New-York tribune., 1890-03-29
NEW-YORK EAGER FOR NEWS
THE DISASTER A GENERAL TOPIC OF CON-
VERSATION.
MANY PEOPLE CALL on Ex. NoRToN-DIscCs
SING THE PROBABLE DAMAGE TO PROF
ERTY TALKS WITH LOUIS.


large map of the city of Louisville was spread
out table in the Office of President Ex
Norton, OF the Louisville and Nashville Railroad Com
pany, No. so Exchange Place. yesterday To the
many callers who sought information about inc
tornado Mr.. Norton could give little satisfaction NO
dispatches from Louisville received during the
day, and the first message came from Brent Arnold
agent OF the Louisville and Nashville at Cincinnati,
Just before o'clock 1t brief and in these words
No definite estimate Of loss of life at Louisville can
be made. Four hundred business houses destroyed
on Market. Main. jefferson and Walnut sts'
Mr.. Norton said that the Cincinnati agent was
trustworthy man, and that he placed great confidence
in the correctness Of the information lie had no
further up to the time he left his Office lilo
strongly Of the opinion that the first account oil
the destruction Of property and loss OF life lad Dech
greatly exaggerated cannot believe" lie remarked
that the loss Of life has been nearly so great as the
rumors suggest. The details Of the course OF the
tornado lead me to this conclusion. Apparently, IL
struck sparsely settled part of the city and caused
tho greatest damage the wholesale and warehouse
section. 1t moved in northwesterly direction ana
crossed the river to Jefersonve in the neigborhood
OF the Union Depot, at the foot OF Seventh-st lhe
principal damage to property must have been on
Market, Main, Jefferson and Walnut sts, from lenth
to Fifteenth SITS. On February l there were $1,000
hogsheads Of tobacco at Louisville, and the amount
has probably not been diminished. The great bulk OF
1t was stored In warehouses in this territory. Ihe
large wholesale stores also were here and several
manufacturing establishments. 1t looks as If THIS
property had been swept away. The retail shops are
Fourth-st which is further to the east, and they
seem to have escaped injury. The Louisville and
Nashville stations and shops are on the same side OF
the track Of the storm, and l infer from the
published statements that they are safe The houses
of my friends and relatives Of Vice President Smith
and OF Mr.. Newcombs relatives still further to
the east, and l have not the slightest fears aboht
them.
"rhe loss OF property, Mr.. Norton continued, Is
the matter OF smallest consideration. / wish knew
something more definite about the loss OF iife am
not surprised. however, that / have received no
direct dispatches, for understand that up to noon
the Western Union Telegraph Company had no posi-
tive dispatches One wire at Jeiersonville on the
opposite side Of the river, and that wire OF the PENN
sylvania Railroad the only means OF communci-
ton / think the carly OF loss OF life must
be greatly exaggerated. The houses which appear
to have fallen under the tornado are generally small
brick frame houses which were occupied by me-
chancs and working people. 1t was not part oil
the city that thickly settled, and cannot believe
the present reports / admit that judge only from
INV knowledge OF the city and the meagrc details
concerning the course of the storm that have been
publshed / have no information aside from the
dispatch have Just received"
In regard to the loss that might be suffered by tho
Louisville and Nashville Railroad. the president SAID
II everything owned in LOUISVILLE was prostratc
the loss would not be large: mean that the COM
pany could stand the loss of property without lncor
venence / do not think the company's buildings
have been injured. but do not let talk about that
/ hope that no OF the company's employees has
lost his life, for that would be loss we could not
repair
Many persons visited Mr.. Nortons Office during
the day. Some lived in Louisville and were in New
York business pleasure and Others had friends
| rela To al
the assurance that lie had more definite infor
nation than they had obtained from the published
dispatches.
In talking with Tribune reporter about the cx
tent Of the damage. Logan C. Murray. president OF
the United States National Bank. who is Louisville
man said 1T appears that the tornado struck the
city about Eigheenth-s and Broadway and travelled
dagonally up the city until 1t reached Seventh and
Main sts If the swath which 1t cut was one-haf
mile wide its effect must have been felt BY oil the
great tobacco warehouses and many wholesale houses
such saddlery. grocery. hardware. etc. My
Judgment is that the drygoods wholesale houses
above that portion OF the city. in Man-st. not
touched by the cyclone. The stoiehouscs
for tobacco were low brick buildings. and
the damage TO the stock they contained must he
great if they unroofed. In the devastated dis
trct were also the iron foundries boiler manu-
factories and that class Of industries which necessarily
suffered greatly from the hurricane In the back portion
of the city about Eighteenth-st. and Broadway are
tannerics and such establishments. l should
think there about $1,000 people in
the line of the storm 1t did not traverse the fash
onable district and Of the fashionable churches
was in the path Of the storm. The tornado hardly
reached the streets which contained the better class OF
houses The region about Jefferson, Walnut Chestnut
and Market ss, which the storm crossed was thickly
populated. in fact, more 80 than most OF the other
streets In the city. believe there were some Catholic
Institutions in The district where tile damage was done.
The devastation wrought by this 1 storm VIII be
great great progress during the last few years 1t was
fortunate that the storm did not make It's VISIT during
have been filled with worinen so tha .lc loss cf
life would have been exceedingly large ,,.
who come from Louisville. Both members Of the firm
of Fielding Gwyn are Louisville men, and they talked
that II IL were true that the Court House had been
blown down lie ready to believe the worst OF the
tlat he ever saw The walls were made OF gray
granite and were about four feet thick. H." said
Mr. Gwyn the report be true that the Court House
was destroyed eau understand how furious tho
tornado must have BEEN
hotels last ma q A. s the eo1sa f a9s AyeagS Ho t
peenlaton as to the extent Of the damage done by
tie tornado Colonel Bright: of Indiana took the lead
them 10 an interested group Of listeners.
Il know nothing under Heaven" said he, that
se' these storms They display such Irresistible power
that all thought of resistance leaves the mind instantly
| | remember one al His hohc III "a' DoN"
! 1890 j was In the garden. planting flowers. sud
denly heard terrific roar looked up and d. saw ss,
hure mass of black clouds whirng toward me AT ngi'
Ming speed. / to the house as fast as could but
before could get there distance OF few rods, the
storm had reached IT, II struck the shed at the rear
of the house but all the damage it did was 10 take on
Tho shingles as ccanly II they had been cut OIL by
knife. Had / remained in the garden should have
been killed. heavy rail fence In my meadow @ was
IN IN The wind little forest further on was torn 70
n,eces Then the storm went up IN the air ana did
pr strike the earth again for twenty miles.
"os Another cyclone, thu effects Of which witnessed
, was a. were Killed One tall factory chimney. which
peopdIcn p.@d half mile away from the path Of the tornado
was picked up bodily BY wing OF Ie D,aIt le ana h
scattered scat Re 90 At TO supper While he eating It, the
storm swept past He did not think - was ANYTHING ing
ext from The house Then he found Il roof down
ward but aside from this only ad rlnG bean asmage1 @
rted II M When the storm reached the lake. people
euckcu uP colnmns of water fylng over the sur