Disasters
Fires
1888
The business buildings on the east side of the village were all destroyed. Full account in the next section “1888 Fire in Dongola, IL”.
1914
This fire destroyed every building from the bank corner of Front and Cross Streets to the old Fragrant Fields building. Three lives were lost – Howard Snider, William Manning, and Jake Hase. “The Diary of Howard Snider” was published in the 1990’s.
1925
Fire destroyed the buildings and businesses of W.P. Rial and Preller Douglas.
1934
The first gymnasium on School Street burned due to a lightning strike.
1963
The Osman Produce Company. This was the original Tell Jones sweet potato house.
(Page 17 “Early History Section” & Pages 269-270 “Centennial Edition Section”)
There have been many fires and destruction during the years. In the early years there was no running water and no fire department. The fires noted are the largest to take place in Dongola memory.
http://picasaweb.google.com/dongolafire/Disasters1 -- pics of Dongola Tornado & 1914 fire
Tornadoes
April 28, 2002 was a date that Dongola and Cypress citizens will remember for a very long time. The Headline of the Dongola Tri-County Record on Thursday, May 2, 2002 was: “Killer Tornado Hits Dongola” Janie L. Chamness, 69, was killed by the tornado that blew a path of destruction through Dongola about 1:33 a.m. Sunday. Mrs. Chamness lived in a mobile home on Shake Rag road on the east side of Dongola. Coroner Darryl Rendleman said a witness living nearby saw the lights of her car on. Rendleman assumed she was attempting to find safer quarters, realized she didn’t have time and went back into her home.
The Coroner said the twister swept the mobile home off the concrete pad. The victim was found about 300 ft. across the road in a ditch among the debris from her home. Coroner Rendleman said Mrs. Chamness died from massive head injuries.
The Shake Rag road area was one of those receiving major damage. The home of Mrs. Chamness’ daughter and son-in-law next door, Terrie and Willie Rhymer, had portions standing, but was demolished along with several vehicles.
Across the road the mobile homes of Jeff Brown and Stanley and Cindy Rider were destroyed.
Down the road, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Lingle was moved on its foundation and squashed by trees. The Lingles were awakened by their grandson because of strong wind and only had time to hit the floor by their bed as a tree crashed on the bedroom roof, mashing the ceiling to a few feet above them.
On the west side of town, Lake road was severely struck. The home of Eddie and Donna Goins was destroyed and a camper, parked in the yard, is missing. The house next door also was destroyed.
Across the road the mobile homes of Stephen Simmerman and Casey George were destroyed.
As the tornado, an F3 or larger, came into town from the west, major damage occurred in its path, from three to four tenths of a mile wide, Fire Chief Rick Acuff said Sunday afternoon some 30 to 35 families were homeless and at least seven were injured in addition to the fatality.
All fire departments in Union County were in Dongola to assist with the disaster along with County Police departments, State Police, Union County Rescue, Karnak, Ullin and Olmsted Fire Departments, Baptist Union Association Disaster team, Ullin Baptist church, Anna Heights Baptist church and several work groups. Food was provided at the Baptist church and the school.
Monday, Marion emergency personnel were here to assist and following the Marion tornado some years ago, had experience in the state and governmental agencies to contact for assistance and procedures to follow to help in the cleanup process.
Sunday as the day progressed, cleanup crews and utility crews were severely affected by sightseers blocking the street even though police attempted to limit them. Sunday evening emergency personnel virtually shut the town down and by Monday morning residents needed a written pass to go to work or other essential tasks.
As the twister crossed the railroad tracks, several of the large electrical poles on south Front Street were broken. Dongola’s electrical power is fed from the south and those poles had to be replaced before power could even get into town. All the streets in the path had many broken poles and very few power lines. By Tuesday electricity was restored to most homes in condition for it.
The path of the storm caused major damage to homes on S. Front Street, up the hill to Charles Street, E. Cross, Oak, and top of Elm Street at the Hanford Kaufman home and on to the Shake Rag Road.
Cypress school and the village of Cypress also were reported as receiving major tornado damage.
Union County is among the counties declared a federal disaster area by Illinois Governor George Ryan.
Nine homes were completely destroyed by the tornado in Dongola. 42 homes received major damage and 111 homes minor damage and another 18 homes were affected in some way.
A NOTICE Printed in the Dongola Tri-County Record: May 2, 2002
Village President Teddy L. Earnhart, Village Trustees, Dongola Fire Chief Ricky Acuff and the entire Fire Department, Police Chief John Snell and Village Employees want to express their sincere appreciation to ALL who have come to the aid of the Village during this terrible disaster. There is no way we can begin to thank each one individually. Your assistance has been invaluable and will never be forgotten!
First Baptist Church of Dongola is taking names and phone numbers of anyone needing helping clearing yards, driveways and/or small repair work on homes following the tornado in Dongola. The Red Cross was at the First Baptist Church after the disaster.
The Church of Christ and Lutheran church offered food and clothing to those in need.
Share and Care, Inc. kept longer hours and gathered basic household needs for starting a household from scratch.
The Osman Family gave $32,000 toward helping families needing assistance with recovery from tornado damage.
Tornadoes Warnings and watches are frequently televised in spring and fall due to changeable weather in this area. Southern Illinois is frequently caught between the two jet streams from Canada and the Gulf, which causes volatile weather when the cold dry air and the warmer wet air meet. We are unofficially part of the country known as Tornado Alley. The area also has several hail and wind storms, which cause damage to structures, trees, autos, and roofs.
Marion, IL was hit by a sizable tornado in 1982 killing 10 and causing millions of dollars worth of damage.
The most destructive tornado swept through Southern Illinois on March 18, 1925. The death toll of 695 was reported (a national record) and 2,027 injured. 7,000 were left homeless and an estimated $100 million in property damage was sustained that day in Gorham, Murphysboro, DeSoto, and West Frankfort. The twister was on the ground 219 miles.
Floods:
1937
“Greatest Ohio Flood in History Now Striking Southern Ill.”
Breaks Into Cache River to Threaten Village of Ullin today Mounds and Mound City Submerged
Approximately two hundred flood refugees had been quartered in Dongola by Tuesday noon when the Ohio River went on the greatest rampage in history, menacing practically every municipality along its banks.
Monday the river went over the top of the levee at Mound City and Tuesday noon it was reported about five feet of water covered that city. Monday night, Clyde Sheffer, truck driver of Dongola, hauling sand-baggers to the flood area, reported a big hole under the hard road between the National Cemetery and Mounds City that was letting the water back into the city of Mounds. Mounds residents were ordered to evacuate. National guardsmen appeared in both the Pulaski county cities to enforce strict regulations.
Early Sunday, residents began streaming out of Cairo, 27 miles south of here, by cars, trucks, trains and boats. At that time the river had already reached a new high of fifty-seven feet, but the new twenty-one million dollar floodwall and system held the water out of the city throughout Monday and Tuesday.
Monday morning about ten o’clock the “fuse-plug” of the flood control system in southeast Missouri was blown and broken in fifteen places to flood 131,000 acres of lowlands in that area to reliever the pressure against the 60-foot concrete wall in Cairo when the river reached almost 59 feet. It halted the rise at that point temporarily, even registering a slight drop, but up-river reports continued unfavorable.
Late Sunday night U.S. Route No. 51 was covered with several inches of water between the National Cemetery and the Cache Bridge, making driving extremely hazardous. The depth of the water over the road then was estimated as ranging from six to fourteen inches.
Valiant efforts by heroic men at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi sought desperately to save Cairo-the bottom of a huge bowl-with levees on all sides. The city proper looked up twenty feet to the Ohio River water level. Just a block from its principal street.
Early Monday morning, August Bode, mayor of Cairo, issued a proclamation that all women and children leave the city. Able-bodied men stayed behind for levee work. The city went under martial law. More lowland flooded and the river was at a standstill for several hours, dropping a few points on Tuesday. A continued rise, however, still held forth a serious outlook. At this time, the water was about 80 feet in Cincinnati, and at a standstill, rising an inch an hour at Louisville and Evansville, where it was reported to be 35 miles wide.
Tuesday afternoon about six o’clock blasts shook Dongola. Later it was learned the tremor was caused by the dynamiting of the C. & E.I. railway near Karnak where the embankment acting as a levee was holding floodwaters back.
Thousands more acres were flooded. Karnak was said to be under water and refugees getting out as the Ohio poured into Cache and roared down upon Ullin. Wednesday noon the water at this point was rapidly approaching a new high threatening the village, sweeping under the large bridge with hardly more than three feet to spare. Residents feared it might flood the village.
Early Wednesday morning, the city of Mounds was bearing the brunt of the high water farther south. The Illinois Central railroad tracks were washed out just below the Mounds depot, and rail service was interrupted, casting a pall over the outlook at Cairo. Trainload after trainload had already reached Cairo, however, and it was said enough dirt; sandbags and lumber were in the city to complete the approximate two miles of bulkheads on top of the huge wall to withstand 63 feet of water.
With the track going out at Mounds, only one road west of Cairo served as an entrance to the city. The National guardsmen were patrolling it.
At Wednesday noon the Ohio river stage at Cairo had dropped to fifty-eight feet, approximately a one-half foot drop, but was again rising with a prediction it would go to sixty-one feet by Sunday when it was believe the crest would be reached.
Refugees here anxiously waited for that time and silently prayed the bulkheads would hold back the maddened, yellow torrent threatening the city.
From Mound City little definite information could be had as late as Wednesday noon. Conflicting reports had that city under eight to fourteen feet of water at one time and again it would be dry except for seepage. Practically all communication systems were out or overworked.
Then came hurried calls for help from both Mound City and Cairo. At noon the levee was reported to have broken at Mound City and the town was gone. Cairo’s confidence in being able to hold out also was reported weakening. It began to appear as though a reported army of 10,000 valiant men were fighting a losing battle.
About two o’clock, word came through that the Mound City levee had broken and 25 WPA workers lives were lost. Both reports were unfounded.
Water did go over the top of the west levee, however, and began flooding the town with about 17 feet of water. The National Guard ordered everyone out.
Mounds also was under approximately 10 to 15 feet of water Wednesday night, and residents there had also been ordered to evacuate their homes. The southern tip of little Egypt had become a great sea of water.
Wednesday the Ohio came racing down Cache River into Karnak and Ullin. At the latter place, 21 miles north of Cairo and six miles south of here, the situation grew more critical hourly today, with Cache the highest in history and rising at the rate of two inches per hour. At noon it was going four inches over the hard road and Don Boyd, of Dongola, employed at the highway department in Carbondale, ordered maintenance men to halt traffic, excepting that which was absolutely necessary. Many farm homes in the district were surrounded by water and all available boats were ordered for service. How high the water would go remained nothing short of a hazardous guess.
Whether or not this vast expanse of lowland would give Cairo sufficient relief was at best doubtful. That levees in Illinois’ southernmost city held and were not overflowed is attributed solely to this fact.
Dongola, as we go to press, stands by, anxiously awaiting the crest of Cairo reported due Sunday; ready for emergency duty, ready and willing to do their part in relieving suffering humanity in the flood-stricken area.
(This paper clipping was saved, but did not have the name of the newspaper attached. This flood also forced Shawneetown to relocate.)
Great Flood of 93’
Mississippi River. Winter runoff in late spring combined with heavy rains in the upper Midwest eventually brought the flooding to Southern Illinois. Four deaths in Illinois were blamed on the flooding, including two in Southern Illinois. Record river crests were repeatedly set in July and August as whole sections of levees crumbled and roads and bridges were destroyed. August of 1993 the Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau, MO crested at 48 feet and broke through a levee at Miller City. Evansville was partly covered in water a good portion of the year. When the levee broke, Kaskaskia Island was completely flooded. All residents had to be evacuated and all structures on the island were either destroyed or heavily damaged. Estimated property damage was nearly $1 billions ad estimated crop loss from the flood was $565 million.
1994 There was spring flooding of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. In April the Len Small levee broke.
1995 Ohio and Mississippi Rivers flooded causing damage. In May of that year the crest of the Mississippi at Cape Girardeau, MO was 45.5 feet.
Flooding has been intermittent in Southern Illinois, which is located between the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers with the confluence (where both rivers join) at Cairo, IL. Levees and other improvements have on the whole vastly improved the odds.
Snows
The big snows and cold waves that hit the area in the winter of 1917-1918 was preserved in memory of all who lived through them. Jacob Jones remembered the day he set out with six other men to clear the Cypress road from a point north of Christian Chapel into town, scooping aside only enough of the snow to make way for a wagon drawn by four mules.
Drifts in some places were 10 feet high; the wind had swept other spots nearly clean, but the going was still hard.
(Dongola Tri-County Record Dec. 5, 1952)
The Great Snow of 1979?
Will Sunday’s snowfall, reported as high as two feet in some places, be referred to as the “great snow of ‘79” as the snow of 1917? Sunday’s snowfall began to fall around 6 a.m. and continued almost 12 hours. The snow was accompanied by high winds, which drifted the snow until an accurate measure of the depth was difficult.
I-57 became snowbound between Benton and Cairo stranding thousands of motorists. Police closed I-57 at Benton but motorists kept coming northbound from Cairo and all of those stranded around the Dongola interchange were on the northbound lane.
Those stranded in the Dongola area were rescued by police, fireman, farmers and other volunteers in four-wheel drive vehicles and brought to the community center, school and private homes.
Some of those stranded preferred to remain in their vehicles. Truckers with sleeper cabs especially seemed to prefer to “stay put.”
Over 300 lunch trays were counted at the school Sunday along with another approximately 100 at the community center, while still other stranded motorists were housed in private homes.
Some people were reported still coming into the school Monday from the south.
Route 51 and all other roads in the area were impassable.
Efforts at digging out the unusual snowfall were hampered by the stalled cars or if vehicles were not stalled they were on the cleared portions with no place to go.
Front Street in Dongola was lined with vehicles sitting on Rt. 51 until about 3 p.m. Monday when it was opened to Anna.
People housed at the school slept in the gym, library, halls and any other place they could find.
They were fed in the school cafeteria and area residents donated food at the community center.
Two of the hundreds stranded in Dongola required emergency medical help. A man and a woman were evacuated by helicopter to Carbondale hospital. Their medical problems were reportedly not connected to the snowstorm.
The helicopter arrived about 10:30 p.m. Sunday to a cleared emergency landing area beside the IC railroad tracks.
Dongola was isolated, yet packed with people Monday as stranded motorists walked to Corzine’s Food Mart, the Merry Mix, or gassed up their vehicle. The Village Café, which had already planned to be closed this week for vacation, was a popular haven for the stranded motorists Sunday until the café ran out of buns and bread at 7 p.m.
Dongola village officials, employees and volunteers have done an outstanding job of digging the village out of the mountain of snow.
Gov. Thompson ordered heavy equipment from Springfield to help open the snowbound interstate.
Interstate 24 in Southern Illinois also was snowbound flooding Vienna with stranded motorists.
(Dongola Tri-County Record, March 1, 1979)
Dongola
Train Derailments
February 10, 1977
26 Freight Cars Derail in Dongola
Dongola Tri-County Record, February 17, 1977
Twenty-six cars of the 121-car southbound Illinois Central Gulf train No. SM 5 derailed about 12:20 a.m. last Thursday in Dongola, about 300 yards south of the railroad crossing.
The derailment was caused by a burnt journal on the 21st car in the train, which was carrying sulphuric acid. Luckily for Dongola, the car containing the sulphuric acid was one of the few of the 226 derailed cars that did not overturn and none of the acid was spilled.
The 25 other derailed freight cars piled up blocking both northbound and southbound tracks. The northbound lane was back in use late Thursday evening and the southbound tracks were cleared late Saturday evening.
Illinois Environmental Protection Agency personnel checked the car containing sulphuric acid following the accident to ensure Dongola residents were not endangered.
Early Thursday morning an inspector of the Illinois Department of Health was checking the foodstuff included in the cargo of some of the derailed cars. He said items he was checking included milk, potatoes, a hopper of flour and salt.
Other derailed cars were loaded with fuel oil, lubricating oil, scrap iron, sulphuric spar, paper, iron ore and carbon black. One of the cars was carrying empty 105- millimeter artillery shell casings. Damage from the derailment was confined to railroad property and none of the five crew members aboard the train was injured.
Vernon Britt of Collinsville was the engineer of the train and William Koernere of Belleville was conductor. The first 20 cars of the train were taken south to Memphis while 71 cars at the rear were backed into Carbondale.
Dongola was a “beehive” of activity as heavy equipment moved in for the cleanup operation and other equipment was brought in to remove cargo aboard some of the derailed cars.
February 22, 1978
33 Cars Derail Early Wednesday in Dongola
Dongola Tri-County Record, February 23, 1978
Thirty-three cars of a southbound ICG freight derailed at 6:45 a.m. Wednesday morning in Dongola.
Freight cars piled up along Smoot Oil Co. storage tanks spilling liquid. Loren Ferguson of Smoot Oil said early Wednesday morning he could not tell if the fuel storage tanks were ruptured or if the leakage was solely from the railroad tank cars.
Cecil “Arkie” Waters said he and employee Warren Henderson were both in the front of his service station and were not injured when the back of the building was demolished. Mrs. Frances Keil said she heard a loud noise, looked out the front of her home and saw the break in the train and the damage to the service station.
Floyd Karraker had just pulled up in his car in front of Karraker Feed and Seed when the crash occurred and a large rock probably weighing 200 pounds landed in front of his car.
Area Evacuated
The area was evacuated by police about 8:30 a.m. It was believed one of the ruptured tank cars contained vinylidene chloride inhibited flammable liquid, firemen said. Dongola Unit School also was closed.
It was determined the vinylidene car was not ruptured and police said persons could return about 10 a.m. and businesses began reopening.
Awful Smell
The cause of the horrible smell in Dongola was a ruptured car of spent caustic refinery waste, said Dave Blaise of the Illinois Department of Public Health.
The refinery waste flowed into upper Dongola creek, Big Creek, Cache River and into the Mississippi River. The waste is very toxic to fish and cattle that might drink the water. The Environmental Protection Agency Wednesday morning was determining action to be taken to neutralize the waste spill. The waste spill got on a carload of Hunts catsup, new cars, lumber, steel, malt, and the Shell storage tanks.
May 2, 1981
Five cars derailed just south of the Dongola city limits.
July 12, 1981
Fourteen box and tank cars of a southbound train derailed at 1:30 p.m. Sunday at Dongola near entrance road to the American Legion Cemetery.
Dongola