Jackson County IL Archives News.....GORHAM, ILL DEATH LIST REACHES 32 - The Tri-State Tornado March 23, 1925 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/il/ilfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Mary Riseling riseling@insightbb.com July 26, 2006, 3:23 pm The Daily Independent Newspaper, Murphysboro, IL March 23, 1925 Gorham, 12 miles southwest of Murphysboro with a population of 800, was the first town to go in the greatest cyclone that ever swept Illinois. The storm crossed the Mississippi river at 2:30 p.m. at Lake Ditch. Citizens claim the width of destruction was three fourths of a mile. Gorham was near the center of destruction. Not more than two dwellings were left standing. The large school building is a total wreck. Out of an enrollment of 175 pupils only six were killed, but many wounded, one dying since the storm. There were 7 teachers at the school, 4 grade teachers and 3 high school teachers. Gorham will rebuild, bigger and better than ever. There were 32 dead, and 80 wounded at Gorham. Forty-nine wounded were sent to Cairo, 14 to St. Louis and 20 left in town and taken to country homes. The following is a list of the dead at Gorham: Ruben CRAIN and wife, Ollie Jane CRAIN, wife of C. CRAIN Mrs. Mary MOSCHENROSE an 3 children, Edward, Andrew and Laila Miss Sally INCHCLIFF, daughter of Isaac INCHCLIFF Joel Robert DUNN Martin COLE Mildred Marie NEEDHAM, infant Lafayette NEEDHAM William FONCREE Opal ROSENBERGER Margaret BROWN Lawrence GALE Mrs. William REEDER Charles BARTON Gus REEDER Gerald CROSS, 5 years old Della CROSS Harve BEAN Sarah BEAN Corley GORDON Mrs. Geo. TOMMER Mrs. Kate WHITE Bertha CASEY Murry ASBURY Margaret BOULTON Mrs. Kate NOLAN Mr. Richard JOHNSON Those killed in the county between Gorham and Murphysboro: At A. B. SCHOFFIELD place where everything was destroyed except a part of one house, John ENGRIM, 62 years old; 7 month old baby girl baby of John ENGRIM; and 5 year old son of John ENGRIM later died. At the BOUDET farm: Freeman BRYAN At the COCHRAN farm: Will COCHRAN At the VARNER farm: Henry VARNER and two children, and his wife at point of death The injured are: Mrs. John ENGRIM, leg broken Wilma ENGRIM, leg broken Roma ENGRIM, badly hurt Fred EDMONDSON, leg broken Flossie EDMONDSON, leg broken Mrs. A. B. SCHOFFIELD, face cut James NEEDHAM, many bruises Additional Comments: Widely considered the most devastating and powerful tornado in American history, the Great Tri-State Tornado ripped through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana on March 18, 1925. In its 219-mile-long wake it left four completely destroyed towns, six severely damaged ones, 15,000 destroyed homes, and 2,000 injured. Most significantly, 695 people were killed, a record for a single tornado. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/jackson/newspapers/gorhamil177nnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/ilfiles/ File size: 3.2 Kb