Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 25, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 February 1888 — DEATH IN A CYCLONE. [ARTICLE]

DEATH IN A CYCLONE.

An Illinoiz Town Almost Demolished by a Wind Storm. Half the Town Leveled and the Remainder Coneumed by Fire—Basin ess Booms, the Court House and Hundreds of Dwellings Torn to Pieces—Thirty-one Persons Known to be Killed and Twenty Others Fatally Injured. At about 5 o’clock Sunday afternoon a cyclone struck Mt. Vernon, 111., and left it in ruins, killing thirty-one peo' pic, fatally injuring twenty others and seriously injuring a much greater number. Tie storm came from the southwest, and had a rotary motion. It swept down with fearful fury, striking first just south of the city hall, and carrying away the - third and fourth stories of the Mount Vernon mill. From there it swept on in a path 500 yards wide. Tbe Methodist church fell just a few minutes after 250 people had left the Snuday-ecbool room. The Commercial Hotel lost its third story. Next the wind struck the county court-house and rendered it a heap of ruins. By rare luck, however, the county records were saved. The Crew Block, on the south side of tbe square, is leveled with the earth, and under it was found th oil/ of John Crew, the owner of tbe block, formerly of Chicago. The roof and second story of R. L. Stratton A Co.’s hardware store was .blown away. The large two-story brick schoolhouse did not withstand the terrible shock any better than the smallest house in the track of tbe cyclone. The large two story frame house of George Ward was picked up and carried about twenty feet and left unhurt, while two brick buildings one hundred feet away were left in ruins. Tbe railroad shops were badly damaged and a great number of homes destroyed. Three-fourths

of the business portion of the city is ruined financially. The public square is in the center of the town; the courthouse is in the center of the square; the school building is in the northeast comer of the city, and all the dwellings in that portion of the city are destroyed. The storm was preceded by hail, but not more than five minutes elapsed until the fearful destroyer had swept over the doomed town. It came from the southwest. Buildings were wrenched and twisted and then dashed to pieces. . The storm passed : a little south of the city hall, missed Mr. Chance’s house, swept away the third and fourth stories of the Mount Vernon mill and destroyed nearly every house from the mill north for a space about 590 yards. Fire immediately broke out over the city, in the ruins. Assistance was telegraphed for to Evansville, Ind., and a special train with fire engines and reels, also a number of physicians, were imide Hately sent to the rescue. After a most stubborn fight the fire was got under control. The less cannot be estimated but not less than half a million dollars worth of property has been destroyed by tl e cyclone and fire in the neighborhood. Before the tornado, thunder was heard, and rain fell for some time, when suddenly a low, rumbling noise was heard, and a black, dense cloud that seemed to touch the earth swept over the city and it became very dark. Hundreds of houses were blown down, and many people crushed in the ruins. The south and east parts of the square are completely destroyed. The town is about two miles long, east and west, and the course of the tornado took in about twothirds of the east end, the western portion of the town escaping. The business ined. The place looks as though an earthquake had visited it. The county court house is one of the most complete wrecks. t w New Swindle on Farmers. Word received from the interior of Ohio gives an account of a new confidence game being practiced on farmers and others by which the schemers have enriched themselves some $6,000. Agents are employed to secure orders for groceries at ruinously low prices. The goods are delivered by car-loads, each man’s purchase wrapped in a separate package, and marked with his name. Collections are all m ide at once. The victim,on opening tue package at home, finds short weight or adulterated goods, and in some instances absolutely worthless stuff. One carload netted the swindlers over SBOO. Farmers looking for bargains are the principal sufferers.