Published September 2, 2012
By Patrick McGinley
Although Quincy sits
at the eastern edge of what is referred to as “tornado alley,” it is sometimes
difficult to determine damage actually caused by a tornado or the residual
winds of a tornado in the area.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, the last tornado
near our city occurred on June 14, 1998, and touched the far south side of
town, knocking out all the windows of Sheridan Swim Club. There have been other
tornadoes that directly hit the main part of the city causing great damage, yet
fortunately taking only a few lives.
On June 14, 1875, about 8:15 p.m., a tornado came from the northwest and
entered the city near Third and Chestnut. It caused great damage between
College and Broadway as it headed toward the fairgrounds, then located at 30th
and Maine. Many houses sustained damage, and the roof was blown off Jackson
School at Eighth and College. St. Mary Hospital had bad roof damage, and five
chimneys were toppled. One person was killed. John Menne went to his brickyard
at Eighth and Elm to cover some of the bricks, and a heavy board blown by the
wind struck him in the head, crushing his skull. Damage from this tornado was
estimated to be $50,000.
On Sept. 24, 1881, a tornado struck Quincy causing damage estimated at
$100,000. The roofs of many buildings west of Washington Park were torn away,
and the west side of the city was in ruins. In terms of lives lost, this
tornado was the worst causing the deaths of four people: Lon Wilson, George
Roland, Henry Workhouse, and Frank Smith. Roland was killed at the Bonnet and
Duffy Stove Foundry, and Workhouse was killed at the Joel Harris tobacco plant
on North Front Street. As far as buildings go, the Comstock-Castle foundry at
Front Street south of Delaware suffered the most damage.
A tornado hit Macon, Mo., killing five people about 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 12,
1902. It reached the southwest part of Quincy about 7 p.m. and headed east. The
southern part of town sustained the most damage, but there were few injuries to
the citizens of Quincy. The roof of the Comstock-Castle Stove foundry was blown
off. Two smokestacks of the new electric light plant at Front and State were
knocked down. The trees of the city suffered most. South Park and Indian Mounds
Park lost many trees, but hardest hit was Greenmount Cemetery near 12th and
Harrison. Out of approximately 500 trees, there were only a few intact trees
left standing. Most had been sheared off about six feet above ground level. The
home of William Holtman, the caretaker of the cemetery, was badly damaged
and had to be rebuilt. But far worse, the records of the cemetery were
blown away and lost forever. The damage from this tornado was approximately
$45,000.
Thursday, April 12, 1945, was a very sad day for the nation. News reached
Quincy at 4:53 p.m.. that President Franklin Roosevelt had died. Little did the
citizens of Quincy know that in a few hours they would be subjected to Quincy’s
worst tornado. At 10:20 p.m. the tornado entered the city at Front and
Jefferson heading northeast. The area between Third and Ninth streets from
Jersey to Vermont was the hardest hit. The west wall of St. Peter Church at
Eighth and Maine was destroyed. The large dome of the Adams County Courthouse
at Fifth and Vermont, which had been built in 1871, was knocked off the
building.
Twenty-five hundred
square feet of roofing was also ripped off, but most of the records were saved.
More than 20 buildings sustained damage in the hard hit area, especially
Kline’s Department Store. The back end of Turner Hall in the 900 block of
Hampshire was blown out. The rear end of the A & P building at 10th and
Broadway was badly wrecked, and the Von Burg Jewelry Store was a total loss.
Again, many trees were stripped of their leaves or even uprooted. The damage
was estimated at approximately one million dollars. For the next two weeks,
much of the downtown area was blocked off, and only people who obtained a pass
from City Hall were allowed to enter the area. The area was secured by 175
state highway patrol officers and state militia. So dense was the crowd in the
area the next day that the militia had to move them away with bayonets from the
falling rubble. Nineteen people were injured, but fortunately no one died. One
man who lived at 606 Hampshire was buried under the rubble for four hours
before being rescued. A few people blamed the disturbance on just “FDR and God
fighting over the power up there.”
Fortunately, today we have better means of forecasting impending storms and
tornadoes and better means of warning those who are in such danger.
Patrick McGinley is a
retired educator of Quincy Public Schools and John Wood Community College. He
earned his doctorate at SIU Carbondale. He is presently the secretary of the
board of directors of the Historical Society.
Sources
Adam, David. “The
Night FDR and God ‘Fought for Power.'” Quincy Herald-Whig. April 12, 2005.
Landrum, Carl.
“Quincy’s October tornado in 1902.” Quincy Herald-Whig. March 10,
1991.
Landrum, Carl.
“Tornado – like winds in 1902 cause major damage to southern part of
Quincy.” Quincy Herald-Whig. August 14, 2002.
Landrum, Carl.
“Tornadoes devastated city in 1875, 1945.” Quincy Herald-Whig. May
16, 1999.
“19 injured in
tornado.” Quincy Herald-Whig. April 13, 1945.
“Ruins of August
Hagerbaumer’s Barn.” Quincy Journal. October 14, 1902.
“Tornado caused
million dollar loss in Quincy.” Quincy Herald-Whig. April 15, 1945
