Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-06-14
SWEPT BY TORNADO.
Worst Storm in History of Central
Illinois Killed Many People.
Path Was 200 Miles Long and 100 Miles
WIde-Property Valued at 81 100000
DestrOyed-Many COmmuni-
ties Stricken.

Bloomington, Ill, June 12.-Death
and destruction followed in the wake
of the worst tornado Tuesday night
that ever visited central Illinois. The
wind wrought ruin and woe and the
property loss will be tens of thou
sands of dollars. There is no way of
really estimating the loss at present,
owing to the uncertainty as to the
effect upon the growing crops, which
it is feared suffered heavily. The
saddest feature, however, was the
killing of three young women who
were attending a dance at the town
hall in Merna, small village ten
miles east of this city. There was
a party of $50 young men and women
at the dance in the hall when the
tornado struck the building about IL
o'clock at night. Everybody rushed
for the door A number of young
men held the doors to prevent the
people from escaping, fearing that
they might be injured or killed if
they got outside. About half of them,
however, escaped, and then the build
ing collapsed. The others were buried
in the wreck. Three were killed and
some of them seriously. The dead
are Miss Lena flanagan, Mrs. Ed
ward Martin and Miss Annie Kelly.
All are daughters of prominent farm
ers in the vicinity. The bodies were
horribly mutilated by the heavy
timbers. Quite a number of young
men and women were taken from the
ruins in an unconscious condition and
some of them are still in that state
and it is feared there may be other
deaths.
The storm reached Bloomington
about IL p. m, commencing with
furious electrical display. Rain &C
companied the wind and the bust
ness district suffered severely Many
plate glass windows were blown in
and the stocks of goods were badly
damaged. Hundreds of the best
trees in the city were broken off at
the trunks and the streets were al
most impossible.
Blow Cars from the Track.
Corwith, Ia, June IA tornado
struck empty excursion train on
the Iowa Central five miles east of
here Tuesday night and blew cars
running 80 miles an hour, leaving the
engine and the two last coaches on
the track. No one was hurt.
1t is known that the storm struck
the town of Jordan, a few miles east
of Boone. The extent of the dam
age is not known although it is re-
ported that no lives were lost and
that some of the principal buildings
of the place were destroyed. Oska-
loosa reports considerable damage
from the wind.
Fatalities at Kings ton Mines.
Pelin, ILL.,, June IA tornado
passed over Tazewell county Tuesday
night, killing three and fatally injur-
ing two persons at Kingston Mines,
south of here. The dead are: Mrs.
Thomas Murray and infant and Will
lie McElwee, aged 3. Patrick NOEL
wee and wife were fatally injured.
The entire east end of the little vii
lage~ of 1000 inhabitants was swept
away.
Lives Lost at Peoria.
Peoria, ILL.,, June 12.-The storm at
Peoria was very destructive. Many
lives were lost and the property dam
age extensive. The mercantile loss
will be hundreds of thousands of dol
lars. The Chicago, Rock Island &
Pacific passenger train was caught
in a landslide and the engine and
mail car buried in the mud.
Danvers Reported Wiped Out.
Jacksonville, Ill, June 12.-There
was a hard windstorm here last
night but no damage to this imme-
diate section has been reported. Dan
vers, on the Alton road north of this
place, was reported wiped out just
after the Kansas City Limited train
pulled out. Meager reports show