Morning journal and courier., 1884-08-30
News by Telegraph FROM ALL QUARTERS. A FURIOUS TORNADO Does Deadly Work In
 the West. A RIVER STEAMER SUM. Sixteen of Those On
 Board Lost. C0URBET'S WORK IN CHINA. The Min Stripped Of Its
 FOrtifcatIOns,
THE FURY OF A ToRNADo.

One Hundred Houses UnrOofed, a
 Steamer Sunk and Sixteen Lives
 Lost and Half Million Dollars
 Worth of Property Destroyed.
 EVANSVILLE, Ind, Aug 29.-At 9:30 this morning tornado passed over this city, last ing fully hour and doing damage esti- mated at $5OO,OO0. Upward of one hundred houses were unroofed! Half of John H. Hackers large blow works was totally wrecked. The Evansville cotton mill was damaged $15,O0O Three large stores on Main street, Straubs hardware Hudspeth's dry goods and Christ's dry goods stores, were destroyed. At the river boat blew to the Kimberly side, losing her smokestack and all more or less damaged. The steamer Bel mont sunk three miles this side of Henderson and at least twenty lives were lost. It is i'm possible to even give fair estimate of the total loss of life and property as the tele- graph wires are down.
 When the storm ceased view of the dam age done presented a terrible sight. The city had been raked from one end to the oth- CT and not manufactory in it entirely es- caped injury. The most seriously damaged are the Evansville cotton mills, loss $15, ,000; Woollen mills, $7,O0O; Rocker blow works, $1O,00O; Armstrong Furniture company, $4,OOO. A large school building in course of construction, and which needed but the roof for completion, collapsed. On every street cellars are flooded, trees and fences level1ed and telegraphic and telephonic communica- ton almost entirely suspended. Hundreds of small dwellings and stables are razed to the ground and families left without shelter. These will be cared for by the authorities. The scene on the river was awe inspiring. The waves 1ashed themselves into unspeaka- ble fury and dashed twenty and thirty feet high. Small steamers and tugs were broken from their moorings and grounded or blown up the river to the sand bars where they wernt hard aground. The Louisville and Nashville transfer barge with six cars was blown from the railway dock and went hard aground on a bar two miles from where it started. The steamers Josh V Throop and Silverthorn were caught by the wind, their chimneys blown overheard and the boats otherwise badly riddled. The James Blackwell was blown out in the river and swamped.
 But the most horrible and saddest of all is the sin king of the transfer steamer Belmont and sixteen passengers who were on board. The Belmont left here at 7:30 this morning with south bound train on a barge. About eighteen miles below here the storm came up and part of the passengers terror stricken fled from the cars to the steamer for safety. The barge was broken away from the steamer and driven on shore hard aground, while the cyclone seized the steamer and capsized it, the boat going down bottom upwards. The pilot, cook and engi- neer jumped on the barge as the steamer cabin and unable to escape The only officer of the boat lost was John H. Smith, the captain. The lost are as follows: Mrs. M. s. Lyon and two daughters; Mrs. Lottie Lyon and Miss Laura Lyon; MT. E. c. Roach and son, of this city; Mrs. Woodville, of Henderson; Mrs. Annie Mur- ray and child, of Brookville; Captain Smith; Miss Alice Bell; two colored women and an old gentleman and wife, names un- known. Three bodies have so far been recovered. They are Mrs. Murray and child and Mrs. Woodville. Those who re- mained on the cars on the barge were con- pelled to sit with idle hands and watch the death of their companions. After the storm abated the Houston Coombs came up and lowed the barge to Henderson. In conversa- tion with one of the survivors tonight he said: "1t was such scene as l shall never forget. We were trying to get in to the bank The women were huddled in the cabin, some sleeping, others sitting quietly fearing the worst, yet prepared for the inevitable. Suddenly without warning the boat careened on her side, the guy ropes to the barge snapping. jumped for the barge and just reached it when I heard gurgle, and looking around saw that the boat had gone down head first, and there was nothing visible but the bottom
 The boat lies in fO1Irtaan feet of water and will be total loss. She was built in 1881 in Pittsburg costing S22, ,O00 and was insured for $15, ,000. She has been running as trans fer year and half and has weathered sev- l eral gales. Boats are now at the wreck and the bridge diver is at work getting out the bodies. A list of the survivors is not ob- tainable, no register was kept and many went on to Nashville.
 The roundhouse at the Louisville and Nash vile depot is a total wreck. The roof was blown off and the walls crushed in, covering l four locomotives with brick, mortar and other ! debris. Several persons were more or les in 1 jured by falling timbers. negro laborer at Hartletts railroad camp was struck by falling timbers and instantly killed. It was the most l destructive storm that ever visited this sec- | tion The loss in this city and suburbs will | be between $500, ,000 and $500, ,000. Workmen ! are already at work rebuilding many of the l damaged places. News has been received ! that Carmi, H., is in ruins, but the report i cannot be authenticated as all communica- 1 tion with that place is suspended.
 | Raising the Bodies of the Victims.
 LOUISVILLE, Ky, Aug. 29.-The following telegram was received by the general man ager of the Louisville and Nashville railroad | to- day: ac
 Henderson, Ky, 1:05 p. m. We have transferred the passengers from the barge by \ the steamer Coombs. The barge is aground three miles above Henderson. We have made up train here and have everything except express and mail agent. Could not transfer them. Will get them down as soon as we car get power to get the barge from off the ground The Belmont upset in the middle ! of the river and it is estimated that from twen | ty to twenty-five persons were drowned. All | who were on the barge and on the train are safe. Iron Cliff is at the scene of the disaster | They are now raising the bodies. It was the \ most terrible storm ever known here. Great
 damage has been done property throughout \ this section The train crew was saved"
 A schooner Lost at Sea.
 ANNAPOLIS, Md, Aug. 29.-George Smitl