Lake City Graphic

July 13, 1893

SAD HAVOC

Pomeroy is Only a Pile of Ruins

MANY PEOPLE KILLLED

The Most Destructive Cyclone of Recent Years.

TERRIBLE TALE OF DISASTER

More Than Forty People Killed and a Hundred Badly Wounded--- A Lovely Calhoun County town Torn Up Completely ---Notes of the Storm

The awful work of the Pomeroy cyclone of last Thursday evening continues to be the principal topic of conversation and newspaper comment through out Iowa and the continent. And well it may be for a more terrible example of the wonderful power of warring elements is seldom witnessed.

Where stood, shortly before 7 o'clock in the evening of July 6, a hundred or more pleasant, comfortable, and some even luxurious, homes, a few minutes later was a wilderness of broken timbers and debris, with wounded, bleeding, dying and dead humanity upon every hand. No pen could ever picture the awful terror of that night. Strong men were pinned to the earth and forced to hear the shrieks and groans of the wounded and dying while unable to lend a helping hand. Fathers and mothers, husbands, brothers and sisters searched in vain amid the darkness and ruins for their loved ones, and children wept for their parents lying cold in death. Searching parties were organized as speedily as possible, but no lights were at hand and but comparatively little could be done toward securing the wounded until the welcome dawn appeared. Then the scene which met the eyes of the uninjured, must have made the strongest feel sick at heart. But willing hands soon conveyed the wounded and dead to some of the few buildings which remained standing in the town, and people poured in from the surrounding country and neighboring towns to render much needed assistance. Before noon Friday an organization had been effected and relief work was proceeding with considerable system. It was discovered that no less than thirty-eight people had been killed outright and more than a hundred injured, some of whom have since died and increased the death list of fifty-three at last accounts.

CHARACTER OF THE STORM

From the narratives of many who saw the storm cloud it appears that it was tornado of the compound sort-that is, it varied from the true balloon tornado in that it had four stems or funnels, instead of only one. At some places along the track of the storm it seems that one or more of these funnels simply touched the tops of the trees, while another, perhaps, would sweep the ground.

The first damage was done in the vicinity of Cherokee, and from there the storm seemed to pass a short distance south of the Illinois Central railroad track until it reached Pomeroy, where it spent its force and performed its greatest work of destruction. As is known by most of our readers, Pomeroy was situated almost entirely south of the railroad track, the business houses being nearest the track and the residence part of town being still farther south.

The main part of the storm struck the town almost in the center, north and south, and coming as it was from a north-westerly direction and then veering slightly northward after striking the town, it covered the residence portion of the town as completely as though it had been guided with that intent. A number of the business houses were also demolished, and nearly all more or less damaged, but the buildings along the railroad street, and some adjoining them on the south, were left standing. In the main track of the storm, which covers fifteen residence blocks, everything is broken up fine-hardly enough left of a piece of furniture or anything else to tell what it belonged to, and not enough lumber could be taken from the ruins to build a yard fence. The extent of the loss in dollars and cents is variously estimated at from $150,000 to $300,000.

Gov. Boles was on the ground Friday afternoon and made a personal inspection and promptly issued an appeal for aid to the people of the state. (Newspaper is torn)

Next column reads

THE LIST OF DEAD

E. O. DAVY
BEN DAVY
G. P. LUNDGREEN
OLLIE LUNDGREEN
MR. AND MRS. ARNOLD
MR. AND MRS. HULETT
MRS. LOVEJOY
L.M. O'BRIEN
E. O. DAVY
MRS. D. S. OBRIEN and baby
MR. WILKINSON
CHARLES RUSHTON
JOHN BETLY and two children
HENTY GEICK
MRS. MARIA ADAMS
OLLIE FROST, aged 18
GROVER BLACK, child
MRS. B. J. HARLOWE
MRS. FRANK JOHNSON
MRS. QUINLAN and baby
MRS. DAHLGREN and baby
MRS. THOMAS and baby
MR. DILMUTH
BESSIE BANKS, age 17
WILLIE BANKS
LILLIE KIEFER
A. FORCHE
MRS. G. R. GEORGE, boy and girl
MRS. JAMES MILLER and baby
SAMUEL MAXWELL
ALBERT MAXWELL
HENRY NEITING AND WIFE
S. RUSHTON, child

THE WOUNDED

Mrs. Kate A. Kealy, injury to eye
John Anderson, arm broken; serious
Mrs. John Anderson, injury to head and arm
Miss Kate Davy, puncture of Tro? and bruises
Harry Wegreve, skull fractured
Edward Sitesby, extensive flesh wounds of thigh; leg may have to be amputated.
Samuel W. Thomas, fractured rib, scalp wound and probably internal injuries
Lizzie Thomas, injury to foot and leg and scalp wound
Mrs. Frank Preng, injury to shoulder and scalp wound
Mrs. Samuel Maxwell, back arm and head bruised
Miss Ortman, injury to face.
Aurelia Kukiantz, fractured rib and injury to head and leg
John Kuklantz, injury to head and spine
Charles Randall, fractured jaw
Mrs. John Randall, fractured skull and injury to leg
Delia Black, aged 10, skull and right arm injured
Mrs. S. L. Black, injury to chest
Charles Black, aged 6, fracture of right arm
Joe De Mars, 24, fracture of ribs and wound in back
Julia Westercholt, 35, fracture of cocyx
Charles Dahlgren, 7, extensive contusion of head, also punctured wound in side
Roy Kiefer, 18, injury to left hip
Thomas Black, 3, scalp wound
Oscar Dahlgren, 2, would in head
Willie Dahlgren, 3, burn of hand and shoulder
J. E. Black, 23, contusion of face and limbs
C. W. Gilbert, 34, contusion of back
Henry Geick, 62, fracture of forearm and laceration of shoulder and leg
Eddie Nelson, 7, would of head
Willie Nelson, 3, punctured neck and body
Mike Quinlan, 24, scalp wound and injury to kidneys
Aiden Saltzman, scalp wound
Mrs. Aiden Saltzman, back and arm injured
J. F. Wilkins, injury to back
Mrs. A. Forche, contusion of shoulder
Ella Forche, scalp wound
Katie Forche, internal injury
Arthur Forche, arm broken
Frank Forche, thigh broken
Mary Knudson, injury to scalp and thigh
Mrs. J. A. Davy, fracture of skull
Wm. Maxwell, injury to scalp
Edith Maxwell, injury to scalp
Joseph Brownell, ribs fractured
F. J. Brownell, badly bruised
Mrs. Ed. Rankin, bruised
Emma Spies, back and head cut
George Stewart, left arm broken, head bruised
Thomas Harmon, left arm broken
Emma Harmon, leg wounded
Lloyd Harmon, bruised
Geo. Randall, bruised
Edwin Fecht, bruised
Earl Fecht, bruised
Fannie Fecht, bruised
Viola Fecht, bruised
Florence Fecht, bruised
Ed. Doyle, head and leg bruised
Mrs. James Miller, legs bruised
Mrs. James Miller, legs bruised
Mrs. Geo. Stewart, head, back and left leg bruised
Ray Stewart (baby) head bruised
John Dalin, ankle fractured
Nettie Frost, wound in back
Charles Barnhart, injury to scalp
Ray Barnhart, cut in arm
N. Fecht, fractured shoulder blade
Mrs. Fecht, badly bruised
Arthur George, bruised head and left arm
Dora George, knees cut and other bruises
Gertie Lundgren, injury to face
James Miller, fracture of ribs
Mary Miller, internal injuries
Mrs. Jacob Paps, scalp wound
August Meyer, internal injury
Cora Meyer, scalp wound
Nancy Rushton, fracture of thigh
Gust Linder, head injured
Anfred Linder, hip dislocated
Alma Linder, injury to head
Elvira Linder, contusion of face
Gottfred Linder, injury to head
Mrs. Gus Linder, foot and hip hurt
Minnie Stankling/Starkling, injury to arm
Anton Lundbland, injury to scalp
Mrs. Lundbland, injury to face
Anna Lundbland, injury to head
Auretta Lundbland, injury ???