Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-04-04

existence in the twinkling of an eye. 1t
seems that on Thursday afternoon the
Government Signal Office at Louisville had
given warning Of an approaching tornado.
AS night set in there was lowering Of the
sky which portended q heavy storm and the
good effect of which was to keep the people
out of the streets and thereby lessen the
mortality. Shortly after 8 O'Clock the
barometer in the Signal Service Office
sunk suddenly to the lowest point ever
reached there, and in moment more the
tornado struck the city. In ten minute it
was over and gone leaving track Of ruin
behind it.
THE AREA OF DAMAGE.
1t first struck near the corner of Eight
zenith and Maple streets in the Southern
district of the city known as ''CallfOrnla.
The swath cut by the wind through the city
was about quarter Of a mile wide and
two miles long. 1t swept diagOnally across
the territory bounded by Eighteenth street
Broadway, Seventh and Main streets. When
it is remembered that this includes about
one third of the business part of the city, as
well as a large number of residences, it is
surprising that the loss of life and property
was so small. Outside of the tornado's
track the people knew Of nothing but a
heavy rain, accompanied by a high wind
until alarms of fire from a dozen different
stations caused general inquiry, and the
terrible news soon spread. About two hun,
bred buildings were wrecked. Along Main
street the storm extended from Sixth tG
Eleventh street, and from Seventh tC
Eleventh not a single building was left
standing. The great tobacco warehouses
in which nearly the whole of the product
of the State is handled, are in ruins. The
warehouses include the Kentucky, Pick
EFT S, Ninth street, Falls City, Phoenix
Green River, Louisville, Enterprise, Cen
trail, and the Planters. Thousands OF
hogsheads of tobacco lie in the mass of
brick and other materials.
THE FLUE OF THE STORM.
Eleventh street seemed to serve as a kind
of fiue for the storm, as all intervening Oh
jects in that line are practically reduced to
nothingness. AS it rushed down this street
it carried with it fronts of buildings, which
we've mostly residences on each side, leaving
in many instances furniture and other con-
tents unmolested. Frequently from the
centre of some three-sided dwelling an I'M
broken chandelier is still swinging. Jeffer-
son and Market streets are in almost as bad
condition as Main, and hundreds OF wagons
are busy carting away soi'ed and broken
furniture fIOm what were homes Thursday,
but are no longei. Massive trees III the
park on Jefferson street havesbeen twisted
and broken Like reeds and lie crossed and
piled up on each otbe:. Everywhere in the
track Of the storm is wreck and 1uln. In
mense telegraph poles were cut away and
I, 10 thaU
corn-Stalks: street cars were tossed from
the tracks; signs were caught away from
their fastenings and sent WhirllDg through
the air like cannon balls; boats were blown
from their mooringS and taken scudding
over the swollen river like frightened gullS.
THE DEATH CENTRE.
The Falls City Hail on West Market
street was an immense brick building, fouc
stories in height with a front of 65 feet and
a depth of 100 feet. 1t was used as lodge
rooms for the Nasons, Knights Of Honor
and other orders in the upper stories, and
on the lower floor were the dancing parlols
in which Miss Annie App taught large
classes of children. On Thursday night
some seyenty-five children were there with
many of their parents and klnsmen. On
the uppe! floors were in session Jewel lodge
of knichts and Ladies Of Honor, about
seventy-tive in number. Humboldt Lodge
No. 146 I. o. 0. F., and a lodge of Roman
Knights were also holding a meeting on the
upper floors. A German baod was rehears-
ing on the second floor, and a party of
decorators were at work in a large ball On
that floor preparing ior some entertain
ment.
THE FALL OF THE KNIGHTS OF HONOR
LODGE.
Mrs. Mary Holsher vino was in the room
where the Knights and Ladies of Honor
met, gives this description Of the catas-
trophe:
81 went to attend the lodge meeting, and
when all were present the calamity came.
There must have been about seyenty-fye
people in the room at the time the tornado
struck it. None Of them were able to get
out before the building fell in. The first
intimation we had of what was coming was
the flashing OF lightning and the beating of
hail against the windows. The wind hoWled
AM 1 heard a fearful roaring noise. The
people became frightened and huiTiedly
gathered their wraps to get out Of the
building. All were fearful of impending
danger Just at this moment | saw round
hole blown through the wall Immediately
above one of the windows. The gas went
out, and then [ saw another large round
hole appear in the roof. Through this |
saw the lightning playing with awful
grandeur. This natural light was all that
relieved the gloom and darkness. l heard
MI. Funk, who was one Of the Trustees of
the Lodge, call out to all the people to go
out quietly and not in body. He cried out
not to rush as some one would be killed if
they did. Then l knew no more until l
partly imbedded in brick and timber. |
felt blood running down my neck, and
lecame aware that had been struck on the
head by brick OF timber. I extricated
myself, and, by the flashes of lightning,
made my way over the terrible mass OF
debris and dead bodies toward the front.
| saw man making his way down the pile
of bricks to the street, and | followed.
When I reached the sidewalk [ was aided
to a neighboring store by MI. Robert
Newman. the other Lodge Trustee. /
don't know how he made his way out. !
heard cries for help as / came out, but
had barely strength to move, and could not
help the Others"
VIM. Owen, the Secretary of Jewel Lodge
of K. and L. of H., escaped from the wreck
Of Falls City Hall unscratched. He says
"Some of us were at the table of the
Recording Secretary in the lodge room on
the third floor. About 500 O'Clock sud
denly the building shook, and there was a
rumble as of thunder. Nearly everybody
ran. [ was standing by my old friend,
Magistrate Stevens. [ grabbed him around
the neck and told him not to run. He
broke away from me, however, and [ saw
him quickly engulfed in the debris. At
that moment the light went out. [ felt
the walls crashing about me, then all was
silent. | felt the cold air, and looking up
saw the sky above me, with the moon just
breaking through the clouds. [ had been
left unhurt on the top of the great mass of
ruin, and | clambered down without a
scratch: The Recording Secretary was not