The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-21
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE i
PERSONS INJURi
The Damage Done in the Sh
Of Three Minutes.
The Sun Shines Brightly ON the WIZ
Happy Homes and Business PIac
OF a Thriving Little city.

Inc cyclone that visited this city veq'
terday afternoon at O'Clock destroyee
nearly 800 residences and places of busi,
ness and unhoused 200 to BOG, neonla
In the fall of the walls many persons
We're buried under the debris, and thi,ev-
flve were killed, while twice as MANY
more We're injured, eight or ten so SER
iousiy that Their recovery is despaired of.
PRECEDING THE CYCLONE.
| Preceding the destructive wind was a
heavy fall of rain for half an hour, which
drove all the inhabitants to sbalter
This was followed by slight hail storm,
accompanied with lightning and then a
iurlous blow, which. formed into the
tunnel shaped cyclone which struck the
southwestern portion of this city. nm
foohng everything in its path.
THE FORCE OF THE STORM.
Ittook a diagonal course tbrouob tbo
| business portion of the city, unroofinp
and dismantling the Supreme Court
building near the Louisville and Nash
vile depot, and skipping along to the
Methodist and Baptist churches. cayino
them into worthless masses. At one
point the destructive element ;pn,nad
upward and missed several stores and
residences, but soon pounced down again
ana began its career of unparaIled de-
structon, tearing down heavy brick
buildings, wrecking and twisting frame
structureseut Of semblance, and making
useless mass of debris. The court
mousse that occupied the public square
IN the centre of the city, was literally
torn to pieces, the walls being twisted
and crushed. The tower was lifted and
dropped to the westward demoIishipr
the handsome pillars that supported the
entrance
ITS NORTHERN BOUNDARY.
IhiS was the extreme point to the |
north that the storm reached. althouob |
tiie business block in which the Mount |
vernon National Bank and other busi-
ness houses are situated was somewhat
dismantled by flying bricks and timbers
AT ITS HEIGHT.
Fifty yards south of the court bo,,s.,
the storm seemed to be at its height. On
the corner OF Washington street and the
po6llc square was the Crews blocl, n
three-story brick building of eighty feet
front, occupied by Rand's Bank a
grocery and saloon. This building was
thoroughly demolished, and then taking
hre all the infammable material was
consumed. Across the street ON Wash
iDgton street was a row of two-storv
frame buildings, with an occasional one
Oh orlck. The brick buildings were caved
IN and thu frame building were crushed
out OF shape against each other. Near
the corner to the south were a LOT of
sroggerIes and frame structures which
served as warehouses and DWELLINGS,
The storm played havoc here, and then
turned the place over to the blaze. which
consumed the last plank.
DONE IN THREE MINUTES.
he storm was over in three minutes
md the people rushed out of their safe
etFeats and unharmed homes to give as
istance to the needy.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
lie IRE company, aided by citizens. /
'egi the work of rescue, which was :
arrIed on Systematically The MAYOR :
iiled his place admiralty and in short :
rider had called for assistance from !
eighboring towns. Fire engines and i
'hysicians were wanted and CentraIla @
Ashley, Nashville and Evansville re- +
ponded generously and quickly. The
itizens threw open their houses to the
omeiess and their bedrooms became y
ospitals, while the worthy matrous c
arned expert nurses. What was left of +,
ne Supreme Court building was turned (
lto morgue :,
THE SUN SHINES BRIGHTLY +,
The strange thing was that three min b
tes after the cyclone the sun was shin f
iS brightly ON the scene of desoEation. I,
THE CYCLONE IN KENTUCKY.
LOUISVILLE, KY, February 2O.-A
'eeial to the Erentag Times says yes :,
.rday's cyclone struck New Haven, ).
y, where it blew down barns. de- :
royed stock, and also the Green River :
Tnpike bridge. the original cost of ?
hich was over S77 600 o'