Clark County IL Archives News.....York Cyclone, Worse Storm Ever, June 8, 1907 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarch.org/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarch.org/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Cindy McCachern The copy of this article which I transcribe was badly damaged. Some of the words in the latter part of the article are missing. From 8 June 1907, Hutsonville (IL) Herald Property Loss Enormous Worst Storm that Ever Visited this Section Destruction Quarter Mile Wide and Seven Miles in Length Probably the most destructive storm every experienced in this section of the country came Friday evening about six o'clock, and as a result, one-half of the buildings in the village of York, four miles north of Hutsonville are totally destroyed, as well as many farm homes in the path of the cyclone, while two persons, Henry Rook and Mrs. Malinda Pinkston are dead. The storm formed some three miles northwest of York about six o'clock in the evening. The day had been hot and sultry and electrical storms preceded the wind. The first damage done was at the home of Wash Richards. His barn, fences and all outbuildings were laid low and his house, which is comparatively new, was badly damaged. His son, Roscoe, and wife, formerly Miss Merle Cox, had just returned home, and leaving their horse and buggy in the barn, started for the house. Just as the wind struck they succeeded in catching hold of a post and this probably saved their lives. Some stock belonging to Mr. Richards was killed. Passing east several tracts of timber were leveled and some damage was done to Franklin Guyer's place. The next home to be dealt with destructively was J. H. Weldon's. This was a beautiful place about one mile west of York, and all that is now left is the house, and it is slightly damaged. The barn and outbuildings are down, trees uprooted and fences scattered over the farm. Just how the house withstood the wind is difficult to conceive, as everything else is destroyed. South of his place on the Bradbury farm is a fine grove of trees and the strange work of a cyclone can here be seen, as occasionally a tree nearly three feet in diameter would be torn out by the roots while nearby trees would not even have a branch broken. Mr. Bradbury's home was damaged but slightly. James Nichol's home the old Dr. Johnson homestead, was the next in the path of the storm. One large barn was blown down and several horses were caught under the falling timbers, but they were rescued without being badly hurt. Here, too, all trees including the orchard were destroyed and timbers from barns, sheds and the fences were carried for nearly a half-mile. The house, which is a two story brick with a one story frame addition is badly damaged, but not beyond repair. The roof was carried away and the part of the brick side-walls were torn down. Further east a building used as a granary unroofed and several hundred bushels of wheat exposed to a heavy rain. Nearly all of the trees in the cemetery, and many monuments are broken down. On the crest of the hill stands the homes of Mr. Chitticks and Fred Murphy, and although the houses are not badly damaged, there is not a tree left standing. The saloon building which was next in line, didn't get a scratch, though the loafers shade is gone. Looking east from the hill the sight is one never before seen in this country. Where once there was a beautiful town is now a scene of desolation. Of the seventy or more houses in York proper twenty-five are complete wrecks and not a house in the village escaped the fury of the wind. The force of the cyclone seemed to center on the south part of the town, and where good substantial buildings stood, there is now rubbish and four houses were literally town into splinters. The Methodist Protestant church, which is practically a new building, is perhaps damaged beyond repair. The building is about 50 x 36 feet and it was carried intact twenty feet off the foundation, one side being sunk in the ground about two feet. The belfry was blown off and the interior of the church is ruined. The M. E. Church, although a much older building, did not fare as badly but it is damaged to a considerable extent. In the home of Frank Miller there were seven persons, and fortunately they went into a hall just as the storm struck. The building was completely wrecked with the exception of the hallway, which formed a support for the roof and prevented the occupants being killed. At M. R. Newman's home was Mr. Newman, wife and daughter and H. G. Hodge. This house was crushed like an egg shell and the occupants were caught under the timbers. Mr. Hodge was badly hurt in the side, but was able to free himself and help rescue the others. Mr. Newman and wife were not seriously hurt, thought their daughter is badly injured by being cut by broken glass. In the home of Mrs. Malinda Pinkston and daughter were seven persons. This house too was totally destroyed. Mrs. Pinkston was carried in the wreckage some fifty feet distance and with some furniture thrown into a tree. She was hurt on the head and body and a large part of her hair was caught in a sewing machine and torn out. She was carried into the house of Wm. Myers, a few feet distant, and which was damaged but little, where she died about 7 o'clock Friday evening. Mrs. Pinkston was 49 years of age and a widow, residing with her daughter. Her mother, Nancy Johnson, who is 79 years of age, was standing near her, when the wind destroyed the house, and she too, is badly injured, and it is doubtful if she will recover. Mrs. Pinkston's funeral will occur Sunday morning at 10 o'clock. The W. J. Hodge house was also damaged, but not beyond repair. No one was injured here, and Mr. Hodge, who has been an invalid for years was taken to his daughter's home. The Freeman house is damaged but little, although the barn and all out buildings were swept away. H. G. Hodge's museum, in a two-story brick building near the river, is now minus the upper story and front wall. Mr. Hodge's loss cannot be estimated, as his collection was the work of a lifetime, and he had curios, book and manuscripts that would be of immense value, if placed on the market. Many of these are ruined, though he will be able to save some. South of the museum a saloon building went down, and north of the building a large warehouse is entirely torn up. Many homes in this neighborhood also were wrecked, but the Perry Murphy home built in 1828 and the oldest house in all of eastern Illinois, was damaged but very little. It is impossible to drive in some of the streets in this part of the village on account of the trees and other debris. The Henry House ___stripped of outbuildings, verandas, etc. windows and doors are broken and the large trees which stood in the yard are uprooted. A freak of the storm noticeable her buggy cushion composed of __ and hair being driven through the leather boarding. Mr. Rook was eating supper when the storm struck and it is supposed he ran out of the house for he was found on the south part of the garden, one hundred feet distant. His skull was crushed and he died about an hour later without regaining consciousness. Mr. Rook was alone at home, his wife being in Terre Haute and his daughter is attending school. His body was taken to the home of his sister-in-law, Mrs. M___ ......his funeral will be held Sunday at 3 o'clock. Henry Rook was the last surviving male member of the Rook family which came here some time in the fifties. .... opened the first store in the buildings on the east side of the square in Hutsonville in 1875, remained in business here only a year. At York they engaged the manufacture of wagons for twenty years almost every one used in this part of the county had their brand on the ... singular event concerning ... that the partnership ... was settled the same day he was killed. His brother, Charles, had some two years ago and ... had never been settled. ... and his brother's widow Maggie Rook, went to ... there concluded the .... all the necessary papers had returned home but a short time before his death. The Rook saw .. roads south of his .. total wreck. In the .. at the time the storm was .. Scott and his 9-year old son, Claude. They started to ... were caught under the timbers and both were hurt, the boy quite seriously. The canning factory is in the south part of town as roofed and otherwise damage another of the storm's .. occurred here. In the upp... of the factory were ... new cans to be used season, and though heavy .. carried away from around the cans were scarcely moved. The business section of the town was damaged....The Murphy store, built in the 30's was torn down, but .. chimneys were blown off and windows broken in the ...... It is impossible ..... to neither to make an estimate of the damage, although is will be upwards of a hundred thousand dollars. It is impossible to ... conditions unless it is determined that two thirds of York is a total ruin. Some of the houses were insured, but the majority were not. The citizens there were .... than they could scarcely realize what had happened. The work of a lifetime for many families seems to have been for naught. Many had nothing but their home and now that it is gone, their condition is indeed deplorable. Scattered throughout the wreckage may be seen the carcasses of horses, cows, hogs and chickens, while gardens and crops are ruined. The saw mill will probably never be operated again and it is doubtful if the canning factory will be repaired in time to work this season. If ever the people of York needed help, it is now and everyone in this section of the country should contribute toward their relief. The most surprising thing to the visitor is that there are not more lives lost. To think that so many homes could be demolished with so few fatalities seems almost miraculous. There were many narrow escapes by persons who were out of doors. Several clung to posts and bushes and a few ran to some willows along the river. There is hardly a person in the south part of the village but what is more of less bruised. Ben Dennon, who was in a wagon with a family, succeeded in getting his family in a store, while he drove the team alongside a blacksmith shop. The shop blew over and killed one of his horses and Ben was only saved by crouching near the wagon wheel which held the building off him. The cyclone swept eastward across the river and scattered James Miles' house and barn located on the Indiana bank, all over his farm. The family was eating supper when the building was wrecked and were covered over with lumber. James Dudley was hurt the worst of the occupants, but his injuries are not serious. The cyclone then turned toward the southeast and the home of John Bostick was totally destroyed including barns, orchard, fences, etc. Mrs. Bostick was blown several hundred feet and badly injured, and it is not thought she can recover. Their daughter aged about 20 years, was blown out into a field and almost stripped of her clothing, but her injuries are not dangerous. Lem Patton's home in the same neighborhood, was also considerably damaged, and at Jim Kelley's ..... File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/clark/newspapers/yorkcyclone.txt File size: 12 Kb