Charleston, Illinois Tornado

May 26, 1917

50 KILLED, 115 HURT AT CHARLESTON

Terre Haute, Ind., May 27.--Information received here early Sunday morning through indirect wires to Charleston are to the effect that fifty were killed and 115 or more injured in a tornado which struck that city late Saturday afternoon. Physicians from this place were rushed to Charleston to render assistance.

Wires in all directions out of Charleston are down and information is meager. The bridge between Mattoon and Charleston was blown down, cutting off all rail connections between these cities.

The Daily Review, Decatur, IL 27 May 1917

CHARLESTON DEATH LIST.

Terre Haute, Ind., May 26.--Following is a partial list of known dead at Charleston, Ill.:
GEORGE KILGORE.
JESSE HUDDLESTON.
JOHN WENTZ, JR.
MRS. JACK COLBY and FIVE CHILDREN.
MRS. McMANN.
MRS. GEORGE BRIGGS.
MRS. WILLIAM LANGE and daughter, MADELINE.
CLARKE Y. NELSON.
BERT WALMAN.
MRS.______ SMITH.
MRS. ______ WRIGHT.
MR. _______ REEDE.
MR. _______ JENKINS.
DOUGLAS NUGENT.
NED KNAUSS,
TED KNAUSS.
A daughter of GUYSTEWART.
FRANK CASE.
MR. and MRS. CHARLES BARES.
A child of Harry OWEN.

The Daily Review, Decatur, IL 27 May 1917

Charleston Has 35 Known Victims.

Charleston, Ill., May 28.--The known dead here as the result of Saturday’s storm are:
J.R. SWEENEY, MRS. J.R. SWEENEY, JOHN WENZ JR., NAPOLEON HUFFMAN, R.C. BARNES, GEORGE KILGORE, JESSE HUDDLESTON, ERVIN JENKINS, TED KNAUSE, MRS. J.A. COLBY, NELLIE BINGEMAN, CLARENCE BINGEMAN, MRS. SARAH LINDER, FRANK CASE, MRS. GEORGE DRIGGS, MRS. JOHANNA McMANN, MRS. B.E. BAYLES, PAUL BAYLES, MRS. WILLIAM COBBLE, MRS. WILLIAM LANG, MADELIINE LANG. MRS. CEM WRIGHT, BERT NEEDY, BID WARMAN, CLARK NELSON, GEORGE A. SMITH SR., MRS. SAM SHORES, J.W. JOHNSON, DOUGLAS RUGENT, MILDRED OWINGE, WILSON GOODMAN, the ten year old daughter of GUY STEWART, MRS. JESSIE HUDDLESTON and an unidentified woman.

The Iowa City Citizen, Iowa City, Ia 28 May 1917

EDDY LOSES PROPERTY.

Dr. W. J. Eddy of this city suffered material loss in the tornado at Charleston, where a dwelling house owned by him was destroyed. The building was of eight rooms, and worth $2,000. Dr. Eddy carried no tornado insurance.

J. L. Seaman, formerly of Shelbyville sustained some loss through damage to the roof of his drug store, which stands on the north side of the public square. With damaged roof, the interior of the building was soaked by the rain, but the loss was negligible.

Mrs. W. M. Tucker, a daughter of Cal Sherburn of this city, was in the path of the storm at Charleston. The top of her home was blown off but none of the family was injured. Mrs. Tucker however, is in a critical state from tuberculosis, and she was brought by her father to his home here Monday evening.

The Daily Review, Decatur, IL 30 May 1917

List of Known Dead in Storms.

Charleston, ILL.

J. R. SWEENEY, 60 years old, farmer.
MRS. J. R. SWEENEY, 58 years old.
JOHN WENZ JR., 24 years old.
R. C. BARNES, 80 years old, retired farmer.
Mrs. R. C. Barnes, 79 years old.
GEORGE KILGORE, engineer, city light plant.
JESSE HUDDLESTON, employe electric plant.
MRS. JESSE HUDDLESTON.
ERVIN ‘NERVE’ JENKINS, horse trainer.
TOD KNAUSS, son of proprietor Maple House.
MRS. J. A. COLBY, wife of Justice Colby and two children.
MRS SARAH LINDER, 90 years old, mother of Mrs. Colby.
NELLIE BINGEMAN, 14 years old, granddaughter of Justice Colby.
CLARENCE BINGEMAN, 16 years old, grandson of Justice Colby.
FRANK CASE, farmer.
MRS. GEORGE BRIGGS, 28 years old.
MRS JOHANNA McMAHAN, 75 years old.
MRS. B. E. BAYLESS, wife of B. E. Bayless, Clover Leaf section foreman.
PAUL BAYLESS,1 year old, son of Mr. And Mrs. B. E. Bayless.
MRS. WILLIAM COBBLE, 25 years old.
MRS. WILLIAM LONG, 30 years old.
MADELINE LONG, 5 years old, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. William Long.
MRS. CLEM WRIGHT, wife of the Rev. Clem Wright, pastor of the Christian Holiness Church.
BERT NEEDY, 19 years old, horse trainer.
BID WURMAN, 50 years old, farmer.
CLARK NELSON, 30 years old, railroader.
GEORGE A. SMITH SR., 63 years old, retired grocer.
MRS. SAM SHEREZ, 55 years old.
J.W. JOHNSON, 55 years old, rural school teacher.
DOUG NUGENT, boiler maker.
MILDRED OWINGS, 10 years old, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Harry Ownings.
WILSON GOODMAN, 78 years old, retired carpenter.
MARY STEWART, 10 years old, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Guy Stewart.
NAPOLEON HUFFMAN.
JOHN DEED.
UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN.

The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN 28 May 1917

Charleston, Ill--- Mrs. Johanna McMason, 75, took her three grand children with her to visit Mrs. George Briggs. The two women were found with their arms clasped about the children in the wreckage of the house. Both were dead but the children were uninjured.

J. R. Sweeney and his wife fled from their farm house to a hollow. The tornado picked up the house and dropped it into the hollow, crushing them to death.

Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, In 29 May 1917

CHARLESTON, ILL.--George Kilgore, engineer, and Jesse Huddleston, firemen stuck to their posts in the electric power house, determined the city should be kept lighted. The tornado reduced the house to pulverized brick, killing both.

Mrs. Huddleston died later from the shock of her husband’s death.

Fort Wayne News, Fort Wayne, IN 29 May 1917

Articles transcribed by Audrey.  Thank you, Audrey!

CHARLESTON DEAD 38

Charleston, lying ten miles east of Mattoon, with 5,000 population, suffered a larger loss in proportion to its size than Mattoon, the known dead totalling thirty-eight, with twenty or more missing. Scores were injured in Charleston also and some buildings were wrecked, including the Maple Hotel, two railroad stations, three grain elevators and lumber yard. Two thousand five hundred Charleston persons are homeless.

The twisting wind chose its victims in spots, and reports from the rural regions indicate that small loss of life occurred outside Mattoon and Charleston and only at widely separated places.

Sweeping through Modesto, south of Mattoon, where much damage was done, the storm rushed northeast, dropping down on the north part of this city. Leaving unscathed the business section and barely touching the industrial plants, the whirlwind lifted its tentacles until it reached Charleston.

There the tornado again gripped the earth and tore away substantial buildings, crushing out the lives of two score more human beings amid the falling houses, the hurtling of timbers and the snapping of trees....

At Charleston, conditions were about the same as in Mattoon. Destruction was complete in the area struck by the storm and relief work was vigorously and promptly pursued.

The Indianapolis Star, Indianapolis, IN 28 May 1917

Transcribed by Linda Houston. Thanks, Linda!

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