Democratic Sentinel, Volume 17, Number 14, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 April 1893 — DEATH IS IN THE AIR. [ARTICLE]

DEATH IS IN THE AIR.

FEARFUL WORK OF AN APRIL WIND. Widespread Destruction In Michigan, Indiana, Tennessee, Mississippi, Nebraska and Other States—Rain and Flame Add to the Awful Havoc. Later Reports Inorease the Loss. Death and dlsolation followed tho tornado which swept the Southern and Western States, At Higginsvillo, Mo., the path of the tornado was 100 yards wide, and in the entire distance of fifteen miles not a farmhouse or a tree remains standing. Eight persons were killed outright and three mor®. will probably die from their wounds, and twenty-five were wounded. The tornado swept down upon that part of the country at exactly 7:40 o'clock in the evening. It came from the southwest and traveled northwesterly a distance of fifteen miles. It passed six miles north of Higglnsvllls, two miles south of Dover and two miles southwest of Page City. It crossed both the Chloago and Alton and the Missouri Paclflo Railroads, breaking wires, absolutely shutting tho people on from communication with the outside world. Just before the awful crash there was a moment of death-like stillness. All along the line the Inhabitants of the houses whloh were just outside the path of the tornado agree to this. Thon there was a frightful crash, whloh could be plainly heard as trees and houses wero swept away. The storm struck Dent County near the center on the west side, coursing to the east It made a path In that county from two to four miles wide for a distance of twenty-five miles. Trees, fenoes, houses and bains were demolished and many porsons killed and injured. The greatest loss of life is reported from Condrny, a mining town of about 300 people. Only three houses are left standing, there, and nine persons were killed. Over fifty othors were injured, several fatally. A Miss Lay was blown away and has not been found. A small child was also blown away, W. A. Wilson is seriously hurt. Supt Condray of the mines was badly hurt, and his wife Is also badly Injured. All the dwellings and a big store wore blown down. At Jadwln’s Postofflee four men were killed. On Dry Creek, Crawford County; the residence of A. M. Green was torn down by the wind and the old man killed. Farm houses and bams were destroyed throughout the county, and reports are coming in every hour of persons killed and damage done. Havoc at Vpullautl. Tho storm struck Ypsilanti, Mich., coming from the southwest and sweeping everything In its path through the principal part of the olty. It was a quarter of a mile wide. Houses wero moved from their foundations. Probably SIOO,OOO damage was done. Every store in the olty was damaged. The opera house was swept to the ground, the Curtis carriage factory has both ends gone and carriages are piled up in the street a mass of ruins. The roofß of store buildings were blown off and many stories foroed.down. Stock of all kinds is plied up lh tho street. The postofflee was blown to pieces and tho mall scattered everywhere. The Cleary Business College, a largo brick struoturo, was blown off above the flrst floor. No one is known to bo killed, but many were injured. Probably somo bodies will be found in tho ruins. Rubbish is piled In the streets ten feet high. The largest dwellings in the oity were carried completely to the ground. The wind came up suddenly and everything in its path went. -

Death at Rockport. At Rockport, Ind., during the terrific wind storm the new three-story brick building of Honig & Co., on the public square, toppled over. It collapsed with a crash, falling on and crushing to the ground the small dwelling and store of Houston Frank. Mr. and Mrs. Frank are known to have been in the store, and it is believed that several men are also dead beneath the ruins, as some assert that they saw two or three people enter the store just before the catastrophe. Honig's building was not completed and less than a half dozen workmen were employed in the lower floors at the time, and not one of these escaped. John Taylor, a colored workman behind the building, was crushed and will die. He is the only person out of a possible six or eight who has been dug out of the ruins. The home fire department turned out, and assisted by 100 citizens the work of clearing away the wreckage was carried on. Advices received from over Indiana tell of heavy damage and loss of life, A tornado swept over the southwestern portion of Kokomo at 4 o’clock in the morning, demolishing the machineryroom and boiler-rooms of the American Strawboard mills, Robert Douglass, an employe of the mills, was instantly killed by the falling walls, Other workmen in the machinery-room narrowly escaped. A large portion of the building is a complete wreck. The storm struck Greencastle at 3 o’clock and did much damage. The roof of the female dormitory at the DePauw University was blown off and a number of dwellings were in a like manner disfigured.

Damago at Many Points. At St. Joseph, Mo. .several people were killed, among thorn a Mrs. Ward. Her husband was seriously Injured, as was also John Sheltdn. An unknown womah was also killed. A man named John Slingle, of Salem, Ore., was blown from a Chloago, Burlington A Quincy passenger train going toward Burlington, lowa, and killed. The storm was at its height at the time. News from Tunlea, Miss., is that the town of Roblnsonville, ten miles north, was completely destroyed by a cyclone at 4:80 o f olock in the afternoon. Not a bouse is left in the town of about 300 inhabitants, and, as a finishing touch to the’ destructive horror, the lamps that were burning in the stores owing to the intense darkness when the stprm came set the houses on fire and all is in ashes. As a through freight entered London, Ind., at 4:30 o’clock in the mornipg a cyolone struck the village and drove a loaded car from the side traok to the main track. The engine caught the front end and carried it twenty yards, when It ran into other cars and threw the engine from the track. The engineer, Benjamin Brown, jumped, but was caught and terribly crushed. He died an hour later. Near Columbus, Ind., a great amount of damage has been done to farm property. Bailroad property has been greatly damaged. Four hundred yards of the main line of the Pennsylvania company's track is under water, and much of the embankment washed away. The track of the Evansville A Richmond road, a branch of the Mackey system, is under water in several places and traffic Is suspended. As communication gradually becomes opened up with the small towns and hamlets through Kansas and Missouri | which were cyclone-swept recently, the real extent of the storm becomes known. Fifteen people are known to have been killed, thirty or forty were Injured, while numberless houses as well as smaller property were destroyed. Much stock was also killed. Fruit trees were broken and twisted, and hay stacks were scattered in all instances, and some anxiety is felt lest there be a shortage In fodder*