Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-07-27
AWFUL VISITATION.
A MASSACHUSETTS TOWN WRECKED
BYA CYCLONE.
Lost--ThirtJ-Fivc Persons In
iured-The Details.
rBy telegraph to the Dispatch,


hood of Springfield street. The telegraph
and telephone wires arc demolished. Par
ticulars will be sent as soon AS possible.
CYCLONE or GREAT POWER.
LAWRENCE, Mass, July pa cyclone Of
great power struck South Lawrence. about
two miles from here, about 10 O'Clock this
morning. The storm first struck Spring
field and travelled thence to Salem street,
devastating q section twenty rods wide.
IL is estimated that one hundred buildings
were levellcd by the storm. One man ia
known TO have been killed outright by the
falling of building, and the injured are
now reported to number fifty or sixty.
Fire has broken out in number of places
In the ruins. and the entire fire department
Is ut work extinGuishing the flames. The
injured are being removed and cared for os
quickly as possible.
sEvENTY-FIvE HOUSES SHATTERED.
MAIDEN, Mass, July 26.-The first train
from Lawrence since the reported disaster
arrived here at noon. Conductor Scales
says that the tornado struck South Law
renee about five hundred rods from the
South Lawrence depot of the Boston and
Maine railroad. and that its path of de-
struction extends to the overhead bridge
on the Boston and Maine tracks between
South Lawrence and North Andover. In
South Lawrence seventy-fve houses were
shattered. the roof of the new Catholic
church was carried away, and the switch
box Of the Boston and Maine road was
blown five hundred feet, carrying with it
railroed emplove, whose name is not
known, and killing him instantly. On the
east side of the track towards North
Andover q grove of large trees, ten or
fifteen acres in extent, was blown fiat by
the wind. and fifteen houses are reported
wrecked in North Andover. The loss OF
life. from the present source of informa-
ton, IL placed at from fifteen TO twenty
FIVE, and the number injured. it is said,
must reach 100 or $50. The railroad pro-
perty has not been damaged, and com
municstion by train is unbroken, while the
wires are more or less blown down.
TROOPS TO GUARD AND WORK
Battery C, Of Lawrence, which has lust
returned from camp, arrived here at noon
on a special train en- route to Lawrence,
where the men will be detailed at once TO
guard. work. and assist in the removal of
the doris, and 10 search for the dead and
injured. Associated-Press reporters from
the neighboring cities have gone there.
Springfield street, where the cyclone
struck. contained many of tho handsomest
residences Of the town. The work of the
tornado on this street was clean-cut, and
between Blanchard and south Union
streets were left standing. All the Others
on both sides of the street were either
moved completely down or partially de
molished and twenty people were injured
on this street alone The windows of st.
Patricks church were blown in. Trees.
cbmneys, stills, fences, and roofs were
torn away outside Of the path of the storm.
while in its direct route everything was
laid fiat.
SIX LIVES LOST.
Bosroy. July 26-I2:5O p. M-The first
news of the cyclone direct from Lawrence
has lust been received by telephone. The
message confirms the extent of the disaster
as at first reported.
The destruction was confined wholly TO
South Lawrence. Ninety wooden dwell
ings were destroyed. six lives were lost.
thirty-fve persons were injured, $4,000
worth of property was destroyed, and 500
people were rendered homeless.
One wire is working between Lawrence
and this city and detailed account OF the
disaster Is expected soon. The passengers
on the Boston and Maine train due in Bos-
ton at 1:40 got good view of the wrecked
town as they passed through.
THE WRECKED TOWN.
Mr.. Ouimby, passenger, thus describes
the scene of devastation: The rain had
ceased and the wind gone down. The first
thing noticed was a building blown TO the
ground and then trees were twisted and
uprooted. This was on the left-hand side
of the track coming towards Boston. lin
Der. farm-wagons, and objects of all sorts
were scattered about in great confusion.
We were Mortified to see mans dead body
living under the bridge at the South Law
renee depot Everybody was running
about in confusion. not having chance
to tell the extent of the damage. The path
Of the cyclone swept Mt right angles across
the track, cutting q clean swath, leyellinG
houses and cutting off or uprooting trees.
The whole thing took place between the
time we left Haverhill and the time we
reached South Lawrence. The train
stopped but few minutes and IT was i'm
possible to find out anything definite.
THE HOSPITAL FILLED WITH THE INJURED.
A special from Lawrence says the cyclone
struck the city from the west. 1t cut q
swath over mile in length and five hun
dred feet in width. The hospital is filed
with the injured, while the homes spared
from the wreck are sheltering the home
less ones. The devastated section ls
bounded by south Broadway and Temple
street and Market and Salem streets. At
$3.50 the awful visitation came. The wind
was east and rain was falling heavily when
suddenly tho heavens glowed with bright
white light. In moment the wind veered
to the west ana heavy black clouds shot
from behind the western hills high into the
sky, and then the thick mass parted.
Down shot black streaks from the murky
mass. and in moment the crash came.
ACCOUNT BY TELEPHONE.
New YORK. July 26.--The following
comes direct from Lawrence by telephone:
A terrible cyclone struck Lawrence short
ly after 9 A. NJ. causing great damage and
loss of life. A heavy rain was falling and
suddenly black cloud descended upon
South Lawrence, tearing trees up by the
roots. overturning houses, and causing
frightful havoc. Over one hundred houses
on Springfield. Salem, and Portland
streets we're wrecked. Six persons were
killed outright and fifty injured.
The cyclone took northeasterly course.
After the storm the eight was terrible
! one. Looking up. Springfield street couid
be seen the wrecks of many houses. and
| from them came cries for help. The houses
were all of wood and the wreck was all the
worse therefor. As soon as the TERMED
survivors recovered from the shock an
alarm was rung in and part of the fire
apparatus and police ambulances respond
ed. Hundreds began the work or rescue
and ore still at it.
THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
From the ruins of their houses we're
| taken out the following dead: Mrs. O'Con-
nell, No. 10 Springfield street, crushed /;
Mamie O'Connell, neck broken; MARY, Ly-
ons. aged forty. crushed; Mrs. Collins,
Portland street, crushed. and her child:
| four wears old also crushed. A child OF
Julia Beatty. which is buried in the ruins,
has not been found. Of the injured some,
| especially those Of the family of Martin
Mclaughlin. are seriously if not fatally
hurt. The damage to the property is over
100000.
-,,r ,a,-rnOrArC MnDmht