1928
TWISTER LEAVES DESOLATION AND DEATH IN WAKE Ruins Lay in Storm's Narrow Pathway By "Dooney" Trank Starting its path of devastation at the Rockford chair
factory plant, the tornado, cutting a swath of about 100 to 200 yards
wide, moved across the southeastern section of the city to Charles street
a short distance east on Twentieth street, where it seemed to lift. The huge chair factory building proved the first target for the
twister, the structure trembling at the first gust and then crashing. The
brick veneer walls crumbled about the frame structure. Part of the
building fell over the dry kiln located south of the main plant. Seeing the plant rock and crumble, Ernest Chappel, of Chappel Brothers
Packing plant, issued a call for all his workmen and rushed them to the
scene of the wreckage. Organized under foremen as relief squads, Chappel
Brothers' employes plunged into the work of rescuing chair factory
employes from the debris. DeSchepper Home Wrecked More than 15 men had been removed from the demolished plant when police
and deputies arrived. Continuing its way norteasterly, the tornado, after clipping roofs from
homes, blowing down wires and breaking off tops of trees, settle down
again at Peoples avenue and Kishwaukee street, where the house of Emily
Deschepper was torn from its foundation. Mrs. DeSchepper and her daughter,
Clara, were buried in the wrecked home. Mrs. Deschepper was removed two hours later suffering from a broken arm
and possible internal injuries. The daughter, who was the first to be
rushed in the hospital, sustained a severely injured leg. Workers Rush to Scene In the meantime scores of volunteers, physicians, nurses and special
police had reached the chair factory. Rising again after striking the DeSchepper residence, the storm dealt
another hard blow at Twentieth avenue and Seventh street. Once of the
houses at this intersection, in which a Jones family resided, was turned
bottom side up. Across the street at 1103 Twentieth avenue the house
occupied by Anfred Eklund and M.F. Rydholm, was pushed from its foundation
and all but completely demolished. Johnney Rydholm, four years old, was the only person injured in the
residence at 1103 Twentieth avenue. Other homes near the intersection were unroofed and windows in many
structures were broken. Strikes Union Plant Whirling from th intersection at Twentieth avenue and Seventh street
and path of destruction continued to Eighteenth avenue and Ninth street.
In moving across this district, the storm ripped of the roofs of many
homes, blew down trees and telephone poles. Dipping down at Eighteenth avenue and Ninth street, the twister played
havoc on the Union Furniture company plant. Contents of the second and
third floors were tumbled down to the first floor, a mess of debris. After
the roof gave way on the eastern part of the building, the huge water tank
tumbled down to add its weight of water and wood to the pile of wreckage
below. Simon's Johnson's grocery store located at the northeastern corner of
the intersection was changed to a pile of lumber by the swift moving wind.
The frame structure was a total wreck. The garage of the South Park
transfer company east of Johnson's grocery store, also was wrecked. A portion of the Mechanics Machine company, east of Eighteenth avenue
on Ninth streetm also was hit.W Workers Look On While factory workers in plants adjoining the Union Furniture company
plant looked on, the tornado, hurling planks, roofs and tree tops high in
the air, moved in a northeasterly direction toward Broadway, where it next
settled down the Elco Tool company plant. The south wall of the Broadway factory tumbled before the unrushing
storm. Spectators who rushed on the scene marveled at the miraculous
escape of workmen there. The north wall of the Nationa Lock company, Plant
B, also was damaged. Rising again over the Illinois Central tracks, the terrific wind
continued northeast and played many pranks before driving down on the
David Carlson Roofing company, east of Twentieth street. Rock View in Darkness Rock View, a district of many recently erected homes, also suffered
great losses. Second floors of many homes were blown high, garages wrecked
and windows blown out. The district was in total darkness and many persons, made homeless,
were seen carrying clothing and furnishings to neighbors' homes for the
night. Flash lights and candles proved the only illumination for residents
in the Rock View district. Special police, in addition to the entire forces of the police and
sheriff departments, were rushed into service. Many directed traffic in
the storm stricken area, others patrolled the sections around wrecked
structures. Scenes of destruction were everywhere in the path of the tornado. Legionnaires and national guardsmen from Company K responded to a call
for aid. Obtaining uniforms at the Armory, the men rushed to various
points in the designated areas. Schools Escape Fury Three grade schools, housing more than 1,000 pupils, located near the
path of the tornado, miraculously escaped the wrath of the tornado. The storm passed south of Brown and Turner schools and narrowly missed
the Herman Hallstrom school at Twelfth avenue and Eighteenth street. A
double car brick garage across the street from the Hallstrom
school, was completely wrecked but the residence was practically
untouched. Many homes north of Hallstrom school were unroofed and partially
demolished. The twister whirled out of the city at the far corner of Charles street
and Twentieth avenue, wrecking the David Carlson Roofing company building
and the Ray Brown Machine shop to mark "Finis" on its terrific journey
over the southeastern section of the city. --Rockford Register-Gazette, 09-15-1928 TORNADO TAKES HEAVY TOLL IN ROCKFORD, ILL Seven Known To Be Dead, 15 Missing And 50 Injured TWO FACTORIES ARE WRECKED Many Homes in the Path of Twister Are Also Mowed Down Rockford, Ill., Sept. 15--Another of the midwestern tornadoes which
already have taken a dozen lives in Nebraska and South Dakota this week,
dropped out of black skies into Rockford late yesterday, killing at least
7, injuring 50 and leaving property wreckage estimated at more than five
million dollars. Fifteen persons were missing when an intensive search of the ruins of
factory buildings and private homes was begun in earnest. During the night
reports were frequent that additional bodies had been seen in wreckage,
but darkness prevented more than a cursory search. The tornado struck a three-mile strip, demolishing two factories in
which several hundred men were at work and destroying many homes. The known dead were: Everett Cornmusser, 16; Bernard Cornmusser, 14;
Virgil Cornmusser, 17; Tony Martinkas, 50, Spring Valley, Ill.; George
Fagerberg, 51; John Brunski, 44. The Cornmusser boys were struck by the hurtling roof of a garage as
they ran before the storm. Only Virgil escaped instant death. He died in a
hospital of his injuries. Bodies In Wreckage Martinkas was found dead in a chicken coop he was repairing. Fagerberg
and Brunski were victims of the wreckage at chair factory "B" of the
Rockford Chair and Furniture company. American Legionaires and Illinois National Guardsmen patrolled the
storm area with loaded rifles during the night and early today as relief
workers moved forward against the debris. Four factories, Elco Tool company, Union Furniture company, Chair
Factory "B", and the Meachanics Machine company, were among the larger
structures demolished, while numerous smaller factories and homes raised
the estimated damage total to more than $5,000,000. The twister, described as a monstrous funnel shaped cloud that lifted
and swooped as it progressed, entered the southwest limits of the city,
mowing a path from 50 to 300 feet wide on its whirl through the city to
the Grant highway. The tornado first hit the factory section where Chair Factory "B" is
located. The fourth floor of the structure was swept off and the walls of
the building bulged out by the terrific wind that moved the entire
building some 30 feet, the west portion falling over the dry kiln
structure. Rescue Work Perious The payroll for Chair Factory "B" contained 113 names. It is believed
more than 50 of these men escaped when the tornado first struck, but it is
not known how many more were able to get out of the building, where power
lines and tottering walls made rescue work extremely precarious during the
night. Two hundred firemen, policemen, deputy sheriffs and highway police from
Beloit, Wis., Freeport, Dixon and Belvidere, Ill., worked through the
night in the ruins of Chair Factory "B". Searchlights were used, but the
condition of the structure precluded any organized relief work. Hospitals
were established at the scene of the disaster. The twister came within a block and a half of three grade schools, in
which were more than 1,000 children, frantic mothers ran down the streets
the storm had traversed looking for their children. Many blocks were
untouched by the wind which lifted and then dropped in its journey. --The Evening Repository, Canton, Oh.,
09-15-1928 CHAIR WORKER TOPPLES FROM FOURTH FLOOR Jorgenson Unhurt in Fall Down Shaft "It was the softest landing I had ever expected." This was the comment today of Malcom Jorgenson, 1425 Charles street,
who escaped injuries after falling from the fourth floor the Rockford
Chair factory plant through the elevator shaft to the basement when the
tornado his the structure. "I was closing windows on the fourth floor and noticed the heavy winds
blowing up sand in the pits nearby," Jorgenson said, "Then I saw George
Fagerberg fall through the window. The next I knew I was falling and
sliding down the elevator shaft." Fagerberg was one of the workmen taken from the wreckage dead. Although he landed squarely on his feet, Jorgenson escaped without any
fractures. He sustained a gash over his left eye 'S a deep cut on his
lip. Picking himself up from the wreckage, Jorgenson plunged into the work
of rescuing his fellow workmen from the ruins. --Rockford Daily Register-Gazette,
09-15-1928 PROMISES NO DELAY PAYING DEATH CLAIMS Insurance Firm Will Waive Formality Insurance claims made by relatives of persons killed in Friday's
tornado will be paid as soon as identity is established, according to an
announcement made today by George C. Angerman, superindentent of the local
office of the Prudential Insurance company. He was authorized to file claims without the formality of a doctor's
death certificate in a communication revieved today from Edward D.
(?)affield, president of the company, who is located at the (?) of the
home office at Newark, N.J. --Rockford Register-Gazette, 09-15-1928 DIRECTORS TO SETTLE PLANS Question of Rebuilding to Be Decided Urgent matters that confront directors of the Rockford Chair and
Furniture company following the destruction of its plant B in yesterday's
catastrophe will be considered by the directory board at a formal meeting
to be held Monday or Tuesday, according to (?) Robert Lind, secretary and
treasurer. To speed rescue work in removing hundreds of tons of debris, the
Seeprity(?) Building company has been engaged to clear the site of the
chair factory ruins near Peoples avenue. Presumably the factory will be rebuild, according to Mr. Lind, although
the decision will be made by the board of directors after more important
questions have been settled in conference next week. Mr. Lind for the directors of the Rockford Chair and Furniture company,
is thankful for the assistance that was offered spontaneously in the
rescue of debris-covered workment. "Everything humanly possible was done
to locate the unfortunate workmen." said Mr. Lind. --Rockford Register-Gazette, 09-15-1928 MRS. DUFFIELD SEES 'CURTAIN' WRECK FACTORY Faces Terrific Storm with Amazement Seated in her automobile parked in the driveway at the Roper
Corporation Friday afternoon while waiting for her husband, Mrs. J.H.
Duffield, (?) South First street, (witnessed) "huge blue curtain" which
several seconds later wrecked the Rockford Chair factory and continued on
its devasting journey through the town. "To me it seemed like a huge blue curtain bespeckled with small black
dots but not until it struck the chair factory did I realize that it was a
tornado," Mrs. Duffield said this morning. "Just as the 'blue curtain' struck the factory a sheet of flame as wide
as the path of the tornado gushed forth," she remarked. "Whether or not it was the cause of combustion I do not know but my
husband and I expected to see the structure in flames when we rushed to
the scene." Mrs Duffield directly faced the "blue curtain," which later proved to
be speckled with timber, poles, and roof tops, and rushed into the Roper
plant. After striking the chair factory, however, the tornado veered its
course slightly, missing the Roper plant and passing over Kishwaukee
street and Peoples avenue. --Rockford Register-Gazette,
09-15-1928 FOOD SERVED TO RESCUE CREWS BY GIRLS' CLUB Carry Sandwiches, Coffee to Workers Rescuing the rescuers from the pangs of hunger was the task the
Rockford's Girls' club, 215 North First street, took upon itself last
night. Loading cars with hot doughnuts, cheese sandwiches and coffee, the
young women visited the relief corps that were busy working in the
stricken area. In the excitement, many had hastened away to the scene of
the disaster without eating and the food proved a welcome gift. Eight-four Legionnaires, more than 40 Veterans of Foreign Wars and
scores of other rescue workers were served by the firls. They remained on
the scene until 3 o'clock this morning and after obtaining a short rest
returned with an additional supply of food. Miss Ida Smith, matron at the club, was in charge of the party, which
consisted of the Misses Marcia Clark, Edith Merthon, Leda Morris,
Josephine Miller, and Irene Fleming. Another party of girls left the club this afternoon to continue the
work in the stricken area. They are the Misses Elsie Adamson, Ann
Kutrenel(?), Virginia Wydell, Mildred Hillsohoff, Helen Mitchell, Agnes
Root and Frances Spooner --Rockford Daily Register-Gazette,
09-15-1928 ILLINOIS STORM TAKES DEATH
TOLL Six Are Known Dead at Rockford;
Damage Will Extend Into Millions Storm Follows Close Up on Nebraska,
Dakota Disasters FACTORIES
DEMOLISHED First Hasty Check-Up Reveals
Sixteen Missing; Six Bodies Found Rockford, Ill., Sept. 16--Another of the
mid-western tornados which already have taken a dozen lives in Nebraska
and South Dakota this week, dropped out of black skies into Rockford late
yesterday, killing at least six, injuring 50 and leaving property wreckage
estimated at more than five million dollars. Sixteen persons were missing
when an intensive search of the ruins of factory buildings and private
homes was begun in earnest. During the night reports were frequent that
additional bodies had been seen in wreckage, but darkness prevented more
that cursory search. The tornado struch along a three mile strip,
demolishing two factories in which several hundred men were at work and
destroying many homes. American Legionnaires and Illinois national
guardsmen patrolled the storm area with loaded rifles during the night and
early today as relief workers moved forward against the
debris. Factories
Demolished Four factories, Elco Tool Company, Union Furniture
Company, Chair Factory B and the Mechanics Machine Company were among the
larger structures demolished, while numerous smaller factories and homes
raised the estimated damage total to more that
$5,000,000. The tornado first hit the factory section where
Chair Factory B is located. The fourth floor of the structure was swept
off and the walls of the building bulged out by the terrific wind that
moved the entire building some thirty feet, the west portion falling over
the dry kiln structure. Two hundred firemen, policemen, deputy sheriffs
and highway police from Beloit, Wis., Freeport, Dixon, and Belvidere,
Ills, worked through the night in the ruins of the Chair Factory B.
Seachlights were used, but the condition of the structure precluded any
organized relief work. Hospitals were established at the scene of the
disaster. They came within a block and a half of three grade schools in
which were more that 1,000 children. Frantic mothers ran down the streets
the storm had traversed looking for their children. Many blocks were
untouched by the wind which lifted and then dropped in its
journey. Some workmen who escaped from the chair factory
told of machinery sliding along the floor and then crashing through the
girders. Som of the men climbed out of windows, saying that they had to
dodge great posts and flying splinters. --Aberdeen Evening News, SD,
Saturday, September 15, 1928 Broadway Church Saved from Tornado's Fury Amid the wreckage in the path of Friday's
tornado, Broadway M.E. church, a wooden structure at Broadway and Parmele
st., escaped without injury. The Rev. Royal Synwolt, pastor of the church,
was one of the energetic workers among the rescue and relief crews in the
stricken area today --Rockford Republic, Saturday,
Sept. 15, 1928 EIGHT DIE; HUNT BODIES Find Five Missing Men This Morning Contractors Lend Apparatus To Help Remove Wreckage With Rockford's tornado death toll at eight last night workmen engaged
in tearing away the wreckage of Rockford Chair & Furniture company
plant B in search for the bodies of five men believed to bee buried there
awaited only the arrival of dawn today to continue their rescue
efforts. Considerable progress in clearing the debris away from the foundation
of the plant was made yesterday and work was continued until darkness last
night. More than 200 employes of the Security Building company, city,
county employes and those of other firms, abandoned their rescue work at
7:30 o'clock last night, but will renew their efforts early today. Death Toll Mounts The men who brought the death toll to eight victims are: Axel Ahlgren, 40 years old, 420 South Fifth street, whose mutilated
body was dug from the ruins of the Union Furniture company plant at noon
yesterday. Swan Swanson, 40 years old, 1650 Oakes avenue, died at 7:50 o'clock
yesterday from a punctured lung, broken ribs and other injuries suffered
at the Union Furniture company plant. The men still unaccounted for are: Olaf Larson, 2216, Sixteenth avenue. Herman Wydell, 216 Dawson avenue.
Martin Anderson, 1615 Seventh avenue. Frank Strom, 1815 Parmele street.
Carl Ryden, 1125 Fifteenth street, and Charles Kurliskus, 2742 Hanson
street, reported missing yesterday morning, are alive and only slightly
injured, it was learned last night. Both men escaped from chair factory B
by climbing through a narrow opening left in the debris. They escaped with
minor injuries and were unaware that they were being hunted among the
victims until late yesterday afternoon. Five Believed Dead Officials of the Rockford Chair and Furniture company said last night
that the five missing men undoubtedly are buried in the debris of the
factory. Recovery of their bodies will bring the storm total to 13
victims. Officials believe that that will be the death total. Security Building company, which had charge of the rescue and salvage
work at the chair factory abandoned all construction labor on new jobs
yesterday morning to turn its attention to the storm swept district. It
was aided by city and county employes and officials. May Find Bodies Today "We feel that we accomplished considerable work today with the city and
county tractors, steam shovels and hoists of private concerns and the
number of men who worked on the ruins," Mr. Anderson, of the Security
Building company, said last night. "We expect to resume the rescue work
early in the morninng and we hope to obtain better results. We believe
that we will reach the bodies of the men reported buried in the wreckage
sometime Sunday." Never before in the history of the city has the public so aroused
itself to meet the situation brought about by Friday's tornado. Scores of
contractors and factory officials, unaffected by the storm, offered
officials of the Rockford Chair and Furniture company, trucks, men, steam
shovels, hoists and other aid yesterday in a frantic search to find the
bodies of the missing men. Officials of the Security Building company were at the factory at
daybreak yesterday and, after an inspection of the wreckage of the
factory, they ordered the workmen into the roped-off safety zone and the
work of salvage and rescue was started with remarkable speed. Men Work Rapidly Scores of men, experienced engineers in the art of removing the piled
up debris, appeared in all sections of the wrecked factory and, within a
short time, furniture that could be salvaged was being loaded up on
trucks, walls were being torn down and large sections of flooring were
being towed off to some empty corner of the roped-off safety zone. Mayor Burt M. Allen, Sheriff Harry, Baldwin, Chief of (article
cut-off) Death Toll of Illinois Storm Climbs to 15 Fear Seven Missing Are Buried in Factory Ruins at Rockford 3 Die in Nebraska Teacher Gives Life in Saving Pupils--Two Children Perish Rockford, Ill., Sept 15--Fifteen dead or missing and approximately 100
injured Saturday night made up the casualty list of the tornado that swept
through Rockford late Friday, causing upward of $2,000,000 damage to
property. Many homes lie in ruins and several factories were
demolished. Fear that nearly 100 were killed in the collapse of a chair factory was
removed Saturday as searchers reported that in addition to five found dead
Friday night and three who died Saturday in hospitals, seven were thought
to be dead in the debris of the chair factory. A few of the injured may die, although nearly all of the three-score
still in hospitals have a good chance to recover. Governor Small at Springfield ordered Company K of the 129th Infantry,
Illinois National Guard to report here for tornado guard duty. A detail of
fifty highway police also was assigned. A larger part of their task will be to keep crowds of curious from the
ruins of Chair Factory B in which three of the eight fatalities occurred.
The three floors of the long building crumbled before the wind, dumping
tons of machinery and lumber into a tumbled pile. Firemen and volunteers
worked all day, yet at nightfall were only a little nearer knowing what
secret of death the ruins held. Sand Untouched A hundred yards from the chair factory stood a great pile of fine sand
with not even a furrow in its light golden sides to show there had been
any wind. Sections of the city that suffered most were approximately three miles
apart, with blocks in between that escaped the storm flight. Both hard-hit
sections were devoted mostly to industries--the B factory of the Rockford
Chair and Furniture Company on the one hand, the Elco Tool Company on the
other. Destruction was wrought to six other industries in lesser degree,
particularly to the Union Furniture Company and the Mechanics Machinery
Company. Relief was quick in organization--subscriptions to meet emergency needs
of hundreds made homeless and jobless. Plans also were formulated to
rebuild at once many of the factories destroyed. Many of those thrown out
of employment by destruction of factories were to be given work in
reconstruction. Death List The death list, as it stood Saturday night, was: EVERITT CORNMUSSER, 16. VIRGIL CORNMUSSER, 17. BERNARD CORNMUSSER, 14.
GEORGE FAGERBERGER, 51. TONY MARTINKAS, 50. JOHN DRUNSKI, 44. SWAN
SWENSON, 40. AXEL AHLGREN Swenson and Ahlgren died during the day in hospitals. They were
furniture factory workers caught beneath falling walls. --Dallas Morning New,
09-16-1928 2 BOY HEROES SAVED CHARGES FROM
TORNADO Out of the maelstrom of tragedy and
horror surrounding Rockford's major disaster, the tornado of Sept. 14,
which took a toll of 14 lives and destroyed millions of dollars worth of
property, comes three months later the tale of the heroism of two school
children, who saved half a hundred smaller children from probable
death. The story, which matches all the
stories of bravery and self-sacrifice together, which were cast in the
crucible lightning and thunder, crumbling walls and the screams of dying
men, was brought to light for the first time today. It is also the story
of Officer Jack Prial's school boy policemen. The unsung heroes, who should have
recognition long ago from a grateful city, are Robert Roos, twelve years
old, and Edwin Brogren, eleven years old, pupils at the J. Herman
Hallstrom school, 1300 Seventeenth st. Boy Police as
Escorts The setting of the story is the North
Western railroad viaduct at Broadway, and the time, the fateful afternoon
of Sept. 14. At 3:15 pm while the sky was rapidly darkening, seventy
kindergarten and first grade pupils of Hallstrom school were dismissed and
sent on their way home--all of them under six years of age. As was
customary, two members of the boy police were to accompany them as far as
the Elco Tool Co., to see that they got safely to their
homes. They had been on their way scarcely ten
minutes when the tornado roared through the southeast end after laying in
ruins the Chair factory B, off of Kishwaukee st., burying a score of men
in the debris. In an instant wind and rain lashed
trees and buildings on the east side. Directly in its path were the
children in charge of the two terrified but calm boys. Robert Roos and Edwin Brogren herded
the terrified children under the railroad viaduct, while debris and refuse
carried by the wind pounded down on the bridge over their
heads. Entertain Little
Charges But that wasn't all--choking back their
own fear, the more poignant because they realized better what was
happening, the two whitefaced youngsters shouted funny stories back and
forth, and when their whimpering charges grew still more frightened, they
made funny faces until the children laughed through their
tears. While they were pantomiming one of
the boys looked out and saw part of his own house being carried on the
wings of the storm. Concealing his own terror, he still pantomimed for the
children. It was all over in a few horrible
minutes, and seventy frightened but uninjured children were lead out from
under the viaduct, and two scared boys took them to what was left of their
homes, helped them find their mothers and fathers before they went to
their own homes to reach their own families. And that is the story of Robert Roos,
twelve years old, and Edwin Brogren, eleven years old, just two boys of
the 250 on whom Officer Jack Prial pinned boy police stars and impressed
with the majesty of the law and their duties as its officers to watch and
protect the younger children entrusted to them. --Rockford Republic, Friday, Nov.
23, 1928 2 Victims of Tornado Still in
Hospital Three months ago today, the greatest
catastrophe in the history of the city struck Rockford, claiming the lives
of 14 persons, injuring over 100 people and causing property damage
estimated at several million
dollars. Today but two of the scores injured remain in
a hospital--Henning Johnson, 42, of 1317 Sixteenth ave., and Avery Otto,
35, of 1520 Broadway. Both
are suffering from fractured legs received when they were buried under
tons of debris. Johnson was injured at the Elco Tool Co., and
Otto at Chair Factory B. For three months the two have been confined to
St. Anthony hospital. The tornado followed a down-pour of rain
shortly after 3 o'clock in the afternoon, striking the most southeasterly
section of the city and claiming everything in its path. Downtown office
workers and residents in other sections of the city were unaware of the
twister until the clanging of police cars, ambulance and fire apparatus
was heard. Today, a tour of the devastated area would
reveal scarcely anything.
Factories, homes and stores have been rebuilt and the horrible
catastrophe is history. --Rockford Register-Republic,
12-19-1928
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