West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1890-04-03
DEATHS PATH.
Western Cities Visited by DeVaS.I
tating TOrnadOeS.
LOUISVILLE PARTLY IN RUINS.
A Number of Other Towns
Nearly DESTROYED.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST!
Numerous Fine Buildings Laid
Low in Louisville.
HUNDREDS OF LIVES LOST!

- SVv'hi ulHing III Ihc NOfthWest, moving
slowly down tho valley OF the Mississippi.
turning eastward at its junction with the
Ohio gathering force ds Il went until Il be-
came cyclone, and passing Off toward
Canada, is the simple summary OF one OF
thosc grand panoramas OF her mighty forces
with which Nature scents Go mock Tho powers
OF man. On its Southern edge the siidden
indraught OF air, catching up the WARMER
vapors from below, created series OF tor
nadoes which laid waste everything In their
path
One hurricane struck Metropolis, H., aud
II was ruined, Another damaged the town
OF Bowling Green, KY Another struck Louis
Vile, cutting swnth through its finely built
portions and leaving hundreds OF Victims
behind. IL blew across the Ohio aud badly
damaged Jeffersonville, Ind.
Scarcely town in the vicinity OF the
border line of Kentucky, Illinois and Indiana
escaped the ravages of these tOrnad0es, while
the main track of the cyclone was marked by
high winds floods and heavy rainfall.
Early details OF the terrible havoc wrought
we're given Ia dispatches as followsl
Louisville.
a great many persons have been killed Ia
aud around Louisville, KY, and three times
as many painfully injured, as the result OF "a
tornado which struck that city few min
utes past ,, NJ, and in few moments
~
mile wide and two miles long through parts
OF the finest business and residence sections
OF the town. Thousands were buried I'm the
ruins, aud while the majority escaped with
Injuries comparatively slight many hun
dreds were pinioned dead or diving beneath
masses Of tangled timbers aud heaps OF brick
and stone. Fire caught in the ruins IN sew
eral places, and many whom the crash had
spared met slower and more horrible death
IN the flames
hegreatest loss OF life was IN public hall
where a children's dancing class aud several
lodge meetings were In progress at the mo
ment when the tornado swooped upon the
city Scarcely "A dozen Of the three or four
hundred persons who were in the building es-
capped being caught IN the ruins. OF those who
were not crushed 10 death outright many
were sutfocated by escaping gas, aud many
were burned 10 death In the fire which snbse-
quently started la the wreck Many were
rescued alive, but the dead front this one
building will probably number over one hum
dred
Horrible Incidents OF n less Wholesale
nature were found at every stop through tho
dcs0lated district. The rector Of one df tile
largest churches i'm the city was crushed into
a shapeless mass without a moments warning
as he sat IN his home reading 60 his little son,
who stood at his knee The child also wns
killed. and the rector's wife so badly injured
that she was lain low under the in
huence Of opiates, and kept in ignorance OF
the fate Of her husband snd son lest the shock
81 learning ~ should kill her
Children were stricken dead in their moth
ers arms fathers who chnnced 20 have left
their homes for few minutes returned to as
sist IN digging from heaps Of ruins the bodies
Of their children husbands and wives were
found dead in each others arms, and Occa-
sionally the tornado waxing merciful, killed
the whole family at once, leaving none 20
mourn.
With these dreadful incidents were many
marvellous escapes People were picked no
bodily aud carried long distances, 20 be
dropped safely to the ground. Others
crawled out almost unscratched from
masses of debris, in which II seemed inn
possible for being 20 have remained alive.
The storm had been gathering all the even
ing aud the lightning and Thunder were
omiuOus. ~ about O'Clock II began to
roin, and the storm gradually increased In
iutonsity The rain changed 10 hail and
people kept within doors
AZ SEQ the disaster came The heavens
were black a. ink There Was deep, thrill.
ing roar as the tornado struck the SOUTH
western portion 81 tho city, Then the build.
ings crumbled like egg shells, and broad
Bwuth Of ruin lay across the city
Tho path Of the tornado was from Eight
eouth and Maple streets nOrtheasterly across
the city. past Seventeenth street aud BrOnd-
way, Sixteenth ana Chestnut Twelfth and
Jefferson, and thence ~ the Union Depot. nj
rum
was wrought among the large and substantial
structures on Market and Main streets, and
Do seems asif the demon Of the storm did 10.
worst when just about 10 leave
The whole thing was over in n minute
People living outside tho track Of tho storm
were unaware that anything unusual had
happened But where the tornado had ayyept
there was utter destruction, ruins and death.
brcat buildings crumbled like tov boueos
down Ike cardboard. People fed in terror
from death Boo their ruined homes Half a
dozen hrcs broke out iD as many different
parts n the city
The storm soon ceased The moon camc
out aud people thrOngod into the streets to
lcaru the extent Of the disaster. The most
trffiple rumors spread apaCo. and unfor.
tunaDlY, many Of them were true and the
gray daylight in the morning re-
Vcaled scene 0f desolation that
was sickeuing Main street. from Seventh
~ welith street is ono long ruin
- BE- Market street Tor the corresponding
Instance. jefferson street from Tenth n
thirteenth, Walnut street from Thirteenth
r. fifteenth. and Chestnut street from Thir
tcenth 81 Seventeenth Broadway. in ths
ncighborhood Of Eighteenth aud Nineteenth
streets. is filled with debris
As soon o. the people had in some measur,
recovered from the shock produced by On,
convuislon and its attending horror. tboy
vent - work heroicaily 70 rescue the victims
lu evory piled-up heap Of debris n human
oeinS might BE- heard moaning for aid. and
tne Heafcn was prosecuted with vigOr thOugi
under great Disadvantage The Iamrr
nad eii been extiuguished and thai
portion Of the city was in darkness. Th,
streets were illoi with an kinds 0f impoli
ments. mas 0f wires. roofing fences
ie'se boards stones and inuumerable othel
Things The police and fire department.
were early on che scene AN night long th,
work was prosecuted and many bodies wer,
recovered and many wounded cared Tor
Livery house was thrown opeu and bo
came temporary hospital and ther,