Los Angeles herald., 1890-03-29
APPALLING RUIN.
Awful Havoc Caused by
Thursdays Storms.
The Greatest Calamity in the
History of Cyclones.
Particulars of the Disaster
at Louisville.
Large Buildings Crushed as if
They Were Eggshells.
Hundreds of People Buried Under the
Fallen Structures.
Fire Adds Horror to the Dreadful Situa-
Large Buildings Crushed as if
They Were Eggshells.
Hundreds of People Buried Under the
Fallen Structures.
Fire Adds Horror to the Dreadful Situa-
tion-Many Outlying Towns
and Villages Destroyed.
Associated Press Dispatches. |

Associated Press Dispatches
CHICAGO, March 2S.-Instantly upon
confirmation of the terrible rumors of
the catastrophe at Louisville, the Asso-
ciated Press dispatched a special train
with select corps of five reporters to
the scene. They arrived at the scene of
the disaster at an early hour this morn
ing, and the following graphic descrip-
ton of this direst calamity is the result
of their work:
The Devastated City.
LOUISVILLE, KY, March 2S.-As night
closes in it's folds the devastated city OF
Louisville, scores ofwidows and orphans
are bowed down with the deepest grief.
Wreck and ruin have settled down in
it's very midst, and the specters
of the dead whose funeral
pyres are heaps of brick and
mortar, seem to rise up and enshroud in
the awful halo OF their presence the en-
tire city Bands of brave rescuers con-
tinue their work, but as night comes on
they seem to work more silently, though
no less arduously. AS each remnant of
the piles of wreckage is lifted, it is with
the anticipation of uncovering to view
lifeless form, or the death-set features of
a human victim of the awful storm.
But there is no time to consider the
dead, for the living may yet be buried
beneath the mountains of debris; and
they turn and delve again with renewed
energy into the great mass, in their
search for crushed and mangled human
ity.
A Night of Gloom.
AS the night grows darker, the work
becomes more awful. Even the advan-
tage of light and it's fear-dispelling quail
tiles are denied them, for all the electric
wires were torn down by the storm, and
left the city shrouded in the deepest
gloom. 1t grows so dark in the shadows
of the crumbling walls that still stand
as silent sentinels over the dead, that
every object with the semblance of
human form must be grasped to prove if
it is flesh or stone. Still, untiring and
strong-hearted workers continue to dig
in the merciless storm-made graves of
the dead.
There is no estimating the number Of
those who lie buried under the debris.
People are still learning of missing
members of their families, and mothers
and fathers stand wildly gazing on the
ruins and crying on the Almighty to de-
liver to them at least their dead. Hard
ened hearts move with deep sympathy,
and idle men dive into the dirt and
CRIME.
The Sorrowing Multitudes.
The streets are thronged with multi
tudes of sorrowing people. They stand
upon the corners with tear-dimmed eyes,
solemnly discussing the dreadful calam-
ity, or move from one point OF the
wrecked district to another, gazing at
the scene of ruin. There are at least 100
families homeless in the street that were
happy Yesterday in possession of their
homes. One poor woman between her
half-stifed sobs, told how that very
evening her husband had paid to the
building association the last dollar they
owed upon their house, and now all that
remains is confused mass of brick and
mortar. There are many other cases al
most parallel to this. Not only were the
houses dashed to the ground, but the
furniture in many Instances was en-
tirely destroyed. Hundreds of thou
sands OF dollars worth of goods lay last
night upon the business streets, at the
mercy of the thieves. AT many places
towering walls of brick are oscillat-
ing in the air, ready to descend at any
moment. These points of danger are
guarded by the police and military COM
panies, who drive the surging crowds
back at the point of the bayonet.
At the Doors of the Morgues.
At the entrances of the various dead
rooms stand breathless mob, clamoring
for admittance, which is invariably re-
fused, unless it be to identify some rela-
tive or friend. Occasionally when one
OF these enters, a sound, half sob and
half shrek, reaches the outer doors.
The telephone wires are all down, and
it will take ten days to get them up and
working again. The search for victims
is going steadily on, and each hour adds
largely to the already long list. Al
many places the men labor in great dan
ger of being buried beneath totterine
walls at any moment, and other acci
dents are looked for momentarily.
The Water Works Wrecked.
An inspection Of the water works this
afternoon showed that the stand-pipt
was completely wrecked. Until repairs
are completed no pumping can be done
and there is only about enough water il
the reservoir to last five days.. At ths
end of that time the public will have Il
depend on wells. It cannot be told now