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Tampico History cont'd
Photo: (date unknown) Christmas drawing and auction in front of H.C. Pitney Store. West side of Main Street, Tampico. Building on the end is the Tampico Bank. The train depot can be seen to the left of Bank in background.

 Early history of Village of Tampico cont'd

A pump on the side of his house was left standing, the house being blown over the top of it.

Mr. Gates' house was completely demolished. In it were eight persons. Mrs. Gates was found some 50 feet from the house, with a fractured shoulder. Mr. Gates was buried in the ruins of the house, but was little injured. Two of his children were buried in the ruins and two were blown some distance away, but excaped uninjured!

A wagon shop containing three carriages and several hundred dollars' worth  of stock, was blown away, not a vestige of it remaining and little of the stock was ever recovered.

The Methodist Church was lifted from its foundations and utterly destroyed, everything in and about  it being torn into kindling wood, yet within six rods of where it stood not enough could be collected to build a fire. Four rods to the north of it there was no disturbance, not even the lightest thing being moved from its place.

The two elevators were entirely destroyed. The sills of the larger one, 12 inches in diameter, were torn into splinters. In this elevator were two horses, one of which was buried in the ruins, yet when extricated not a bruise could be found on it!

Of the depot building, one-half was taken, the other left. The storm cut it in two almost as well as a carpenter would have done it!

A 2x4 scantling was blown through a window of Mr. Glassburn's residence, through the head of a bed on which his two children were sleeping and into the partition on the opposite side of the room. The children were not infured!

Among others injured, Mr. Piersall was badly bruised; Mr. O'Connor, hurt by flying timber; Luther Piersall, bruised; many others were slightly hurt. The storm was terrible one, indeed and those witnessing it will have a distinnct recollection of it till their dying hour.

A committee, consisting of E.W. High, A. Smith, T.M. Wylie, J.S. Kimball and William Camper, was appointed to receive aid for the sufferers. The response to their appeals was promptly made by the citizens of the county, and soon store buildings and dwelling-houses were erected, and all signs of the terrible tornado disappeared.

Cont'd

TAMPICO AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY - MUSEUM - FAMILY HISTORY LIBRARY/RESEARCH CENTER  119 Main St., P. O. Box 154,  Tampico, IL  61283   www.tampicohistoricalsociety.com   tampicoareahistory@gmail.com  We are an all-volunteer organization so your donations are always appreciated!  Sign up to receive our e-newsletter. Thank you!  Visit us on FACEBOOK.