The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-28
DEATH TOLL
is HEAVY
More Than 100 Were Killed
in Illinois Tor
nado
SEVERAL TOWNS
WERE STRUCK
Nation Was the Worst Suf-
ferer--Thirty-Two Dead
in Charleston

Chicago, May 2s,--Spring tornadoes
making their appearance earlier thar
usual in the central West, caused the
deaths of more than 100 persons Satur.
day and Friday; the injury of several
hundred more and property damage
which cannot be estimated because of Sc
rious loss in growing food crops.
Mattoon, Ill.,, was the heaviest sufferer
in the storms, from so to 20 persons be-
ing killed there late Saturday.
In Charleston, ILL.,, 80 persons were
killed by the tornado Saturday after
noon, according to adyices received by
the Big Four railroad at st. Louis. Tele-
phone communication with Charleston
was interrupted before it could be
learned how many were injured.
The number killed in Mattoon was
over twice as many as were killed in
Kansas on Friday, when the village OF
Andale virtually was wiped out, and
heavy toll taken in the surrounding
country The dead there was estimated
at from "a to 30. The storm Saturday
wrecked the northern half of Nation,
including nearly all the business section,
and rendered 1000 persons homeless.
While the principal force of the storm
struck at Mattoou, other sections OF Hi
nois were visited by vagrant tornadoes,
which left death and destruction as they
twisted through rich farming territory.
Casualties were reported as follows:
Westervelt- Five dead, q injured,
three of whom will die.
Alanhattan-One dead, six injured.
Joliet-Two injured
Elwood-Four injured
Modesto-0ne dead, nine fatally hurt.
Pearl-0ne fatally injured, four hurt
Early reports of property losses indi
Gated that serious damage had been done
to many towns. Substantial factories
were blown to splinters in Mattoon 10
liet estimated 100000 damage in will
county alone.
Hail followed the wind in many places, |
beating growing crops to the ground.
About so persons were killed and more
than 800 injured when the tornado |
struck Nation, ILL.,, late Saturday. The I
entire business section of the town is |
wiped out and upward of 1000 are home
less. The storm, travelling from east TO |
west, destroyed virtually the entire
northern half of the town, leaving no
building standing for section several
blocks in width.
A lumber yard directly in the path of
he tornado contributed largely TO the
lamage. Flying planks struck number
If pedestrians who had been unable to
ind shelter and other pieces of timber
we're hurled for miles around the eounJ
ryside, one being discovered sticking
through the side of a farmers house.
Bits of broken and twisted steel also flew
through the air, damaging buildings en-
irely out of the path of the storm. A
aiming factory contributed to the loss
n this way.
Rescue work was begun almost imme
lately. Within an hour every church
nd public building standing was filled
With injured, many of whom were unable
o obtain medical service. heavy hail
torn which followed the wind hampered
he work Of rescue and late into the
light persons were being dug from the
uins OF wrecked buildings. City officials
sserted that there is a possibility that
he death list may be materially in
reased when the full extent of the dam
ge is determined.
Few reports from the surrounding
arm country were available, but it was
ot believed that the damage anywhere
n this vicinity was as great as in Mat
Don.
In addition to pleas for doctors and
urses, the mayor sent an emergency call
0 Gov. Lowden for at least two com
anies of the state National Guard to be
sed in policing the ruins.
The wind played the usual number of
reakish tricks. A scantlng from the
imber yard passed entirely through
ONE in which the family was dining,
urtling through the air over their heads,
nd cut through a window without in
ring any of the diners
Wire and rail traffic was virtually at
tandstill for hours after the disaster,
lies of poles in each direction from Mat
,on being levelled. Rails and ties were
,rn up bodily.