The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1890-04-03
THE CYCLONES FURY.
Fairly Reports Of Thursday Nights
Disaster Confirmed.
q, Extent Even Greater than First
Accounts Indicated-Fearful Loss of
Life, az Yet Not Fully Deter
mined, at Louisville.
MANY Yet Buried In the Debris-other
Places Suffered Severely bUt
LoulsvilIe's Loss Overshsd
,ws Them All.

louisville, KY, March 2s.-Between
eight and nine o'clock last night a tor
nsdo struck this city from the south
vest. northeastward, leaving death and
obstruction everywhere. Outside OF the
clearly defined limits the citizens knew
only of a heavy rain accompanied by a
bioh wind. Soon came the alarm OF
Arc from dozen different stations and
the horror of the calmity began to dawn
on the people. Great stone warehouses,
halls of amusement, railroad stations
and dwelling houses, all went down be-
fore the mighty powers Of the air. The
storm soon passed on, the clouds scat
tered. and the moon cast its light over
a sorely-stricken city. Relief parties
were soon organized; the whole force of
the fire department was at work. AT
this writing no definite statement can
be made of the loss of life, but it is
large. 1t is impossible that so wide a
sweep Of territory covered with ruined
houses, with wreck of halls and build
ingS of every character does not contain
many dead. Enough is known to show
that Louisville has been visited by a
most appalling calamity. The wrecked
portion of the city lies between Eigh-
teenth, Broadway, Seventh and Main
streets, the destroying elements pass
ing diagonally across the section, which
is probable a mile square. AT least
two hundred house are in ruins. 1t is
feared that at least two hundred lives
are lost.
Probably the greatest loss of life oc-
cured at the Falls City Hall, which
was in the center of the tornado. In
the lower rooms of the hall were fifty
or seventy-fve children with their
mothers and other relatives taking
dancing lessons. There were at least
1875 persons on the lower floors and sew
enty-fve more attending lodge meet
ing on upper floors when the terrible
wind swooped down upon the building.
The entire structure in less than five
minutes was a shapeless mass of brick
and mortar burying two hundred help
less victims, of which number few es-
capped uninjured. Conservative esti-
mates place the loss Of life at this
point at one hundred, while other re-
ports indicate the number nearer two
hundred. At three o'clock this morn
ing thirty-five dead bodies had been
taken from this ruin, and fifteen
wounded and dying. Only those on the
third floor had been reached, the room
containing the dancing-school pupils
and visitors not yet being opened.
Immediately upon the burst of the cy-
clone the fire bells sounded and the po-
lice we're at work. Within ten minutes
aposse appeared at the Falls City Hall
wreck. The walls of the adjoining
houses were first propped, and then be-
gan the work Of cutting through the
heavy slate roof that covered all. At
nrst work was difficult and laborious, on
account Of the immense multitude that
surrounded the wreck.
AT twelve o'clock the opening of por-
tion OF the debris of the Falls City Hall
caused draught to penetrate the ruins,
Whereupon the smouldering fire broke
out with tremendous fierceness. 1t
spread rapidly and forced the workers
Ndesert the pile. AS soon as the fire
gained headway the groans of the i'm
prisoned people became shrieks, and so
great was the horror of the moment
mat the watchers grew frantic and
screamed and ran about like wild, the
terrible sufferings which they were un-
aoe to alleviate driving them to de-
spalr. Several lines of hose were soon
@foWing water on the flames, but it
was more than an hour before work
could be proceeded with, and then it was
carried on with much difficulty on ac-
count Of the heat. ........ r..
Up to twelve o'clock only about thirty
I'VE dead bodies and twenty-five wound
N and dying were taken from the
srecK' The corpses were laid in the
rOuses across the street, and in
DOugherty & Keenan's undertaking
saOp on the block below. At the latter
raee people passed in and out, one by
sIe' 70 look at the bodies, hunting for
shas and relatives. One man said
-0was looking for Louis Lapp, and the
'0fs nrst sheet lifted revealed the
~spse OF the person wanted. The
u covered his face, groaned and
tanned. -0 NV "o0
,o n' ABOUT half-past eleven o'clock the
M "nere the children were dancing
,,vacned ,,o, Mr.. Louis Simms, Jr. of No.
me-, narket street. had for hours been
mma ug about in agony of grief in front
,oa us' portion of the wreck, where this
E.,1l naa been, for his wife and four
roo,s 0 Oniidren were there. When the
s,s. S4 was reached, Mrs. Simms was the
N". JUG found and she was fatally hurt
s.oh within about fifteen minutes of
voro O'nerthree of the Simms children
ana e - recovered. They were unconscious,
hei, 9ie 81 Is only faint possibility OF
ima & living. While the father was
cbilS ilSsang q the workers to get his other
OenS.a s are broke out and work was sus-
beto." Inc last man taken out alive
BerSo he flames started was. John
iust su ~. VI No 2109 West Broadway, and
pnst,. t,esious to that woman, who was
he 70 give her name, was recovered.
the ia, ~ nos possible to tell the extent OF
~ INJURIES of either.
vo.s er the ire had been extinguished.
with .. were found digging at the slate
rpin sHef hngers, crazed with the
Eo,L 0sneath. Every one did noble
tbs a.. after an hour of ceaseless labor
uneartSssV S victim, Mrs. Sarah Kelly, was
IN 'sned. a. Her body was found sitting
ana upright position, her head bruised
he frSt arm broken. She said that a.
for the o quake mad rush was made
DOWN un.rance. ana Women were knocked
Aasta - anu trampled upon in the mao
" escape. Seeing the oyerwhelm