The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1925-03-27
S23 DEAD, 1880
HURT BY TORNADO
IN FIVE STATES
Some Towns in Illinois and
Indiana Totally Destroyed
by Twister-Victims Be-
ing Aided by Relief
Workers.

ton OF relief In the tornad0-Stricken
area of Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Ken
lucky and Tennessee, it was disclosed
that about S23 persons had been killed
and 1890 injured. Several towns were
completely obliterated and thousands
were made homeless.
The Illinois total of deaths is 645,
Indiana 100, Missouri %, Kentucky IS
and Tennessee about 33.
Following the wind in many cities
and towns, fire broke out. In some
cases the relief work already had been
organized so well that the conflagra-
tons were under control in short
time. In others scores of MANNED and
dead were burned almost beyond recog-
milton.
Illinois Suffers Most.
Murphysboro, West Frankfort and
De Soto were the Illinois cities that
suffered most from the terrific wind
blast. Gorham also suffered heavily
in dead and wounded. In Indiana.
Griffin, Princeton and Owensville were
hardest hit while in Missouri, Biehle
suffered about ten deaths. Gallatin,
Tenn, reported that about thirty had
been killed there.
In a number of towns lighting sys-
tens were out Of order and darkness
hampered the workers at night. Ma
tional Guard troops are protecting
these places from possible loot1ng.
Pullman cars have arrived in many of
the villages to provide sleeping places
for the thousands of homeless while
tent villages are arising rapidly.
In a few cities where there had
been happiness, prosperity, and future,
the tornado blasted all. In others II
showed fendish eccentricity by level
Ing and blackening portions, while
sparing the rest.
Towns Swept Away.
Nearly half of Princeton, Ind, was
smitten. A sister city, Griffin, was
virtually carried away. De Soto, H.,
with 500 people, lost its existence. A
neighbor, Gorham, of 300 souls, was
wiped out. Murphysboro, ILL.,, lost
nearly three square miles of its busi-
ness and residential sections. Other
hamlets are yet cut off from telling
their story.
Property Losses in Millions.
Those in charge speak in millions
when asked TO estimate material
losses. The brief dispatches read:
$4,000 in southwestern Kentucky"
"S2, 100000 at Princeton" "S6,OOO,OOO
In southern Illinois," 100000 in Mis-
souri," At the other scenes no one yet
ventures to estimate.
The tornado took its toll over ter
ritory of 800 miles in five hours and
within the same period of time outside
aid was covering that distance to
carry help and comfort to survivors.
The Red Cross rushed supplies from
st. Louis. Chicago offered 100000.
The Illinois legislature appropriated
like amount and the Missouri legisla-
ture $4,000.
Toll of Dead Mounting.
In southern Illinois, where terrific
havoc was wrought in four towns.
Murphysboro, West Franfort, De Soto
and Gorham, all in coal mining terri
tory within a twenty-five mile radius
of Carbonate, the relief center, the
toll of dead and injured continued -
mount as additional bodies were taken
from the ruins The death list was
above the 500 mark. while between
1000 and 5000 were injured and thou
sands were homeless. Relief workers
said the loss OF life might reach 1000.
The property damage in the area was
estimated at 100000.
Grim Story in Morgue.
It was at the morgue of southern
Illinois largest city where the story
of West Frankfort's tragedy was brief
ly but grimly told. Ninety-one bodies
lay stretched in long rows. and the
first twenty-ope were the forms of
little children, ranging from eighteen
months to four years in age.
They lay in a pitiful row on long
table, faces uncovered so some heart
broken mother or father or perhaps
an older brother or sister might claim
them. One by one the little bodies
were tagged with family name as
identtfcations were made
At mine known as No. Is twelve
men went to their deaths when the
plant above ground was demolished.
Terrible was the destruction vented
on Murphysboro.
Makes kindlin5 Wood of Homes. !.
More than half of it now is little
more than kindling wood and smolder
ing ruins of hundreds of homes.
Hours Of battering by field artillery
could do no more to town than the
tornado did to the stricken area of
Murphysboro. Brick buildings went
with the weaker frames. Thirty-seven
children were crushed TO death in the
collapse of two school buildings. Two
square miles which contained 500 resi-
dences and 100 business houses were
leveled.
One of the buildings destroyed was
a new $4,000 Baptist church. where
a funeral was being held when the
tornado struck. Another was new
1857 900 addition to the high school.
Chief of Police Joe Boston found
the body of his daughter in these