The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1890-04-04
AWFUL CALAMITY.
A Cyclone Sweeps Over Louis
vile Carrying Death and
Destruction in its Path.
Great Buildings Tumbled Like
Toy Houses Before the
Winds Awful Force.

LoulsvILLE, Special.-A calamity I'M.
preccdented In the history of Louisville oc-
Cured last night. At S:25 o'clock cyclone
Of unusual violence crossed the city from
southwest to northeast, leaving death and
destruction in its path. The list of killed
and wounded amounts into hundreds.
The loss OF property amounts into millions.
All the evening the storm, had been gather
ing, and the lightning and thunder were
ominous. About o'clockit began to rain
and the storm gradually increased in inten-
sity. The rain changed to hail, and people
kept within doors. The signal service in the
afternoon predicted cyclone, but no one
thought it would strike Louisville. At s:o5
the disaster came up. The heavens were
black as ink. There was Deep threaten
ing roar as the cyclone struck the southern
portion of the city, then tho buildings
crushed like egg shells, and brpad swath
of destruction was the result. Yle path of
the tornado was from Seventeenth and
Maple northeastcrly across the city past
Seventh and broadway, Sixt&M,h and
Chestnut Twelfth and JeffcN2n and
thence to the union depot Ut the
foot Of Seventh street. The wolyt ruin
was wrought among the large and
substantial structures on Market ano Main
streets, and It seems as if the demon of the
storm did its worst just when about to leave
US. The whole thing was over in minute
and half. People living outside the track
ofthe storm were unaware that anything
unusual had happened, and where the cy-
clone had swept there was utter destruction,
ruin and death. Great buildings tumbicd
like toy houses. Churches, factories and
warehouses went down like cardboard.
People fed in terror from death
in their ruined homes. There were
agonizing screams for help. Surgeons were
hastily summoned. Half dozen fires
broke out in as many different parts of the
city. Meantime the cyclone departed as
quickly as it came. The gray daylight of
the morning revealed scene Of dcsolation
that is sickening to behold. Main street,
from Seventh to Twelfth, is q ruin. So Is
Market street for the corresponding dis
tance. Jefferson, from Tenth to Thirteenth;
Walnut, from Thirteenth to Fifteenth
Chestnut, from Thirteenth to Seventeenth,
and Broadway, in the neighborhood of
Eighteenth aud Nineteenth. are filled with
debris and destruction. 1t is impossible to
give an accurate list of killed and wounded.
1t will take days to do that.
SCENES AT NiGHTFALL.
LOUISVILLE, Special. - As night closes
in Its fold the devastated city of Louisville,
hundreds of widows and orphans are bowed
down with weight of deepest grief. Wreck
and ruin have settled down in its very
midst, and spectres of the dead. whose
funeral pyres are heaps OF bricks and
mortar, seem to rise up and cIslroud in
the awful halo of their presence the entire
city. The hands of brave rcsclers continue
their work, and as night comes Oh they
seem to work more silently, though no less
arduously, and take on the gruesome ap-
pearance OF ghouls. As each remnant Of
the piles of wreckagc is lifted it is
with the anticipation of nncovcring to
view the lifelcss form or the dcatl-sct fea-
tures of human victim of that awful
storm. Perhaps the wriggling member ofa
buried man may start the scarclers and
cause them to draw back aghast for mo-
ment; but with braccd nerves that have
whole night and day, they continue their
labor and tenderly lit the unfortunate and
carry him to an ambulance. only to sec
him expire in the arms of wife. q mother
or friend. In the presence of
such scenes. even whisper sounds so
loud that the uttcrer hcsitatcs. halCcxpect.
ing to sec the dead aroused from their etcr-
nal sleep. But there is no time to consider
the dead, for the living may yet be buried
beneath the mountains of debris, and with
q sad look at the departing dead wagon
they turn and dcve again with renewed
energy into the great mass in search
crushed and mangled humanity. AS night
grows darker the work
BECOMES MORE AWFUL.
Even the advantage of light and its fear
dlspelling qualities are denied them, for all