The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1902-06-20
loss OF LIFE WILL Be HEAVY
DAMAGE TO PROPERTY WILL
AMOUNT TO OVER A MIL
LION DOLLARS.
LEFT TRAIL OF RUIN AND DEATH
STORM WAS THE WORST IN THE
HISTORY OF CENTRAL
ILLINOIS,

bloomington, ILL.,, June 13.-Stretching
ocross pathway one hundred miles in
width and devastating a territory fully
two hundred miles long, extending from
Livingston county on the north and
Macoupin county on the south, and
leaving its mark across the face Of
Central Illinois, tornado Tuesday
night inflicted property loss which will
aggregate a million dollars and cost a
dozen lives. The brunt of the storm
fell uron Mclean and adjoining coun-
ties. Lightning was incessant for two
hours but was marked by absence Of
thunder claps. The wind reached a We
locity of a hundred miles an hour and
left a trail of destruction and death.
The storm was the worst in the history
of Central Illinois. An almost complete
paralysis of telegraph and telephone
lines for twelve hours made it impossi-
Die to secure full details of the disaster
1t is now known that While the fatali-
ties in Mclean county were but three,
scores of persons were seriously in
jured 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
destroyed buildings, injury to growing
crops and RACED fruit and shade trees.
The aggregate loss in Mclean county,
not including three lives at Merna, or
thousands upon thousands of shade
and fruit trees that were leveled, will
be between $500, 900 and $500, 900 by rough
estimate. The heaviest loss in proper
ton to population fell upon Merna, a
village ten miles east of Bloomington,
where the town hall, used by party Of
25o for dance, was destroyed. Three
of the women dancers were instantly
killed by falling timbers. The greatest
loss In Bloomington was the destruc-
ton of thousands of shade trees. The
streets are in many cases impossible
by reason of fallen trees. 1t is esti-
mated that fully one-third of the trees
in the city and vicinity are either
broken off at the trunk or badly dam
aged by the loss Of the larger branches.
The loss through the destruction Of
fruit trees will also reach large pro-
portions, many orchards being entirely
leveled.
Worst Storm in Years.
Peoria, ILL.,, June 10. - Peoria was
swept by the worst storm in years at a
late hour Tuesday night. It struck the
city travelling at the rate of eighty
miles an hour. At least ten people are
6ead and several others will die from
their injuries. The property damage
will amount to hundreds of thousands
of dollars. Every railroad entering the
city is crippled. Telegraphic commune
cation was cut off from II o'clock Tues
day night until 10 o'clock yesterday
fho WIT
ceeded in getting a line through. Tele-
rhonic connections with the outside
world are completely severed. Factories
throughout the city are completely Grip
pied as almost every smokestack is
down. The entire street railway sys-
tenn was put out of business for several
hours, but at noon yesterday operation
vas partially resumed. The storm
was most destructive at Kingston
Mines a small mining village four miles
from Peoria. The record of the storm
there
IL Appalling.
An electrical storm swept over the VIII
lage first, followed by the tornado. The
path Of the storm was 200 feet wide and
it swept everything before it, Three
lives We're lost and several others will
die from the injuries received. Sixteen
persons were seriously injured Six
teen houses were completely dernol-
ished, as was the Methodist church.
The total loss to property will exceed
$4,000. At Morton, in Tazewell county,
enc man was killed Edward Beman
was caught beneath falling timbers Of
Martin Stooler's barn and was almost
insta ntly killed. Several horses and a
number of cattle were killed near there.
A tug boat and a steam launch which
have been plying on the river at this
point have disappeared since the first
storm. and it is believed they are now
at the bottom of Peoria lake. Their
pilots have not been seen. The storm
was general and extended as far east as
Bloomington.