The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-08-13

The fourishing city OF Lawrence,
has been visited by one of the most destrt(
tive tornadoes known to the New England
States. Eight persons were killed and sixty
seriously injured. Seventy buildings were
wrecked and destroyed and six hundred peo-
pie made homeless.
The following Is a correct list Of the
killed:
Michael Higgins, Mrs. Mary Lyons, Mamie
OConnell, Mrs. Jeremiah O'Connell, Helen
Cutler, Mrs. John Collins, Collins, child
Julia Beatty.
The devastation has been complete. For
distance Of mile there Is q well-defned
pathway about 500 feet wide, in which moth
ing remains Of q prosperous section Of that
manufacturing city but wrecked buildings
and streets piled high with debris.
The storm struck the city shortly befor,
ten o'clock in the morning. The wind al
the time was east and the rain falling heav.
lily. Heavy black clouds shot from behind
the western bills high into the sky for a
moment, and then the thick mass parted
Down shot black streaks and in a moment
the the Crash s M Buildings ha crushed like
dwellers.
The storm struck first on Broadway, abou,
five hundred rods from the Boston and
Maine Railroad station at South Lawrence,
and continuing its path Of destruction near
ly parallel with the Merrimack River cleaI
to North Andover. Its path was only about
five hundred feet wide.
At the Essex Company's dam it seemed h
divide. There the centre Of the storm went
through Salem street to Blanchard, tearing
down or uprooting all In its pathway. After
overturning number Of freight cars stand.
ing near the Salem street bridge and kill.
ing switchman pamed Higgins who was
standing near by, it smashed in the windows
Of st. Patricks Catholic church and blew
down all the telegraph and telephone wires
in the elocality. The wind then passed through
the centre Of Springfield street. upon which
there were nearly one hundred houses and
tenement blocks.
With but three exceptions every house on
both sides of that street between Blanchard
and South Union streets was either totally OF
partly wrecked. The house of Thomas
Evans, the Daily family and Of James Ly-
ons in the valley wers ground into kindling
wood.
The very first victim of the catastrophe
was Mrs. James Lyons, who fed into her
storm. Her house fell to pieces the moment
mangled under the falling ruins.
From under one root five persons were
taken. None Of them were dead, but all
were severely injured and mangled terribly.
One Of these, a nine-year-old boy, had his
arm broken in five places and in his terror
and agony shouted pathetically for his
mother. While she, almost as badly injured,
was on her knees In the street thanking God
with uplifted hands that her little family was
no worse off.
The greatest force Of the storm was mani.
fest in the mile 1t trayersed through South
Lawrence. Fortunately, there were nc
large or brick buildings in that district, the
great mills and factories being on the north
side of the river. The section was occupied
largely by the mill operatives and was GOV
cred with cosey cottages. These had nearly
all been built during the last dozen year:
and would average about $4,000 to $4,000 ir
value. These were all destroyed.
What seemed peculiar about the tornado
was the fact that some Of the oldest and most
rotten houses stood 1t we'll, while new block.
of brick and wood fell in masses OF ruins
About one house in five failed to stand the
shock, and now lie in heap OF rubbish
Those which still stand have all lost shutters
chimneys or windows. Some Of the wrecked
houses were set on fire, but rain prevented
any serious spread of the flames
South Lawrence, the scene Of the tornado
havoc, is the appeDation attached to tina
portion of Lawrence lying on the south sid
Of the Merrirnac River. It contains within
the corporate limits 2012 acres.
The storm also passed over Haverhill
Mass, bursting sewers and flooding street
and easements. The water put out the fire
in Saunderss boiler house, stopping the wor
In the shoe factory.
At Lowell, Mass, the rainfall was so grea
that the sewers overhowed into the streets.