Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1925-03-21
TORNADO In WEST
LEAVES DEATH and
MISERY in WAKE
Entire Towns Wiped Out By Storm
In Sections Of Indiana
And Illinois.
INJURED AND DEAD
PLACED AT NEAR 5000

In the Middle West and in the
South, the elements seemed to have
gone on jamboree this week.
Fire in Florida and tornado in H.
linois have taken rich toll Of property
and CHASTITY one of life. Down at
Palm Beach, The Breakers, the small
Ter Palm Beach Hotel, The Bradley
Club, many handsome private cot
tages and numerous stores and shops
fell prey to the devastating flames.
In Illinois, hundreds are dead and
hundreds more injured as a result Of
cyclone storm that passed through
Southern Illinois, parts Of Indiana,
and Missouri. The death list may
reach into thousands. Whole towns
are wiped out. All lines of commune
cation are down. The storm seemed
to center in the neighborhood Of West
Trankford and Murphreyboro, and in
these two towns estimates Of the dead
range from 200 to 1000. In some in
stances, fire followed in the wake Of
the cyclone, and the list Of casualties
is as yet unknown, Railroad trans
portation is interrupted and it will be
many hours before the extent of dam
age done will be known. The work of
the cyclone is graphically told in the
columns of the New York American
as follows:
Darkness descended over the desc
lated area shortly after the wind had
twisted it's way to the northeast, and
the streets Of the demolished towns
were filled with frantic inhabitants
clamoring over the piles of wreckage,
seeking missing friends and relatives.
From the recesses Of the jumbled
timbers came the cries Of injured
persons, who were pinned beneath
the wreckage, while the bodies of the
dead could be seen far down in the
debris whence it was impossible to
extricate them.
Lie tWioLllS Wll0 dpPdlCItly do-
sumed dangerous proportions in east
ern Missouri after 1 o'clock We'd
nesday afternoon. It wiped out most
of Annapolis, Mo-, and then tore it's
way across the Mississippi river into
Illinois, apparently lifting it's devas-
tating force and spreading out like a
river delta until the various twisters
descended some twenty-five miles east
of the Mississippi.
1t was around 3 o'clock when the
tornado again touched earth with its
mighty swish swinging thru Murphys-
boro and DeSoto and laying those
places waste in the twinkling Of an
eye. The wii4d rushed on, close to
earth for fifteen miles, and then ap-
parently lifted until it came to Carmi,
ILL.,, near the Indiana line. After TAX
ing its toll in that region, the storm
again rose only to descend once more
within twenty miles of the State line
at Princeton, Ind.
1Oilt VIC lCSOti VI llIlCCSOiI, CIG
tornado apparently died out as it went
on toward Indianapolis. In all the
ruined towns and cities, all the inhabi-
tants who escaped serious injury OF
death turned out at once to rescue the
injured, recover the dead and fight
any fires that might result from the
wrecking of buildings.
The churches and school houses were
turned into hospitals and morgues
and despite difficulties faced by the
rescuers, hundreds of persons were
gathered into these places of refuge
before darkness settled over the
scene.
West Frankfort, in Franklin coun.
/4Y, was the next town reported to
ave been struck, being partially de.
molished with consequent heavy
loss of life and property.
Reports next were received from
Murphysboro. Dropping with all its
fury, the storm virtually devastated
this little mining town, demolishine
buildings and killing and injurng al
most all within its path. In some in
stances the suffering from the storm
J was intensified by fire which broke
out.
Later reports said that the town O.
DeSoto was laid in waste by th'
storm and that the ruins were burn