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1925 Tornado

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NOAA/NWS 1925 Tri-State Tornado Web Site--Photographs

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and the Tri-State Tornado is no exception.  Even though there are no known photographs of the actual storm itself, one glance at the damage in the photographs gives one a chilling sense of the horror that the survivors endured. 

This collection of photos comes from the Jackson County Historical Society in Murphysboro, Illinois.  Most of the pictures in this gallery depict the damage scene in Murphysboro proper.

A look at the damaged high school in Murphysboro, Illinois. Three students died when the central section of the building collapsed.  The tornado completely destroyed Logan School in Murphysboro. Here, five students lost their lives.  Nine were killed when the brick walls of Murphysboro's Longfellow School caved in on the students and teachers.  A shot of the Reliance Mill on North 17th Street in Murphysoboro. After the mill was demolished by the tornado, it was never rebuilt.  The destruction at the Mobile & Ohio Railroad shops. The roof caved in on 500 workers, killing 35 and injuring hundreds.

Thirteen people perished when the Blue Front Hotel caught fire in the hours following the tornado.  Demolished were restaurants, retail shops, and hotels on North 17th Street in Murphysboro.  Originally a three-story building, Werner's Drug Store on the corner of 10th and Walnut Streets was reduced to only two stories.  More damage from Murphysboro. This was the scene at Gartside and 14th Streets after the storm.  After the storm, the Red Cross and other charitable organizations brought food, clothing, and tents (shown here) for those in need. The National Guard assisted with the clean-up efforts and patrolled the streets to prevent looting.

A shot of damage to the northwest of the former Logan School yard in Murphysboro, Illinos.  This photograph of general damage illustrates the magnitude of the devastation in Murphysboro, Illinois.  Another look at general damage that portrays the destruction left behind in Murphysboro.  Homes were shattered to pieces in Murphysoboro, which left half the city homeless. About 1200 homes were completely destroyed in an area 1 mile wide and 2 1/2 miles long.  A typical scene in the residential district of Murphysboro, where 154 city blocks were destroyed by the tornado.

While still under construction, the new First Baptist Church of Murphysboro was destroyed by the tornado. A funeral service was in progress in the vestry of the church when the tornado struck.  A true depiction of the tornado's incredible force! This gentleman is hanging from a piece of wood that was hurled into a tree by the tornado!

 

 

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