The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1890-03-29
AN AWFUL FATE
Ravages of the Tornado
at Louisville.
NEARLY $50 KILLED
One Hundred Buried In the Falls City
Hall Collapse.
NOBLE WORK OF RESCUERS
Difficulties That Confront Them
Tho Whole City In Darkness
Two Hundred Families
Homeless.
NOBLE WORK OF RESCUERS

LOtISNILLE, March 2S.-Ihc Tornado
which struck this city last night entered
the southeastern portion of the city at
Eighteenth street and swept u path of
five blocks diaRonally, reaching in
ragged line to Seventh street, leveling
every building i'm its path, probably $500
houses. A rough estimate puts the killed
at 800, with thousands injured. The city
is filed with crazed mass Of people
wildly seeking their friends. A large
force Of men are mt work on the ruins.
Two hundred bodies have been recovered.
The buildings on Main street from Eighth
TO Fourteenth are in ruins. Not one of
the handsome wholesale houses Is left,
and the tobacco warehouses are swept
away on Market street.
The walls of the city hall, four-story
building, were blown down while several
Masonic and knights of Honor lodges
were In session. One hundred men and
women were buried in the ruins.
Every house on Market, jefferson and
Walnut streets from Tenth TO Sixteenth is
in ruins. Parkland, a suburb, was swept
away. Such desolation no city has known
in this country.
Every building, tree and telegraph pole
in the district was struck and lcveled.
The cyclone was predicted by the signal
service yesterday afternoon. No heed
was paid to the warning. The cyclone
came with scarcely warning sound, and
IN all buildings struck tfic Inhabitants
were engaged in their usual vocations.
The district laid waste comprises an
area OF three miles and Is nearly half a
mile wide.
The wrecked portion of the city lies be-
tween Eighteenth and broadway and
Seventeenth and Main streets, the des-
troying elements passing diagonally ac-
ross a section which Is probably mile
square. AT least 200 houses are in ruins.
| IL Is feared that Mt least 200 lives are lost.
Probably the greatest loss of life occurred
at the Falls City hall, which was i'm the
| center OF the tornado. In the lower
rooms of the hall were 80 or 20 children
with their mothers and other relatives
taking dancing lessons. There were at
least 125 persons on the lower floors,
| and 15 more were attending a lodge
meeting ON the upper fioor when
| the terrible wind swept down upon
the building. The entire struc-
ture i'm less than five minutes was a
shapeless mass Of brick and mortar. bury
ing 40 helpless victims, of which number
few escaped uninjurcd. At 3o'clock this
morning Z, dead bodies had been taken
| from the ruins. and Is wounded and dy-
ing. Only those on the third floor had
been reached. The room containing the
dancing school pupils has not yet been
| opened.
Early this morning over fifty dead bod
les had been identified. Among them
| were Mrs. Mary Hasson. Miss Annie
Nyles. Mrs. Mclaughlin, Mrs. Belle Lei.
loft, Sister Mary Plus. seven servant
girls employed in the Louisville hotel. and
BarnwelI, rector OF ST. Johns Episcopal
church and several employees of the
Union depot were killed, and many fa.
tally wounded.
Ii Is very evident II was not cyclone as
the effect is too widespread. For miles in
either direction from the city occasional
roofs were torn Off and trees torn up by
the roots. As the special train sped to-
ward the fated city, bearing tho Associ.
ated Press representatives from Indian.
apolis, evidences were first noticeable
fully 50 miles out. First came to view an
occasional dead tree broken 10 pieces,
then larger. more substantial trees and
finally monarchs of the forest. Many little
towns along the Jeirersonvilie. Madison
4 indianapolis railway were fairly stripped
of signs and gingerbread work. When
the scene Of the disaster was reached an
appalling sight was presented. Crowds
of people thronged Fourteenth stree,
station and from there up Main
street To the heart Of the city
there was mass of humanity. On the
other side was wreck and ruin. Great
| masses Of brlck anu stone prcscutcu the
appearance OF simply having crumblcd &c
the earth. Gangs OF rescuers were nj
work ON grea. masses of debris ia search
for victims of the awful calamity. Tho
wreck was so great that II bcggars any at.
tempt at detail. Immediately upon the
burst Of the cyclone the fire alarm was
sounded and the police were NJ work
Within 10 minutes a posse appeared n,
Falls City hall. The wrecked walls adj
joining the house were first propped
Then began the work of cutting through
the roof that covered all. After an hour
OF ceaseless labor the first victim, Mrs
Sarah Kelly was unearthed. She
was found sitting upright, her head
bruised and one arm broken. She said
Mt the first quake she made a rush for
the entrance. The women wer,
knocked down and tramplcd on. Seeing
the overwhelming jaru at the door. sey
eral remained behind. The excavation
then moved from. the rear TO the front
where IL was supposed a greater GROVE
had gathered. As soon as the roofing
was removed and the mass OF brick De
meath, 10 women locked in each Others
arms were drawn out. Inside Of the mex
hour CD men and women were drawn on
\ Il a - Is Il sh.Rr