeroy were dead and
| dying people, a dozen men were delving
| 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 Il on dozen
/ or more places hurried through the streets.
and in Their wake followed squads of soldiers
carrying collins Special trains from all
\ surrounding towns brought thousands who
I 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
| of chaos. Relief corps were organized. and
/ things were going along in business like way
The night in Pomeroy is one that will
never te forgotten ly those who were here
Darkness followed quickly in the wake of
the tornado, and those who escaped death
and injury were compelled to grope their
way among the ruined homes. Luided alone
| by the cry OF some poor unfortunate who
! was pitred under the falling timbers. Al
most eye4y light OF any description whatso-
| ever was destroyed, and the people from Fort
| Dodge and the surrounding places who were
the first to reach the scene, failed to bring
lanterns with them. The search for the VIC
tins, therefore, was necessarily slow till
morning came.
1t was not till the first streaks of light an.
| peared in the east that the enormity Of the
disaster dawned supon the people Every
residence / o the south OF the railroad trucks
nad disappeare and the spires OF seven
churches in the place that only a few hours
before shot upward 20 the skies were no.
where to be seen.
Horses and cattle lay dead in the streets,
pigs stuck in the sides OF horses, and dead
c rs and dogs and chickens were scattered
! over the ground. Pools of human blood
! mingled with the mud at every turn, show
! ing where some victim Of the tornado had
been tossed after life had been
/ crushed out of him. The air was full
OF means and signs and shrieks, and every
! other face met on the street was stained with
tears.
The Postoffice building, but what has re-
Gently been usel es biilard-room, was
turned into morgue and hospitals were es-
| tablished in the remaining buildings. the
biggest one being the Pomeroy Hotel. The
scene in the improyised morgue was q
! CHASTITY one. Billiard tables were turned
into slabs and on these mangled remains OF
the dead were placed.
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 be-
| yond recognition by the falling timbers.
On one tsble lay tho remains OF an old
/ woman, hole as big as a mans fist torn
| In the rear part OF her head. Close by was a
baby, not more than year of age. one OF its
! legs gone and its little arm mashed to q
| Jelly