Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — WESTERN. [ARTICLE]

WESTERN.

the Republican congressional vention of the Eighth district ofMichigan. Congressman W. S. Linton was renominated for a third term by acclamation. A terrific hurricane and cloudburst struck Cairo, 111., at 8:30 o’clock Tuesday morning. Tin- extent of the destruction of property cannot ret ire ascertained, but it is known that at least a dozen lives were lost through the capsizing of the steam ferryboat Katherine. TTn the United StatasrCourt at Hannibal, Mo., the grand jury has returned an indictment against Crockett Ragsdale, formerly bookkeeper in the First National Bank, for embezzlement. His plea was not guilty, and a continuance was asked for. The total amount of Ragsdale's' shortage is not known, but it is, supposed to be about $15,090. The defendant is a young-man. and prior to the discovery of the embezzlement was highly esteemed. An indi ct men twa s - also retpru ed-aga Inst Clarence Gray, of Macon < 'it.v. who committed the same offense in the National Bank of that city. Gray entered a plea of guilty and was sehftmcetFTcrfivffTFars in the penitentiary. Four hundred and sixty-three dead arid 718 injured is the awful story of Wednesday’s cyclone. Time will swell the list. Though the sorrowin', work of the enumerators was but begun, Ulis table shows their grewso-me totals at midnight Thursday night: Killed. Injured St. Louis.. 250 300 En?t St. Louis ..150 300 Audrain (fount y, Md. ..... 15 25 New Baden, ill.. 13 24 Birkfierrf, lit 4 Manv Boyd, 1111 ..... :.. . 2 L R Irvington, 11l I "“--’sT Hoyleton. 11l „ 8 Many Mascoutah, 111. . 1 Many Jeffersoti'City, 111.. 5 Manv Fairfield, 111. 1 3 Warsaw. Ind. 2 5 Centerville, lowa . .1"?.... 3 S Pennsylvania 8 40 Total 463 718 Suitzel. of Shanghai, a friend of Li Hung ('h n ng. n rri ved niSa it I-’:-a iieisco on the last steamer on his way to meet!, the viceroy and escort him over England and through >this country on his return home. “When Li eoin.es back he is going to reform. China,” Mr. Spitzel said. “He is now stronger by far than ever he was with the-emperor, and the other people in power. It is his intention to build railroads all over China, build, a good navy, organize a splendid army, improve the coast defeiises. ftndt:-ftbove all, bring about a stronger centralized government. It is probable that the-other- viceroys will become simply governors of their provinces and subject to the central power. One thing that shows his present'prestige and power is the fact that while he is away everything is at a standstill and officials' —even the viceroys-—postpone important matters until his return.” Cloudburst, vivid lightning and destructive wind combined in a storm that struck Chicago Sunday night and swept with unparalleled fury the whole of the upper Mississippi valley. Trees were snapped off like stalks of wheat. Houses that stood iu the w ay of the storm were caught iu the grasp of a tempest more fierce than any that has visited the Chicago region •within the memory of man and were •tossed' 1-ikw tire phiythitvg» of -efiildrea into wreck and confusion. Slender wires that carried the messages of telegraph and telephone were stripped from the poles and left lashing the earth on winch-beat the deluge of water. The cities within one hundred miles of Chicago seem all to have suffered with singular equality from the ferocity of the stofm. Upon- Elgin the blow seemed rather heavier, but it was Chiefly because no other place presented so many chances. One man was killed in the ruins of ,u house that sunk like an eggshell under the blow of the hurricane. Other structures were unroofed, and bridges were damaged. Telegraph and telephone poles were driven level with the earth. Inimense damage was done to the beautiful little city. At Norwood Park, just on the border of Chicago, just added by annexation to the care of the city, the tempest fell with amazing force. Three houses in one row were lifted from their foundations and crushed beyond hope of repair. The families that had resided in them Were blessed with a good fortune that seems little more than miraculous in that they escaped death aud serious injury.