DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO IN ILLINOIS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXX, Issue 2465, 28 April 1888, Page 2 (Supplement)

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO IN ILLINOIS.

A KTAitTLINO instance of the terrible power of the Western tornado or cyclone occurred iu Illinois on Sunday, 12th February. Two-thirds of Mount Vernon, a town of about 4000 inhabitants, were literally swept out of existence within a fc.v minute.''. It had been thundering and ruining for some time. Suddenly a low rumbling noise was hoard, and a black dense cloud that seemed to touch the earth swept over the town, and it became vpry dark. As soon as the cloud P'jssfid the sky brightened, and the survivors realised the .shock and loss they had fiii-itiiiued. Hundreds of houses were blown down, and many people were crushed iu the ruins. The town is about two miles long east and west, and the course of the tornado took in about twothirds of the cast end, the western portion escaping. The larger portion of the busi- . nes» part known as the Square was j totally destroyed. A fire broke out im- j mediately among the ruins, and raged | with great fury, adding horror to (ho situation. Crins and groans were heard in all direction*. Two churches lay a ; iiiiisH of ruins. The public school build- j ing and the hotel were also gone, and of a long row of business houses on one side j of the Sqtrire not one was lef■-. standing. The town looked indeed as if it had been visited by a violent earthquake. The Riirvivors had to leave tho injured and dying in order to fight the flumes, which were only subdued after a stubborn contest of several bourn. Forty-oue persons are known to bo killed and many others injured. The scene at midnight was peculiarly distressing. Through the great heaps of ruins men, women and boys were struggling in their efforti to reach those imprisoned beneath the timber and bricks. Cries came from every pile of debris. In some streets, whore great clouds swept their resistless force, the dead lay in the warm rain, which mingled with their blood. Above f,he scene of desolation the sky was red from the conflagration, and tho wind,

which \va* blowing strongly, wan laden with the blazing brands. Such a picture appalled the stoutest heart. Many of the survivors thought of nothing , but themselves. With the flames roaring behind and upon all sides of them they fled in uncontrollable terror over the bodies, dead and injured, and the mass of ruins which pinned them to tho earth. For hours it looked as though the Tlctlnw would be burnt where they lay. Aa the night wore on the S'irvivors beoame braver and plunged into the ruins, where many hapless creatures lay groaning and , praying. Torches, lanterns and lamps flickered over the desolate traok as far as the eye could reach. There were no means of identifying many of the dead and wounded, all were so horribly Brushed, In some places blocks of houses were blown down as though they had iieen made of cards. It was in this listrict that the most distressing scenes svere witnessed. Whole families were buried under their roofs without warning.