Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-06-24
WORK OF A TORNADO.

-Four Boys Killed Mt the Illinois Institu'
ton for the Feeble AEinded-A Party 81
Twenty-One Takes Shelter In an Old
Cow Barn. and the Structure Goes
Down.
LINCOLN, Ill, June 1S.-At S:45 p. M.
following two days and one night OF
intense heat, with the murcury rang.
ing from 50 to 100 degrees, terrible
storm passed over this city and county,
causing loss of life and property. The
grounds of the state institution fol
feeble-mined children and the farm
connected Herewith received the full
force of the storm. At the institution
the roofs of the north wing, the Gus
todial building aud the powerhouss
were partially blown of, and dozen
ed and thrown around like straws in
an angry food. The loss to the state
is heavy, but there was no loss of life.
AT the farm, two miles south of the
institution, a large cow barn, con-
structed in 1894 at a cost of s., 600, col
lapsed like an egg shell in the hand OF
a strong man, catching 26 boys and two
men, killing four and severely injurins
three.
The dead are:
Sylvester Baker, age Is.
James O'Brien, age IL.
Neal Mckenzie, age Is.
Castle LIE Baron, age 16.
All of Chicago, and pupils of the in
stitution.
The injured are:
Jacob Wilmert, farm superintendent,
hurt about the head and believed to be
fatally injured.
Lemuel Gleason, class attendant,
back and lower limbs injured.
Henry Berger, Willie Withem and
Willie Fisher, pupils, severely, though
not dangerously, hurt.
AT nine o'clock this morning William
Sche1lpepper, an attendant, was or
dered to leave the institution and take
81 boys to the farm to pick peas, but
declined, and rendered his resignation,
to which incident he probably owes
his life. A substitute was secured in
the person of Lemuel Gleason, who,
with the 81 boys, departed on what
they deemed an outing. They
left in high glee with baskets
packed with good things to eat,
performed their work on the
farm with cheerfulness, and at two
o'clock were given permission to go to
the creek near by and indulge in bath
ipr Tho S+o.,, 90 MANN S,51aplx- on5
by command of their attendant, the
crowd ran to the barn for shelter.
This was huge structure, 174x2s feet,
containing 40 tons of hay. 1t was built
on a cheap plan, with box sills 2xa
inches. No sooner had they entered
the death trap than the wind struck it,
and the entire building fell in. There
was stampede. all escaping except
the four caught, who were instantly
killed when close to the doors.
Lemuel Gleason, attendant, who was
with the boys when the crash came,
saved several by his bravery and cool
ness. Oblivious of his own safety, he
rescued several, and was found on top
of boy, pinioned down by timbers,
saving the boy, and receiving severe
injuries himself. The farm superin-
tendent. Jacob Wilmert, left the barn
when struck by the storm, and was
struck down by flying timbers.
The storm came from the northwest
at time when the mercury marked 81
degrees. A great bank of clouds came
rolling and tossing like huge sea bill
low, rising and falling as it swept
along, obscuring vision by cloud OF
dust, and followed quickly by one OF
the hardest downfalls of rain of 90
minutes duration ever seen in this coun-
ty. The storm appeared to be in two
sections, dividing a few miles west OF
the institution, in which are nearly
700 inmates, including officers and at
tendants. The division of the storms
forces alone saved the institution from
complete destruction and a dreadful
loss of life and property. The officers
of the institution, Doctors Anterior and
Barnett, superintendent and assis-
tant superintendent, and Chief Clerk
Whitlock were on the ground early
caring for the injured, looking up those
that escaped and directing the removal
of the dead. The storm is reported ia
have been severe in the country, with
probabilities of severe destruction oil
property and life. In the city the los
is considerable.