01 Mar 1888
Page 1
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Newspaper
Ames Intelligencer
Location
Ames, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Mar 01, 1888
Page
1
A correspondent recalls Mount Vernon Jefferson County after a devastating tornado. Thousands lose homes and fortunes as brick walls crumble and fires burn. Many bodies are found among collapsed buildings while survivors seek shelter and aid as physicians treat injuries and coordinate relief.
Calvin Pease a small farmer of Devine Texas was thirty three miles from home when a tamping blast in a well exploded. He fell to the shaft wall and was hauled out alive after a long fall. He lived a week in hospital despite ghastly wounds and conscious endurance, seen as a notable medical instance of brain injury and life tenacity.
The first account about Pease’s injuries describes the right hand partially blown off the left eye blinded the right eye destroyed skull and brain exposure with about three tablespoons of brain tissue lost. He remained conscious during seven days in hospital and showed appetite sleep and some hope of recovery.
The funeral tramp echoes through the streets as men carry the remains of cyclone victims to a friend’s home to await burial. The list of dead includes David Yearwood and wife, Mrs. J. T. Watters and babe, J. C. Murray, Mrs. Russell Dewey and babe, Mary Westbrook, Henry Waters, James Pierson, Charles Cummings, Mrs. Calvin Cooper, George Persons and son, Johnnie Yearwood, Sam Yearwood and wife.
Health officials report Sunday at 4 o'clock as 147 people sustain injuries with lifelong or fatal risks. About 450 buildings, large and small, are leveled or twisted, forcing rebuilding before tenants can return. Financial losses range from 500000 to 1000000 dollars, with railroad workers and homeowners hardest hit.
The storm's southwest path ripped through the city collapsing a tower and wrecking Strattan & Ferguson's woolen mill. A northwest corner of Squire Yost's house was the only structure partially spared while many nearby homes and frames were blown away.
A tornado climbs a hill destroying a church and parsonage, burying a family and a local woman under ruins. It rips apart houses leaving ash colored debris and scattered household pieces over the landscape.
The tunnel reached the hill summit and entered the public square causing the county court-house tower to rise and spin before crashing to the ground. The storm drove toward the area as debris and a goat were displaced by the chaos.
A fragment lists Frank Clightman Ada Harper Miss Josie Sutton John Dodson Jr Joseph Shaw Mrs John Shelton Mrs Charles Hutchison Miss Irwin Nettie Shields Amanda Bierdon an unknown man Mrs L E Legge George Jones youngest child George Purcell William Jones and child Mrs Mary Martin Mrs Isam Fred Boswell Miss Burseil as burnt.
A list of injured residents follows a building collapse with numerous serious and fatal outcomes. Names include Lizzie Bennett Charles Pool Henry Ellis Joe Howard Walter Jones Zach Brazza and Corrinne Ham brick among many others. Several individuals listed are not expected to live, with multiple deaths anticipated.
Injured were moved to homes or the Supreme Courtroom turned hospital. Doctors Watsor and Owen led relief with help from local and visiting physicians. Several children were found severely injured, with two requiring amputation. others suffered internal injuries but showed resilience despite exposure concerns.
The first building that attracts visitors alighting from the train is the two story structure described amid surrounding demolition. The fragment suggests urban transformation and attention to visible changes as travelers exit the railway.
Looking northeast across the railroad the ruin shows larger, heavier buildings half buried with debris. The three story brick flour mill stands ruined, the Baptist Church and Commercial Hotel are unroofed, and the post office corner bears a shattered court house with a downed dome.
The property loss will aggregate nearly 60 000 and falls heavily upon a living community. Churches, business houses and stocks of goods total 410 000 with residences destroyed at 35 000 and fine residences injured at 10 000. Cottages warehouses and barns add 115 000 for a total of 573 000, with storm insurance absent. Other incidentals will increase this.
Citizens organized a permanent relief effort after the injured were cared for. The city council appropriated 500 dollars despite no city funds, banks cashed the order, and Governor Oglesby urged public contributions as appeals went out and donations began to arrive.
A Mount Vernon Illinois disaster circular reports a devastating cyclone killing about thirty and leaving one thousand homeless. It lists destroyed buildings including the County Court House and churches, with a fire adding to the ruin and a call for cash contributions to Grover W. Evans and Norman H. Moss for relief.
Governor Oglesby issues a proclamation urging Mayors, religious and charitable groups to raise funds and supplies for relief. Subscriptions and contributions should be sent to George W. Evans, chairman of the local Finance Committee in Mount Vernon, Jefferson County, Illinois.
Reports from San Remo about the German Crown Prince fail to quiet public worry as fears grow that physicians hide the true condition of a highly important patient. In Berlin the mood is one of distrust toward official updates.
The report describes a tornado’s path near the Supreme Court area with a pivot point and widespread destruction. In the southwest, a laborer settlement suffered severe damage as enormous oaks were uprooted, houses flattened, fences torn, and landmarks erased. Only six acres show sparse remains with three houses still along the storm’s path.
A fragment notes strong doubt about the Crown Prince’s path to the throne amid ongoing political turmoil and speculation on royal succession. The text hints at fatal challenges to his ascent without detailing exact causes.
Eyewitness scene shows Eastern Burton and Washington streets nearly leveled by the cyclone. The Evans bank corner bears a burning pit and a cracked safe. Charred remains lie beneath the ruins of J Murray, owner of a block, as warehouses and groggeries line the debris strewn streets.
Observers note Russia’s continued military activity and a large transfer of 36 trainloads of soldiers from Odessa toward Kischeneff, signaling possible renewed conflict as spring approaches. In Port Jervis New York, thieves occupied Dr. D I Wicknam’s empty house while the family was away, shipping furniture to Brooklyn and remaining at large.
The indictment against J W Wilshire as Harper's confederate in the Fidelity bank case was returned in Cincinnati with sufficient evidence for conviction. Similar action will be taken in Miss Holmes case.
A reflective note warns that sin will not spare anyone and acts like a murderer of both individuals and the world urging a decisive stance against it. The quotation emphasizes personal responsibility and the peril of indulgence. It cites Richard Baxter as the source of the admonition.
A reflective aphorism notes that great pleasures often arise from pain and that those who dine with the philosopher rarely complain the next morning. It emphasizes the paradoxical link between pleasure and discomfort and the calm found in philosophical company.
Five days after a dynamite blast accident a patient shares a wish to see himself while in hospital. He remains conscious and speaks though faces severe head injuries. The report describes frontal bone loss, brain splinters, and blown-out eyes in the aftermath.
The Texan farmer Calvin Pease, 24, suffered a catastrophic skull fracture with extensive brain damage from an explosion. Descriptions note bone splinters embedded in brain tissue and extensive removal of skull parts, drawing attention from medical men and officers of the West Texas Medical Association.
Col. Robert G. Ingersoll delivers a Brooklyn banquet toast praising Abraham Lincoln as a truthful, multitalented figure who spoke with mercy and courage. He notes Lincoln’s humility, honesty, and rise from humble origins, contrasting idealized memory with the complex real man. Lincoln’s influence during the Civil War is highlighted.
The Detroit Club frets over unsigned 1888 contracts for Bennett Baldwin Brouthers Richardson Hanlon and White as other stars and coaches prepare for spring. Brooklyn’s Bobby Caruthers contemplates captaincy while Spalding tours Cuba and New Orleans. Van Haltren Williamson and others report training and weight changes.
The forthcoming International Council of Women gathers March 25 to April 1 1858 in Albaughs Hall Washington D C. Delegates from organized women’s work worldwide attend including Helen Campbell author of Prisoners of Poverty Miss Henrietta Muller and Madame Isabella Bagelot among others from England India and other regions.
Mayor D R Francis of St Louis formally announces candidacy for Missouri governor. Gov Morehouse and Rep Glover are in the race and it is anticipated that Congressman Dockery will also run.
At its Dover convention the Delaware State Temperance Alliance voted to enter politics and elected delegates to the National Prohibition Convention in Indianapolis. The Alliance merged into the Temperance Reform Party. In Des Moines a notice says St. John party plans a third party push into Iowa with Prof. Fellows as state contact and Dickie to visit in March.
A Russell A Alger Club formed in Detroit drew 600 leading Republicans for Alger to get the presidential nomination at Chicago. The group plans to expand statewide and aims to send a solid Alger delegation to the convention.
Patrick Ford analyzes Mr Blaine s letter in the Irish World arguing he is not a claimant for the nomination yet would accept if nominated by the convention. Ford makes a strong plea for Blaine s nomination and urges the Republican party to field him as standard bearer.
A Columbus dispatch reports Ohio Blaine supporters forming the Planned Knight group to counter Sherman. They plan a monster banquet in Columbus to show Ohio is not solid for Sherman and invite Blaine friends only.
A cable dispatch reports the Crown Prince's throat incision is nearly healed. Doctors fear lamygotomy may be unavoidable and discuss whether partial or complete removal of the larynx is advisable.
The Senate and House pass and amend various war funding and veteran support measures. Major topics include army pay and bounty issues, public buildings at Milwaukee Bay City and Richmond, and a plan to abolish the Nebraska Iowa Surveyor General office. Debate covers mail service, eight hour work laws, and tariff questions on American made rails.
The piece uses round numbers to explain Alpha Centauri's vast distance. A train at 50 mph would take 42 million years to reach it, and Donati’s comet at aphelion would be around 20 billion miles from Earth, illustrating the enormity of stellar gaps.
The article alleges Louis XV acted as a stock jobber via banker M Bertin, profiting from exchange and loan operations. Bertin proposed large buys on royal bills, predicting a rise, but the king warned the paper could not be trusted and considered the risk too great.
An Anglican canon recalls marrying his footman to his cook. The footman kept touching his forehead with a finger as the master spoke. The vicar whispered a correction and the quip "After you, sir" sparked laughter from the assembled guests.
A reflective line advises cutting ties quickly with someone who lies. It emphasizes personal relief and healthier boundaries as a way to move forward. The guidance centers on self preservation and the value of honesty in relationships.
A mosaic of humorous snippets and brief anecdotes from newspapers, including playful exchanges about causes of death, social events at churches, and small misadventures in lending. It weaves quips on morality, punishment, and everyday folly with light regional jokes and local character sketches.
Rev. T De Witt Talmage champions outdoor recreation and sports to improve urban health. He envisions croquet grounds, fishing rods, and rowboats, urging church and secular communities to embrace field sports for strength, vitality, and spiritual renewal.
A note emphasizes gratitude for a helping hand during hard times and urges others to extend support whenever possible. The message frames assistance as a personal duty and a shared community value.
The record notes that preachers were brought into Ex land from Persia in the year 1562 marking a cultural or religious exchange during that period.
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