Jackson County IL Archives News.....TWO SCHOOL HOUSES IN MURPHYSBORO WRECKED; FIRE FOLLOWS TORNADO March 19, 1925
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Mary Riseling riseling@insightbb.com July 13, 2006, 5:42 pm

St. Louis Post Dispatch March 19, 1925


    The known death toll here from Wednesday's tornado now is 152 and is
mounting.  Fire and wind destroyed from a fourth to a half of the city.  It is
estimated that 100 bodies are still in the ruins.

    Maj. R. W. DAVIS of the Illinois National Guard at Carbondale, whose troops
have taken charge of the situation, have closed all roads to the city. 
Hospitals are filled here and also in Carbondale, and the injured are estimated
at 300 to 500.  Two hundred and fifty injured are in hospitals.

    The city at 5:30 a.m. today was burning in many places.  The main business
section was virtually wrecked.

    Dynamite was used here late last night to stop the fire of the blazing
element.  Among the buildings raised by charges of the explosive were the Elks'
Majestic Clubhouse.  Fire companies from nearby towns had responded to a call
for help and assisted in fighting the blaze.

    The number of people burned in their homes after being crushed is unknown,
according to Maj. Davis.

    An Associated Press correspondent made a tour of the city at 3 o'clock this
morning and counted 85 wrecked automobiles.  The streets were filled with
homeless people.

    Food is scarce here.  What restaurants were not wrecked are trying to obtain
food from Carbondale.

    The storm struck this town from the southwest, smashed business buildings
and dwellings and in the wake of the wind came a fire.

    The Mobile & Ohio Railroad shops were destroyed.  Approximately 35 persons
were killed and upward of 200 injured when the building collapsed.

    The Logan School was blown to pieces and also the Longfellow School.  The
township school also was damaged.  Many pupils of the Logan School are reported
to have been killed, six are believed to have lost their lives in the collapse
of the Longfellow School and the same number in the destruction of the township
school.

    Buildings in the business district destroyed by wind or fire include the
Reliance Milling Co.'s building, the Maryland Hotel, Abel Cleaning and Dyeing
Co., Wisely flour store, Silvey drug store, McNeil bakery, Roberts-Dodge garage
and the Barge Miller [Borgsmiller] wholesale house.


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.
 
 
Transcribed by Mary Riseling from grandfather C. E. RISELING's collection of old
newspapers.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/il/jackson/newspapers/twoschoo83nnw.txt

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