The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1907-06-20
WIND CARRIES DEATH
STORM AND FLOOD COSTS MANY
LIVES.
Wide Aren Ravaged In Illinois In-
diana and kentucky-Thirty Per-
sons known to De killed-One
Town Swept Away.

At least twenty-nine persons wert
killed, scores We're injured and proper.
ty damage aggregating hundreds OF
thousands of dollars was done by wind,
rain and thunder storms which devas
tated large sections Of southern Hi
nois, southern Indiana and western
Kentucky between midnight and dawn
Saturday morning.
Throughout large area houses were
swept away, hundreds of head of live
stock were killed and crops were de-
yastated. Long after the storms had
ceased the rivers continued to rise un-
til thousands Of acres of wheat and
corn land had been flooded and the
crops ruined.
Twenty-onc persons perished at
Gradyville, Ky, village Of 175 inhab.
itants fifteen miles from railroad.
Owing to cloudburst Big Greek sud
denly changed its channel, rushed
through the town and swept away al
most every house. The inhabitants
awoke to find themselves surrounded
by water and their dwellings crum-
bling away.
Those left alive made their way to
the hills and shivered in the rain until
dawn. 1t was hours before the news
Of the disaster reached Columbia, the
nearest town of any size, and then
physicians and relief supplies were
hurried to the scene as fast as the con-
dition Of the roads would permit.
A tornado, accompanied by deluge
of rain, devastated York, ILL.,, where
three lives were lost. Property dam
age in the town and vicinity was $780,
600. Besides those killed, eight per-
sons We're probably fatally injured,
and more than a score less seriously
hurt. Nearly every house in the town
was damaged, and several were blown
down, their occupants being buried in
the debris. That the loss of life was
not larger was remarkable, in view Of
the damage done.
Mrs. Lucinda Pinkerton was blown
into the top of tree several hundred
feet from her home, and her body hung
In the branches for hours before it was
found by searchers. The Methodist
church was demolished, its timbers
wrecking saloon across the street.
The saloonkeeper was blown fifty feet
ard stuck in a hedge, but escaped Sc
rious injury.
New Minden, ILL.,, also was struck by
a tornado, and five lives weer lost,
while a number of persons were in
jured. Nearly every house in the north
ern part Of the town was destroyed
and the German Lutheran church was
wrecked.
An odd feature Of the tornado Is that
hundreds Of head of stock has disap-
peared from nearby farms, and no
trace of them or their bodies can be
found 1t is supposed they were blown
into the Wabash River and their bod
les swept away.
On the north side Of the church 4
parochal school was destroyed. Eleven
years ago the village of New Minden
was struck by a tornado and four or
FIVE persons were killed. At that time
almost every house in the village was
demolished.
Nashville, ILL.,, and other nearby
towns were quick to send aid to the
stricken village. A party Of searchers
also left Nashville to look for farm
er who was driving from HOyleton to
Nashville when the storm broke and
has not been seen since.
GRANVILLE, Ind, not far from York,
Ill.,, also was badly damaged by the
tornado. The home of James Layton
was demolished and Mr.. and Mrs. Lay
ton were so badly injured that it is
feared they cannot recover. Many
sther houses also were badly damaged.
Much Damage Elsewhere.
Reports from such other places told
Of Leavy rains and high winds which
did great damage, but of no other loss
of life. In many localities bridges
were washed away, roads made impas-
bdDlc anu NlltS Dlohtii, oo tldI IL 10
feared ether fatalities will be reported
when communication Is restored
A telegram from Evansville, Ind, re-
ported much damage for hundred
miles in every direction. At Corydon,
KY, lightning destroyed the Baptist
church, and at Smith Mills, KY, a res
idence was struck by lightning and
burned. At Petersburg, Ind, much
damage was done by wind and rain,
and White River rose until it spread
over thousands of acres Of farm land.
A few miles south Of Petersburg the
storm swept path half a mile wide,
destroying trees, fences and barns
Bridges over all the streams In the vi
ciinty were washed away. AS far as
could be learned, however, there was
no loss Of life in that neighborhood.
Louisville and Lexington, Ky, also