Kingston Mines, IL Tornado, Jun 1902 - The Storm

Three Killed, Three Fatally Injured and Seven Others Injured at the Kingston Mines –

Peoria, Ill., June 11.

Rain fell [illegible] torrents and the damage caused by the high winds is inestimable at this time. Probably the worst damage in proportion to the size of the town was at Kingston Mines, a small mining town twenty miles below Peoria. Three people were killed outright and ten were injured, three fatally.

The killed are:

MRS. THOMAS MURRAY
INFANT CHILD OF MRS. MURRAY
MRS. ROBERT McELWEE

The fatally injured are:

Infant child of Mrs. McELWEE
Robert McELWEE
Thomas MURRAY

The other injured are:

Mrs. MOCHA
Roy BITNER
Jud MARSH
Cora ROSBOTTOM
James LACOCK
Mrs. Frank BRAZENA
Mrs. KEEFE

Storm at Kingston Mine.

The storm struck the village at 10:15 and was preceded by a phenomenal electrical storm. It was perhaps fifteen minutes after the commencement of the electrical storm that the wind came, bringing with it the awful wreck and ruin. The storm first struck NEWSAM brothers’ big engine house, laying it flat, besides carrying away the dump trestle, track and all. The mine stables were caught and carried completely away. The loss to NEWSAM brothers will exceed $10,000. The home of Thomas MURRAY was next in the storm’s path and besides literally wiping the little home from the face of the earth the wind took the lives of Mrs. MURRAY and child, and left the father in a dying condition. They had prepared for an emergency of this kind by building a cave and had evidently prepared to go to it, as they were on the outside of the house in the direction of the cave. A piece of scantling had penetrated the bowels of Mrs. MURRAY and she had fallen across her child. When found one arm was thrown out and the other clasped the baby as though to protect it. She must have missed her aim, as the little one had evidently died of exposure. Mr. MURRAY’S spine was broken.

Continued