Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1890-03-28
TnID d AZ - wITNEss.

INDIANAPOLIS, March sT.-COn-
ductor Robertson, Of the jefferson
willie, Madison and indianapolis
road, arrived here at S:l5 this
Friday morning, having brought
the train in from JeiieTsOnville. lie
was in Louisville when the tornado
burst on the town and fears that
eight hundred lives have been lost.
He gives IA graphic description OF
the main points OF the disaster. He
was eating supper in the MetropOl
itan Hotel at g O'Clock, when u
crashing and rearing were heard
outside. An the guests rushed To
the street, hut TecOiled on finding
the air fun Of flying debris. Every
thing was black, the lights being
ont in the streets. In n moment The
roaring scented TO Iass on into
darkness, aud in the track Cf the
wind there spTang up in every
direction shoots OF iiumes, while
from masses Of lit up ruins came the
cries and gr0ans OF the wounded.
For a time everybody SEEMED
parllyzei with fear AMI apparently
in doubt whether Ia flee or not. Tie
work OF rrscues 10n began. however,
and along that part Of the town in
which Robertson was, the sidewalks
were soon piled high. Wagons Of
all kinds were Pressed into service
aud the dead and wounded hauled
rs RAPIDLY away rs the darkness and
confused condition OF the streets
would permit 20 houses outside the
path Of the cyclone. Robertson re-
mainel in the town but an hour
after the storm, aud consequently
had but a limited Opportunity Of Oh
serv5tiou. What he saw Is sufficient
10 show that where the full
EXTENT OF THE CATASTROPHE
is known ii will he one Of the worst
in the history Of the nation.
The storm came from the south
west and seems 10 have been q
veritahle cyclone. The force OF the
wind was hardly felt Above the Gilt
House, hut below that, 50 far as
cnu. "a lie seen by tlIe light OF the
blazing ruins, everything was laid
Hat. Fires were burning, when
Robertson left Louisville, in five diff
ferunt places. The principal loss Of
life. il is thought, was in Fail City
Hall,where q dane. WAS in prUgress-
The sheds at tine Seventh Street
depot were blown dOwn, covering
the Louisville and Southern trains,
and injuring a large number Of peo-
pie. The street ears were blown
from the tracks and crushed against
the walls Of buildings.
When the fire broke out in the
ruins on Seventh Street n man. his
wife and little girl were seen we1ged
under the debris, and although they
sIRIEKED FOR AID
aud the spectators maize herculean
efforts to release them, il was i'm
possible. and they were slowly
burned to death in the presence OF
helpless hundreds. None Of the
people who came through on Rob
prtsOn's train could estimate the eX-
tent Of the disaster, considering the
short time they remained, hut every
where that "A fire served as n beacon
light everything seemed to be swept
clean. In the streets through which
the passengers went TO reach the
depot there were dead and dying,
and from facts and floating rumors
there was reason, according to some
people, TO believe that the humber
OF dead would reach ore thousand.
The gaswOTks and electric ligh;
plants were wrecked, and save FOL
the light from the fires, the city
was in darkness. The passengers
think from the actions Of the firt
department as they were leaving
lu..t the water works have also been
wrecked, and that there was a dill
Guilty in getting water to play on
the flames.