Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1886-05-15
TERRIBLE DISASTER.
A Terrific Storm Whose Forbid
ding Power Caused All Spec
tators to Hunt for Safety.
School Building Full Of Children Wrecked
Burylng the Little Ones-A Factory
succumbs, Entombing Twenty
five Persons, Mostly GirIs-At
Least Twenty -four Per-
sons Killed and Thir-
ty Wounded.

this morning ominous storm clouds began
gathering over the city. They first ap-
peared In the Northeast, and, surging West
wardly across the city, turned suddenly
about. and decending rapidly broke upon
the city in terrific bursts Of wind and rain
that swept all. lighter objects before them.
The darkness was almost like night and
people fed to the nearest shelter and
awaited with banched faces the fury of
the tempest Clouds seemed to grazs roofs
OF the highest buildings, and for a time
poured out their torrents in apparently
solid masses. The storm struck the city
In full force about twenty minutes past H.,
and ragged for half an hour The streets were
running rivers of water carrying boxes and
signs and other similar freight, blown from
the buildings or swept up by the Hood. A
number of vehicles were overturned and in
numerous instances drivers abandoned their
horses to their fate, and sought refuge in
stores and houses. Some hail accompanied
the storm, but the fall was not great, otherwise
the loss to property would have been enor-
nous nous, from water streaming In at broken
quite a large number of buildings were
blown in and goods and furniture were
water soaked. All this however, proved
entirely insignificant when the full extent Of
the disaster wrought by the storm became
pied prominent site at the corner.of Eighth
and May streets. II consisted of main
building, to which an art wing had been added.
The building was surmounted by Il tower,
which for some time has been considered un-
safe. 1t has been twice condemned, but no
action had been taken in the matter. This
morning the building was crowded with
children, many of whom were nearly frantic
over the appalling darkness and the stiffness
which preceded the tempest. The wind swept
west, and seemed to concentrate its force in
descent upon the tower, which yielded with II
crash and. carrying down the heavy bell,
plunged through the Intervening floors to the
basement. The main building is mass of
ruins, withn.shattered walls which still stand.
The wing was comparatively Lninjured and
the scholars in there unhurt. In the main
building, however the effect was awful,
The falling floors precipitated the terrified
children to the basement where masses of
bricks and beams crushed them to the ground
and buried them from view. Persons near,
hearing the crash, made their way Ms best
they could against the beating storm to the
scene. The gale quickly subsided, and the
work OF rescuing was undertaken by eager
hands.
The fire department and police soon arrived
and an organized search was commenced.
The dead and wounded were taken out as
quickly as possible and carried to the Nata,
forum adjoining which was turned into n
hospital. Among the first taken out several
were dead and one or two nangled almost
beyond recognition their clothing torn and
their bodies covered with dust aud mortar.
One little girl, half buried in the debris, over
whom rescuers were busy, begged them to
leave her and help a boy beside her, because,
she said, he was only five years old. The
scenes in the NatatOrium were pitiful beyond
express sion. dozen dead were taken out
during the day and the bodies sent TO houses
children belonged 10 PROMINENT rahInf, . hd
the city.
At ITO West Third street stood three-story
brick building in the middle of the block, the
tn rd moor OF which was used as IN overall
factory, conducted by Hoar Brothers. The
first and second q ors were occupied by the
Graham Paper Company. In the factory were
about twenty-five employees chiefly girls.
They, when the storm broke out, started for
the cellar. The building fell with crash,
being razed entirely to the earth, and most
of the frightened girls were caught in the
ruins. Four have been taken out dead.
number Of Others are wounded and some are
still missing force of lahorers is bus to-
night upturning confused masses of bricks
and timbers.
The county courthouse stands at Second
and Main streets on the hill, exposed to wind
from the north and west The building was
erected nearly twenty years ago for hote
purposes, but when completed was purchased
by the county for $200,OVO and converted into
a court house. The building has Away
been considered rather unsatisfactory, ano
the roof has frequently suffered injury from
hiph winds. The storm struck the northeast
| corner to-day, blowing in the roof and the
major portion of the walls of the third
| and fourth stories. The south wall, at the
east end, was blown into the street and Dep
uty Sheriff Dougherty was caught and killed
All others succeeded in getting out of the
building alive. The jail is located in the
basement OF the building, ana that poruot
escaped injury The prisoners were in
| tensely alarmed, but became quiet when the
crisis had passed and they found themselves
| unhurt. Judge Slower had been holding
| court on the third floor, and had adjourned
inst hefore the storm descended portion