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Merna, Illinois Tornado

June 10, 1902

Bloomington, Ills., June 11.--Death and destruction followed in the wake of the worst tornado last night that has ever visited central Illinois. The wind wrought ruin and woe and the property loss will be tens of thousands of dollars.

At Merna, a small village ten miles east of here, a party of 250 young men and women were attending a dance in the town hall, when the tornado struck the building, which collapsed. Three persons were killed and forty or fifty other more or less injured, some seriously.

Dead:
MISS LENA JAHAGAN.
MRS. EDWARD MARTIN.
MISS ANNA DALLY.


All were daughters of prominent farmers in the vicinity.

Many of the finest houses and barns in Merna were destroyed.

The saddest feature of the storm was the killing of three young women at the dance at Merna. The victims, with 200 other young men and women, were engaged in dancing when the storm struck the village, a small place of 300 people, located ten miles east of Bloomington. The hall was formerly used as a Catholic church, and was little better than a shell. The ball was under the auspices of the Modern Woodman society of the village, and guests were present from Bloomington and many of the surrounding towns. When the structure commenced to sway with the force of the wind a wild scramble ensued for egress, and, although many opposed the action, nearly all succeeded in getting out. A vestibule which prevented the fall of the front of the structure, saved many lives. Had it fallen with the rest of the building those at the door would have been crushed like the three young women at the other end. Their death was instantaneous.

In addition to the destruction of the town hall in Merna, several of the principal stores, including the Kinsella implement building, were wrecked. The farm houses of the vicinity were razed and a trail of destruction marked the passage of the storm across McLean county, The path of the tornado was fully 100 miles wide, extending as far north as Chenon McLean county, as far south as Springfield,. It moved southeasterly and struck central Illinois about 11 o’clock. From every township comes reports of damage. Dozens of fine farm houses were blown over and wrecked. All kinds of farm property suffered and the injury to growing crops is very heavy.

The Daily Review, Decatur, IL 12 Jun 1902

Transcribed by Audrey.  Thank you, Audrey!

       

The heaviest loss in proportion to population fell upon Merna, a village ten miles east of Bloomington, where the town hall, which was being used by a party of 250 for a dance, was destroyed, three of the women dancers being instantly killed by falling timbers.

They were:

MRS. EDWARD MARTIN, aged 26, wife of a well-to-do farmer, residing six miles east of Leroy, this county.

MISS LENA GAHAGAN,
sister of Mrs. Martin, residing east of Leroy, aged 23.

MISS ANNA KELLY,
residing with her widowed mother two miles north of Merna.

When the storm struck the building, its swaying alarmed the party of merrymakers. All made a rush for the exists [sic] and a fierce struggle ensued.

Three women were left behind and were killed instantly by falling timbers. Two sisters were found locked in each other’s arms.

Miss Kelly was being pulled through an open window by Clement SPENCER, and in another moment she would have been saved. Spencer was hurt internally and may die.

Others seriously hurt are Thomas GAHAGAN, cousin of the two sisters killed, and John KELLY, brother of Miss Kelly, one of the victims.

Fully fifty others were painfully injured, and all were taken to residences and farm houses. Many surgeons from Bloomington were summoned to dress the wounds and were kept busy during the entire day.

At Merna, in addition to the town hall, the Kinsella implement house was leveled and many other structures destroyed.

Des Moines Daily Leader, Des Moines, IA 12 Jun 1902

Transcribed by Rosemarie  Thank you, Rosemarie!

       
 

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