The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-28
TRAGIC GAME
OF LEAP FROG
BY TORNADO
Swooped From Farm to
Farm and From City
to City
CITIZENS WORK
IN DARKNESS
Guardsmen Patrol Ruins of
Charleston And Pre-
vent Looting
fRu Associated Press.N

Charleston, ILL.,, May 2S.-CharleS-
tons losses in Saturdays tornado, as
checked up last night. show 20 known
dead, more than 100 injured, some
probably fatally, four missing and a
large area of the city, including parts
of the business quarter, laid waste with
a property loss of $1,000,000.
The tornado, carrying its way east
ward from Nation and seemingly
playing leap frog with the farms be-
tween the two cities struck Charleston
as it did Nation on the northwest
corner of the city. Having swooped to
earth at spots between Nation and
Charleston to kill livestock and level
farm buildings here and there 1t
changed its prey and swallowed UP all
the houses. factories and stores in an
area two miles long and three-quarters
Of a mile wide in the northern part or
Charleston.
After working through the night in
darkness. except for lanterns citizens
of Charleston yesterday found that
there were $500 homeless persons to
be cared for and that probably half OF
these were in want.
A company of Illinois national
guard reached here at midnight to as
sist in handling the situation. The cleo
trio light plant and gas plant were de-
molished. George Kilgore, engineer at
the plant was killed.
Relief Work Begun.
Relief work was begun at once.
Those of the injured for whom there
were no accommodations at the M. A.
Montgomery hospital were being cared
for in private homes, hotels, lodge
rooms and in the dormitory Of the
Eastern Illinois state normal school.
Relief physicians from Terre Haute,
Ind; Paris, Kansas; and Ashmore, ILL.,,
aided the local doctors while all of the
neighborinR communities sent women
to assist. A company Of boy scouts
from Chrisman arrived early and i'm
mediately were put at work as traffic
policemen and messengers.
A committee of business men con-
tributed funds for emergency relief
and appeals for assistance were sent
throughout the state. Every able
bodied man in the community assisted
storm victims to reclaim such Of their
property as was uninjured.
A company Of national guardsmen
cooperating with special deputy sher-
ifs patrolled the ruins throughout the
night. Orders were issued to the people
to remain indoors after 6 o'clock and
sentries were instructed to shoot van
daIs on sight. No footing was reported.
Cards were distributed among the
SLTlCkeH uTSlHS LuSIIl 10 Apply W ZIG
Red Cross for shelter, clothing, food
and friends and as a result it was as
serted that every person in the city
was housed last night.
Two Distinct Clouds.
The advent of the storm in Charles
ton was announced by the appearance
of two distinct Clouds according to
the townspeople. which met near the
center of the city, hurting buildings,
animals and practically everything in
its path in the vortex OF huge whirl-
pool. For approximately fifteen min
utes thereafter the wind continued
blowing at rate of about 80 miles an
hour. 1t curled it's way into the bust
ness district after destroying about 500
homes and demolished the stations of
the Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati
and st. Louis railroad and the Toledo,
st. Louis and Western railway, wreck
ing two hotels, two storage warehouses
containing large quantities of broom
corn and wool and several minor bust
ness houses.
Following is the list Of known dead
at Charleston: Mrs. B. E. Bayless and
baby, Mrs. r. c. Barnes, r. C. Barnes,
Clarence Bingaman, Nellie Bingaman,
Paul Bayless, Mrs. George Briggs, Mrs.
T. A. Colby and two children, Frank
Case, Mrs. William Cobble, John Deed,
Wilson Goodman, Napoleon Huffman,
Jesse Huddleston, Erven Jenkins, J. w.
Johnson, George Kilgore, T. D. Knaus,
Mrs. Sarah Under, Mrs. William Lang,
Madeline Lang, Douglas Nugent, Bert
Needy. Clarke Nelson, Mrs. Johanna
Mcmahon, Mildred Owings, Miss G..
Stewart, ]. r. Sweeney, Mrs. j. r.
Sweeney, George A. Smith, ST., Mrs.
Samuel Shores, Bio Warman, John
Wenz, jr., Mrs. Glenn Wright, I'M
identified unman.