Collinsville, IL Tornado, Feb 1900

TOWN NARROWLY ESCAPES DESTRUCTION BY TORNADO

Fifteen Persons in Collinsville, Ill., Injured, Some of Them Fatally.

HOUSES REDUCED TO SPLINTERS

Fears of Fatalities at Other Places Along the Indiana-Illinois Line.

St. Louis, February 8 --- The Town of Collinsville, twelve miles from St. Louis on the Vandalia Railroad, narrowly escaped destruction by a tornado to-day. Fifteen persons were injured in the immediate vicinity of the village, some of them fatally, and there was much damage to property.

The miners who live on the outskirts lost most severely by the wind. A group of three fine residences standing on a hill were reduced to splinters.
The Injured Are:
PAUL QUARANLHI, aged 35, perhaps fatal;
OTTO ODLERHOLE, 17, serious;
SOPHIE FIX, aged 17, skull fractured;
NEWTON ANDERSON, not seriously;
THEO LAWRENCE, internally injured;
FRANK KOBART, seriously;
JOHN MARQUETTE, badly burned;
son and daughter of FRANK KOBART, severely cut and bruised;
TONY SKALLA, wife and two children, badly bruised;
BARNEY FALLETTE, seriously hurt;
TOM PAMATTE, arm broken.

The last two named were blown several hundred feet from their houses into a field.

About 2:30 A. M. the storm was first felt at a point one mile south of Collinsville. The first house demolished was that occupied by FRANK KOBART. He, his son and daughter were buried in the debris and it was some time before they were rescued, bruised and bleeding, from the wreckage. They were carried to a neighbor's house and given such care as could be had until physicians arrived from the village.

Brooklyn Eagle New York City 1900-02-08
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!