The daily citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1889-1890, 1890-03-29
NEWS FROM LOUISVILLE.
REPORTS FROM THE DEATH
DEALING CYCLONE,

OOsuOV with u Properly -
u strOyed-An Eye Witness Bto,
r As bodies Recovered.
= In the latest reports Of the cyclone
Louisville the killed are variously es,
mated at from 100 to 300.
The damage to property will amour
to $2.oOO,0OO.
i The first report sent out from the ci,
was short and gave no particulars.
"Shortly after 9 O'Clock a tornad
swept over this city" it said, "wreckin
two or three hundred houses. and KILN
two hundred people. The wind cam
from the southwest. The union depo
1t the foot Of Seventh street, was LITE
ron, its foundation and turned over int
he raging torrent of the Ohio River.
rain ofcars making up for the Loui:
vile Southern road went over with tn
building. Falls City hall, on West Ma,
iet street, was wrecked.
I'm the hall were over hundred peo
pie, and but few of them escaped alive.
MANY buildings after falling. caugh
ire and the inmates were burned. AL
the streets are blockaded with debris o
ALLEN buildings or telegraph and electri,
vires."
Even yet it is almost impossible to ge,
Jews direct and nearly all the news !.
wired from adjoining cities.
A special from Washington states tha,
he loss of life will not fall below 800
vi tclegraphic communication with the
'ity was shut of3 shortly after 9 O'Clock
md was not resumed for hours and all
'fthe first dispatches were carried out
If the city and sent by railroad wire.
An eye witness of the storm tells the
ollowing:
II only saw the course oft from Four.
zenith and Walnut to Eleventh and Mar.
tet streets. From thisl point it fol.
owed its course to Seventh and River.
where It left the city, and, striking across
he river, reached Jeficrsonville at the
oot Of Spring street. Little damage was
lone in Jacksonville.
However, in Louisville the devastation
is terrific, and the loss Of life will certainly
each in the hundreds. If not thousands.
In one building, at Twelfth and Market.
wo lodges and a dancing school were in
session, there being in the building per-
laps one hundred people, not one OF
whom is thought escaped. stood and
watched them working in the ruins. and
saw six or eight bodies taken out in IF.
zen minutes.
There is scarcely anything left that
would indicate this heap Of rubbish had
:ver been building, and il anybody es.
:aped. it was by not hing less than mir.
,clc."
Another report from Louisville says:
Outside Of clearly defined limits. the
'itizcns knew only Of heavy rain, accom-
panied by high wind. Soon came IN
'larm of fire from the different stations.
md the presence Of a calamity began e.
lawn on the people. Houses, halls oi
railroad stations. all went
lown before the mighty powers of the
,ir. The storm soon passed on. clouds
scattered and the moon cast its light
'ver sorely stricken CITY. Relief parties
we're soon organize I. and the whole force
# the FIRE department was at work.
1T is impossible that so wide sweep
# territory covered with ruined homes.
With wrecks Of halls and buildings OF
very character. does not contain many |
lead. Enough Is known to show that |
has been visited by most up |
'all,ng calamity. The wrecked portion
# the city lies between Eighteenth.
Seventh and Main streets.
The destroying elements passed diagon.
lily across the section. which isprobably
mile square. At least 200 houses are
n ruins. II 10 feared that at least 200 |
ives are lost.
Probably the greatest loss Of life oc.
urred at Falls City hall which WAS in
he center Of the tornado. In the lower
ooms of the hall were fifty or seventy
We children with their mothers and rela.
ives, taking dancing lessons.
"Thcre were at least 1926 persons on
he lower floors and sevcnty.fvc more
ttending large meeting on the upper
oor, when the terrible wind swept down
pon the building. The entire structure.
n less than five minutes, was a shapelcss
mass Of brick and mortar, burying 200
clplcss victims, OF which number few es.
nped uninjured.
conservative estimates give the loss
4 life at this place at 100. while reports
Indicate number near 200.
AT 3 n. M. thirty-five bodies had been
aiken from this ruin and fifteen wounded
nd dying. Only those on the third floor
ad been reached. The room containing
he dancing school and visitors had not |
ct been opened.
"Thirty.fvc. mostly women and chill
rem, have been taken from the ruins of
he hall. 1t is impossible to get names.
"Hcnry Mason, a member Of the lcgis-
'ture from Hancock county, was in vir-
il Wright's cigar store lighting cigar
hen the building fell. killing him.
Already forty-three bodies have been
,ken from the ruins of houses"
The city asks no aid from outside and
special meeting Of the board Of trade
'as called and committees appointed to
is,t the wrecked district and ascertain
,c damage done and the relief needed.