The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-06-12
ILLINOIS is SWEPT
BY DEADLY Cyclone.
Devastates a Section One by
Two Hundred Miles.
A DOZEN LIVES LOST
The Property Loss Will Run Up
Into The Millions.
THREE LADIES WERE KILLED
Half of Those in the Crowded Bali
Room Injured-Not Village in
Mclean County Escapes.
Buildings Destroyed,
Crops ard Trees
Damaged.
lRv Associated Press.)

bIoOM1ISN LIN ILL, June L.
Stretching across pathway one hundred
miles in width and devastating a. terri
tory fully two hundred miles long. ex-
tending from Livingston county, on the
north, to McCoupin county, on the south.
and leaving its mark clear across the
face of Central Illinois, a cyclone last
night inflicted a property loss which will
aggregate millions of dollars and cost a
dozen lives. The brunt of the storm
fell upon Mclean and adjoining counties
Lightning was incessant for two hours,
but was marked by an absence of thun-
der claps. Wind reached a, velocity of
100 miles an hour. and in its track were
left destruction and death. The vista
ton was the worst ever recorded in the
history of Central Illinois. Almost COM
plete interruption of telegraph and tele-
phone lines for twelve hours has made
1t impossible to secure the full details of
the disaster.
1t is known that while the fatalities in
Mclean We're but three in number, scores
OF persons were seriously injured and
hundreds of narrow escapes from death
were reported. Not village or city of
Mclean county escaped. and from every
district comes the same report of destroy
ed buildings, injury to growing crops
and RACED fruit and shade trees. The
aggregate of loss in Mclean county. not
including three lives at Merna, or thou
sands upon thousands of levelled shade
and fruit trees, by rought estimate.
Will be between 100000 and 100000.
LADIES KILLED AT DANCE
The saddest feature. however, was the
killing of three young women who were
Intending a dance at the town hall of
Merna, a small village ten miles east
Of this city There was a, party of $50
young men and women at the dance in
TIE hall when the tornado struck the
building about II o'clock last night.
PREVENTED FROM ESCAPING.
Everybody rushed for the doors. A
number of young men held the doors to
prevent the people from escaping, fearing
that they might be injured or killed IL
they go outside. About half Of ttem
however. escaped. and then the building
collapsed The others were buried in the
wreck. Three were killed and fcrty or
fifty others more or less injured. some
of them seriously. All were daughters
of prominent farmers.
The dead are:
Miss Lena JahaEan.
Mrs. Edward Martin.
Miss Anna Kelley.
The bodies were horribly mutilated by
the heavy tinlbers. Quite number Of
young men and women We're 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.
CAME WITH GREAT FURY.
The storm struck Merna with the great
est fury. greater than any other part of
the county. The finest houses and barns
were destroyed.
The storm reached Bloomington, about
II P NJ. commencing with furious cleo
tricaI display. Rain accompanid the
wind and the business district suffered
severely. Many plate glass windows We're
blown in and stocks of goods We're badly
damaged. Hundreds of trees in the city
were broken off at the trunks and the
streets are almost impossible. Telegraph
and telephone poles were broken short
of and the tangled wires added to the
blockade. No lives We're lost nor was
anyone seriously injured.
A man standing on West Washington
Street was blown 300 feet. but escaped
with only bruises. Ilinois Wesleyan
University. just on the eve o. commence
ment week. had its roof blown off and
was badly damaged by water. The rali-
roads report damaged tracks Que to
wash-outs. and number of freight
wrecks. due to trees falling on the tracks.
So far as known no one was killed OF
injured.
Efforts are being made to reach the
small towns in the country, as it is be-
l;eved thar some of them must nave SUI
fercd more or less damage.