Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
1890 - Tornado

A Number of Lives Lost, Many Persons Killed and Injured and Hundreds of Houses Razed to the Ground - The Victims.

LAWRENCE, Mass., July 27. - A cyclone, equaling in destructive power those so frequently reported from Western communities visited the suburbs of South Lawrence at about fifteen minutes past two o'clock yesterday forenoon, and in fifteen minutes had killed six people; seriously injured fifteen; slightly injured twenty; cut a swath through a thickly populated section two hundred feet wide and a mile long; rendered five hundred people homeless; destroyed or greatly damaged from seventy-five to one hundred buildings, and inflicted a loss of at least $100,000, all of which was uninsured against damage by wind or storm.

South Lawrence is a busy railroad junction, and is occupied mainly by well-to-do mechanics. The northern boundary of the belt of the destruction was but three streets south of the lofty mills with their busy throngs of thousands of workers; showing how narrow was the escape from a more appalling loss of life and property.

It was a veritable dog day. The air was hot and humid. Dark clouds scurried westerly through the heavens with an intermittent rain. Suddenly the wind veered to the west, an inky black coal-like cloud seemed to drop from the cumulous mass hanging through the west and moving rapidly with awful aspect toward the city. It was accompanied by torrents of rain. In an instant there came a crash. Buildings were crushed like egg-shells. Some were lifted from their foundations and dropped to pieces. Others were tipped over. The air was filled with the flying debris.

Most of those who met death in the wreck were killed instantly. Many lay unconscious.

The survivors were too much horrified to know where or when the cyclone ended its course, but the train of ruin in its path showed that it touched the earth at or near the cricket grounds, it crossed Emmet street, Broadway, the railroad and Parker street, wrecking everything in its course.

In Union square over 500 houses were leveled. The storm passed over Shaw's river to the town of Andover, where it exhausted itself in the trees and fences. The police station was at once notified and ambulances and a squad of officers started for the scene. An alarm of fire was rung in, and the firemen responded quickly and rendered valuable assistance in moving the injured from the ruins. The ambulances carried several crushed human bodies to the hospital. Others were taken to private houses.

On Emmet street the wind took a house belonging to MR. EVANS and threw it into the road a complete wreck. MR. EVANS and his wife were in the house at the time and met with no injury.

No. 6 was partly moved from its foundation, the rear of No. 6 was a house occupied by JAMES LYONS and family. On the approach of the storm LYONS rushed into the house, seized the baby from his wife's arms and fled to the street. Both man and child escaped, but the dead body of MRS. LYONS was subsequently taken from the ruins.

Saunders Court near St. Patrick's Church Hall, a wooden structure, was carried fifteen feet from its foundation and a few windows were broken in the parochial residence.

At the foot of Saunder's Court a switch-house in which MICHAEL HIGGINS, the section boss, was standing, was bodily carried away by the wind under the overhead railroad bridge crossing Salem street where HIGGINS fell out and was killed.

The railing on this bridge was taken off as though cut with a knife.

The granite sheds of W. F. JONES, near the bridge was demolished.

The house of WM. CUTLER, the foreman of the Boston & Maine shops, was next demolished. MISS FLOSSIE CUTLER was found in the cellar with a sprained ankle, and MRS. CUTLER was also slightly hurt. Little ELLA CUTLER was crossing the Hall street bridge within a stone's throw of her home, and was buried beneath a pile of lumber and debris. She was taken out dead.

The greatest damage was done in Springfield street. The following is a summary: Springfield street – Nos. 1, 2, 15 and 18 were demolished.

No. 23, occupied by HUGH A. MERRIMAN, was totally wrecked, and MR. MERRIMAN, wife and six children were badly shaken up and bruised.

No. 27 was smashed in, and No. 31 was completely demolished. This house was occupied by JEREMIAH O'CONNELL, who was badly injured. His wife and daughter were taken from the ruins dead.

Nos. 33, 35, 36 and 38 had their fronts stove in. No. 37 was also wrecked.

Nos. 42, 43 and 44 were badly damaged. MARIA QUINN, aged twelve received fatal injuries at No. 46. The following were also badly damaged: Nos. 47, 52 and 53. A woman, MRS. JAMES BRENANN, was severely injured in the head. MRS. FLYNN, the landlady, sustained a fracture of the collar bone.

At No. 100 MRS. CARRIE BAILEY was cut. MRS. FURNSIDE was injured in her house at No. 105.

All the houses on this street were more or less wrecked. On Portland street, CARROLL & CASEY'S lumber yard was wrecked. The gate-keeper at the crossing was badly hurt.

No. 16, occupied by WILLIAM COLLINS, was lifted from its foundations. MRS. COLLINS and her six year old daughter FANNIE were taken out dead. Two more of COLLINS' children were badly hurt.

No. 25, South Union street owned by P. LENA, was lifted from its foundation and shattered.

The house at No. 39 Foster street was demolished. No. 313 Market street was wrecked.

In Union park five hundred to one thousand trees were destroyed. In Andover, one house was unroofed. Trees were blown down and fences torn down. The occupants of the ruined houses were mainly hard-working mechanics and laborers.

The engineer in the half-past eight o'clock express from Boston, saw the cyclone as it was nearing South Lawrence, and stopped his train, thus really saving the terror-stricken passengers.

Fire started in one of the houses but was promptly put out.

Following is a list of the dead:

MICHAEL HIGGINS, aged thirty-five.
MRS. MARY O'CONNELL, aged thirty-four.
MISS MARY O'CONNELL.
MRS. ELIZABETH COLLINS.
ANNIE COLLINS, aged six.
HANNAH BEATTIE, aged nine; killed in the house with the O'CONNELLS.
MRS. MARY LYONS.
HELEN CUTLER.
A. HART is at the hospital in a dying condition.

The following injured were taken to the hospital, while many others were carried to private houses. The names of the latter are not yet known: PATRICK NUGENT; LIZZIE OLDSWORTH, badly bruised; MINNIE REED, slightly injured about the head; BRIDGET McDERMOTT, scalp wounds; MRS. CAMPBELL, lacerated breast; MRS. MANN, scalp wound; ORA MORGAN, internal injuries; JIMMIE and MINNIE McLAUGHLIN, badly bruised; ANDREW HART, serious injuries on head, will probably die; MRS. THIBAULT, lacerated arm; ELLEN McLAUGHLIN, slight injuries; LIZZIE MORRISEY, spine injured.

The Rolla New Era
Missouri
August 2, 1890

Visit Lawrence, Massachusetts, USA
Discover the people who lived there, the places they visited and the stories they shared.