Mount Vernon signal. (Mt. Vernon, Ky.) 18??-current, 1917-03-16
LIVES LOST IN TORNADO
Terrific Cyclone Sweeps New
castle, Indiana, From
the West
e KILLED; MANY ARE INJURED
Buildings Ripped Asunder and Trap In
mates In Death Grip as Twister
Holds Sway For Five Minutes
Damace More Than Million.

Holds Sway For Five Minutes
Damage More Than Million.
Western Newspaper Union News Service
Newcastle, Ind.-A terrific cyclone
swept through Newcastle from the
west, leveling more than 200 houses
and leaving an appalling death train
behind; 90 bodies had been taken
from the ruins. More than so men,
women and children have been re-
moved from the debris and taken to
hospitals. 1t is feared many more vic
tins are buried in the wreckage. 1t
was reported that fully half of the cy-
clone victims in the hospitals were
SO seriously injured that they proba-
bly, will not recover.
The entire city, with it's population
dazed condition. The light and power
plants were damaged and practically
| every electric light and telephone wire
i'll the city is down. The city is in
darkness except for the light from
candles and lanterns. The rescue
work is handicapped on account OF
the darkness and it will not be known
definitely before daylight what the
| death toll is. The property damage
Will total more than a million dollars
The cyclone was general in this part
of the state. 1t swept on through here
toward Richmond, leveling houses and
buildings and killing three persons
near Richmond. 1t is feared many per
sons living on farms to the east as
well as to the west of here have per
ished. The cyclone did not last more
than five minutes here. A large, whirl
ing, funnel-shaped cloud was seen
coming from the west with terrific We
locity. 1t seemed to strike the city
a minute after it was sighted by per
sons who happened to be in the
streets 1t reached down into the city
and caught it with a twisting, wreck
ing, death grip. 1t ripped buildings
wide open, catching the inmates be
fore they had a chance to get away
Thomas Hanika, an Indianapoli.
newspaper man, was seated in an au
tomobile in front of the Bundy Hote
when he caught sight of the funnel
shaped cloud.
He said it came with such a deafen
ing roar and so rapidly that he and hi.
wife and two children barely had time
to jump from the car and leap into al
excavation for a business building
They rushed to the shelter of foun
dalton wall and stood with their back!
to it while the cyclone roared above
them,
Hanika said the noise of the cyc!on,
was like the roar of many cannon. HI
declared large timbers and telephon,
poles few by above him and his fam
lily. The cyclone passed quickly, how
ever, and was followed, he said, by {
heavy rain, thunder and lightning tina
added to the terror of the panic
stricken people. Hanika declared h
saw one two-story building picked VI
and set down squarely on top of a two
story mercantile establishment o
some kind, and that almost Instant,
both buildings burst into flames. I'm
mediately after the cyclone passed, h,
said, he met people crying in distres!
in the streets. He was more than al
hour trying to drive out of the city
the streets being filled with debris
The cyclone first hit near the powel
house of the Honey Bee Traction line
1t swept eastward toward Maiu street
where it leveled many houses, as IA
east as Eleventh street, when 1t veer
ed into the factory district 81 swep
over the district where the Maxwell
Automobile Company and Hoosiel
Kitchen Cabinet Company plants ar,
located. In this district the Maxwell
Company recently erected so cottages
for its employees. The damage in thi
part of the city was heavy. but tn,
extent was not known.
The cyclone seemed to leave tn,
city after its edges reached the neigh
borhoOd of the Lake Erie & Western
passenger station. There was practi
cally no damage on the north side o
the city. The Public Square and thu
main business sections were hardl,
touched by the wind, although they
were Uttered deeply with debris. from
the wrecked buildings. Traction serv
ice was held up for two or three hours
The Lake Erie & Western railroad be
tween here and Rushville is blocked
! with wreckage.
The indianapolis physicians brough
medical supplies and were prepared Il
send the injured to Indianapolis NJ
rapidly as transportation could be ar
ranged.
Mayor Wires Appeal.