A FEARFUL DISASTER

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1925, Page 2

A FEARFUL DISASTER

TORNADO HITS AMERICA. ENORMOUS CASUALTY LIST. AUSIT.AI.IAN ANIJ N. 7.. C.U11.8 ASSOCIATION NEW YORK, March 18. Reports from Illinois state that a must disastrous tornado has swept the middle and western States. One hundred are said to have been killed and wounded. The damage so far has not been estimated. Fires followed the cyclone in many places. 'J he wires are all down to the districts affected An unverified estimate of the dead and injured now places them over a thousand. NEW YORK, March 18. Later nows states that the number dead as thu result of the tornado is now estimated at more than fifteen hundred. A RECORD WIND. TOWN STREWN WITH DEAD. NEW YORK, March 19The tornado swept the States of Missouri and Kentucky and Southern Illinois. It did most damage in the latter State. The wind storm was unprecedented, its fury being comparable -nlv with the tornado of 189(i. which killed .-,!)il people in the city of St. Louis.

It is believed that the latter reports will probably limit the number of dead, but it is already determined that manv hundreds have been killed in smaller towns.

The worst sufferer was the town of Murphy shore, (in Illinois), a town of eleven thousand inhabitants, which literally was swept down. and totally destroyed.

Not a house is left standing iirMurpliysboro. Debris was blown sixty miles away. The dead there are estimated at more than one hundred. Governor Small, of lllnois, in concentrating relief efforts on their he!iaif. He hud ordered battalion of troops to entrain for the district.

Red Cross Services are being enlisted and life undamaged centres nearby are rushing un every possible aid.

The people from the neighbouring towns declare that the streets of Murphy aim ro are strewn with dead and wounded.

At West Frankfort, also in Illinois it is reported that there are two Hundred and fifty- dead

The sclioolhouse, being demolished killed two hundred children at Parrish. in Illinois.

It is reported that only three mil of five hundred of the population there are uninjured. ~ Railway and telegraph officers are gathering on the scene. Reports state that at least six hundread people have been killed in an area covered by the route of the ( bicago nml Quincy Railway.

At Aimal’olis, in Missouri, iL is it ■ported that twenty-live were killed while amongst other towns razed an burning with their casualties yet ur determined, in the State ol lllinob are Desoto. Duquern, Thoiupsonvilli Logan. Carbnndale, Ava, Corhaui an Carmi.

The eomunications and transput over the involved area are greatly do moralised.

The. Central Illinois Railway autho itics declare they are unable to ope ate tlie trains on many sections.

Indescribable confusions exists throughout the area, and the rebel work is hampered : indeed rebel is non-existent in most places. A peculiar feature to the damage is due to the fact that the devastated area includes many industrial districts, where there are brick buildings housing many of vho workers. These were demolished, maiming or killing the occupants. The storm’s tremendous power is indicated l.v the fmi that few buildings in i| : , path were aide I" withstand ils force. In 11 ui si. in Illinois, a town of Iwelve hundred inhabitants, it is reported there is only one building standing. The church spires toppled over, the smoko slacks cracked and fell, and even the railway rails were torn up. The tornado varied its path from time lo time. Reports from Cofle.vville. in Kansas State, indicate that the neighbouring areas are somewhat damaged also, but without casualties, the telegraphs, telephones, ami the rural buildings being the chief sufferers. Prinrotowii in Indiana State. also was alfected. According to the later reports, it is estimated that fifty were killed there. Altonburg, in Missouri, reports that a man was killed and ten children injured. The records indicated that this lias been the worst wind storm in America’s tornado holt. OYER 8300 CASUALTIES. XE\Y YORK. March 19.

Tlie latest news is that the tornado casualties have now mounted to 3329 dead and injured. This number is based on estimates made late on Wednesday night. The dead number 800 and the injured 2o'2P.