Ellsworth American., 1874-11-26
General News.
The Tornado at Tuscumbia,
n FriOhffui Loss Of Life aud
Property.


NEW York. "a.
The following is a detailed account of
the tornado at Tuscumbia, Ala
Shortly after Sunday eve. n wind storm
OF unprecedented violence struck Tuscum-
bia, aud In Two minutes destroyed upward
OF one hundred buildings. killing eleven
persons outright, and wounding thirty 9TH
ers. All day the weather was exceedingly
warm. and toward eve q son. warm wiud
began TO blow from the southwest. aud a
thick bank Of dark clouds were seen to
form In that direction At sundown rain
began TO fall. and shortly ailer dark a
sound like rushing thunder was heard In
the streets, and before the inhabitants
were fully aware of the danger that threat
ened them, the storm had passed over.
Those whose houses were uniniured i'm
mediafely rushed iuto the streets They
found men, wemen aud children ilying In
all objections. their cries of alarm ming led
with the moaning OF DYING animals.
Houses were blown down In many places
and the streets aud roads everyw here filed
with crumbiing walls and shattered tim
bers. A few citizens hastily formed an
organized body and set about ascertainng
the nature of the damage done.
They were met by a little girl named
Lille Elliott. who told them that her aunt's
house was blown down. and she feared ev-
cry one In 1t was Killed. Everything was
still and the men were turning away. when
they heard the voice OF n child cryiug. The
cry came from the midst OF the fallen
building. aud the party set to work rehoy-
ing bricks aud timbers. Aner fifteen min
utes' hard work. they We're rewarded bv
finding two little girls, i've and eight years
old. One of them was uuhurt and easily
nt mt fh..f HAD
wedsed in between two beans. but with
courage which WAS marvellous. she called
out: Get my mother out get ms moth
er out. never mind me." At last the beams
were cut away and the little one released.
Digging farther into the rubbish. terri
bic sight met the eyes of the work men. On
broken bed lay the body of dead wom-
an. two massive cross timbcrs resting on
her neck. Under her were two little child
rem locked In each others arms. both dead
and crushed out OF all shape. The LADY
was the wife OF State Senator Moore. re-
Gently elected. Both of the Youngest child.
rem were undressed when found. and the
little girls rescued said. that their mother
was jdsi putting them 10 bed when the
house was blown down. Little .llie T. IL
OF, who gave the alarm says she felt the
house falling about her. but she WAS nn-
harmed.
When the first shock Of the tornado had
passed. John ilodgkins. a young man well
KIN npwn In the town, craalrd Into the hall
of the Tuscunbia hotel. and stated that he
had been thrown out of the second story
window of his house by the force OF the
storm; that the house was entirely blown
down and his brothers fitnjlv hufi-d be-.
meath the ruins. A party at once formed
and headed by James Hal>ey. traveller
for New York house, prucc-ded Ia the
residence OF Mr.. fioiskins. They found
the building ieyelled Ia the ground
Through an openin. which had been
formed by the timbcrs, lIalscy crawled
under the house aud discovered Mr.. Hods-
kins aud his wife on bed. apparently
dead. The side of the fallen roof was cut
through. aud Ia twenty minutes the bodies
were reached.
Under them were three children. They
were all dead. The mother held her Young
est child IN her arms, aud the fa;t cr iay A.
II he had died la an effort to protect the
other cniidren. THE bodies were fully
dressed, and not at all mangicd. They had
evidently died Of sunocs'ion. Shortly "A ter
this a party proceeded 10 tho house oC Ms
j. w. Winston. The house was on. of
the finest ia he place. having cos, SO. 600
before the war. II was entirely destroyed
and Mrs. Winston was Killed. Her son-in
.lsg, aud family in q lower story c-cap Il
unhurt. Mr,. Winston was the mother oi
ex Gov, Winston ard mother-in-law ofrx-
Gov. Lindsey.
Later ia the evening IL was discovered
that Miss Bette Sherrod. a youn. lady liy-
IN; a mile out OF town had been killed by
the falling of a cottage In which she lived
Many other persons were seyeriy wounded
Two are not expected TO recover. Martin
Patterson. an old resident. caught two
chlidr-n IN hts arms. ami calling 10 his " lie
rushed to the door. lie conveyed one child
aud his wife 10 the street In saieIy. and was
passing out with the other child, when he
wa, caught by the falling timters With
great presence of mind he threw the child
into the street where h was taken up by
the mother. unharincd Patterson Wa, 50
firmly ~cd.ed in that IL was some time be-
fore he could be free. Has life l. dxspair.d
OF
At old man. Brock Martin. was iD the
act OF carrying one Of his children from hi-
honse after the storm, when the stairway
suddenly fell IN. lie succeeded 10 reaching
the street, bu, his coniition Is critical. Iii,
child Wa. ulharmed. ii was next dl.-
covered that the iron railroad bridge over.
Spring Greek, half mile from town, had
been destroyed. Al the same time ii WAS
remembered that the train from Ne mphi,
could De- expected n any moment. rhe
utmost confusion prevailed. NO one appear
Ing Ia know what 10 do. Al length a Young
man named Normblc seized huge stick
OF wood, and after thru,Iiny it into fire
ran down with 1t - the broken bridge. lie
had almost reached the creek when his
torch was extinsuishcd by the rain which
Wa, falling In torrents. AT the same tine
the whistle Of the approaching train was
heard and the next moment the head iyht
noshed through the darkness. Tnc youu,
man called with all his might. but the eu-
.ineer heard nothing but the sound Of the
storm, aud before any warning could
reach him the engine. baggage car, and
one Of the passenger coaches went over
the embanknenr, iiity feet down into the
creek. The rear cars did not 90 OH il beins
blocked by the wreck ofthe formo,t ones =.