The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-12
IN TAZEWELL COUNTY.
Several Lives Lost and Several Per-
Fatally Injured.

PEORIA, Ill, June 1.-THE double storm
that struck Peoria at 10 o'clock last night
and again at O'Clock this morning was the
worst central Illinois has experienced since
1s4S. Rain fell in torrents, and the damage
caused by the high winds is inestimabe
at this time Probably the worst damage
in proportion TO the size of the town
at Kingston mines. small mining town
twenty miles below Peoria There three
persons were killed outright and ten were
injured, three fatally. The killed are:
MRS. THOMAS MURRAY.
INFANT CHILD OF Mrs. Murray.
MRS. ROBERT MELWEE.
The fatally injured are: Infant child of
Mrs. McElwee, Robert McElwee and Thos.
Murray. The others injured are: Mrs.
Mocha. Roy Bitner. Jud Marsh. Cora Ros-
bottom, James Lacock, Mrs. Frank Bra
zena and Mrs. Keefe
An electrical storm swept over Kingston
Mines village first, followed by a tor
before it. Sixteen homes were demolished,
as was the Methodist Church and the en-
gine house, blacksmith shop and barn of
Newsome Brothers, at their mine. The
total property loss will exceed $4,000 The
storm struck the village at 1915. and was
1t was perhaps fifteen minutes after the
commencement of the electrical storm that
the wind came, bringing with it the wreck
and ruin. The storm first struck Newsome
Brothers big engine house, laying it fiat,
besides carrying away the dump treste,
track and all. The mine stables were
caught and were carried completely away.
Loss to the Newsome Brothers will exceed
10000
The home of Thomas Murray was next in
the storms path and besides literally wip-
ing the little home from the face of the
earth the wind took the lives of Mrs. Muir
ray and child and left the father In a dying
condition. Mr.. and Mrs. McElwee were in
their home, which was demolished They
were preparing to retire. Their child was
killed in its mothers arms while she was
fatally hurt and the father will die. They
were all struck by falling timbers. James
Lacock, his wife and three children were
all injured. but none seriously. Mrs. Mocha
and child had narrow escape from death.
The house was completely wrecked. but a
partition had fallen as a protection, and
" while they were pinned down for hours
they were not badly hurt. They were dis
covered by a relief party. who heard Mrs.
Mocha Idlnlly Gazing. hTS. heeIe, OF SOulh
Peoria, was visiting her mother, Mrs.
Smith. The house was wrecked and Mrs.
Keefe was badly cut about the head. but
not seriously.
The storm struck Morton, a small village
fifteen miles below here. and Edward Bee
man was killed by falling timbers. A farm
er named Ellison was killed while attempt
ing TO save his horses. He was found sur
George Reardan an employe of the cleo
trio company, instantly killed this
morning while repairing the storm damage
at Glen Oak Park. He was caught by a
live wire and died instantly. George Ash
rock, another lneman. was seriously burned
in attempting to extricate Reardan from
the wire.
The Peoria & Peking Union roundhouse
was blown down shortly after 10 o'clock. In
it at the time were eight men. and all es-
capped without serious injury but Samuel
Spence, an Iowa Central engineer, who was
caught by the falling walls and received
serious injuries TO his back. He is now at
the Cottage Hospital and is in very seri-
Gus condition.
Thirteen locomotives owned by the nli-
nois Central. two by the Iowa Central, four
by the Toledo, Peoria & Western and FIVE
by the Big Four were almost totally
wrecked.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific train
which left this city at 11:25 O'Clock last
night for Chicago ran into washout just
above the city. The engine is buried in
sand and mud and the baggage car turned
over. Robert Atkinson, the engineer, was
the only person injured.
The roof of the new warehouse of the
Corning & Co. distillery was blown off. as
was also that of the Clark distillery. The
roof of the Harmed & Won Maur dry goods
store was blown off. The stock was dam
aged $4,000 by water. There was no in
surance. Charles Canon & Co.'S mems
furnishings store was wrecked by water;
no insurance. Schipper & Block lost con-
siderable on account of water.
Shortly after IL o'clock a report reached
the police that the people living in Dry
run, on the Bluff, were in danger of drown
ing, as they had been caught by the flood.
Rowboats were hurried to the scene at
once and the police took twelve people from
their homes. They were standing on pianos
with the water almost to their necks
Within an hour all of them would have
been lost
All communication with the outside world
was destroyed for over twelve hours and IL
was almost noon to-day when a wire was
secured between Peoria and Chicago and
St Louis. All street-car service was
stopped and the fire alarm system was
wrecked.
/ tug boat and a steam launch. which
/ have been plying on the river at this point
have disappeared since the first storm and
IL is believed they are now at the bottom
OF the Peoria lake. Their pilots have not
/ been seen Ehe storm was general and ex-
tended as far east as Bloomington, where
/ il was even worse than at Peoria.
The steamer City of Peoria out on tho
/ Illinois river with excursion party of
/ 500 women, was caught in the Narrows seN-
/ eral miles above Peoria The coolness OF
! Capt. Shaw Shively and the bravery of the
/ crew saved the steamer. The steamers or
/ chestra played lively music during the
progress of the gale and prevented a panic
/ Captain Shively succeeded in landing the
+ steamer safely at 2:30 o'clock this morning