3-078-043 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

The Cyclone at Louisville, Kentucky, United States: Fifteenth Street: looking north, 1890. 'The tornado, cyclone, or revolving hurricane that swept over parts of Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, and Tennessee on the 'night of March 27...was one of the most destructive on record. Many towns were struck by its fury; and we have as yet no computation of the number of houses and other dwellings entirely overthrown, or the loss of life and property. The large city of Louisville suffered more than any other place. The tornado reached Louisville at half past eight in the evening: a deep thrilling roar of mighty wind, and heavy rain which lasted only two or three minutes, was followed by a prolonged crash of buildings that fell into ruins over great part of the town...A section nearly one mile square...was traversed diagonally by the tornado, totally destroying about two hundred and fifty buildings, and killing nearly a hundred and fifty persons...The calamity would have been much worse in the business hours of the day, when Main-street, with its shops and warehouses, and the large tobacco-factories, were crowded with people...Our Illustrations are from photographs by Messrs. Klauber, and by W. Stuber and Brother, of Louisville'. From "Illustrated London News", 1890.