Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-07-07
Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Suffers
in Life and Property.
A NUMBER OF CONVICTS DEAD.
The State Penitentary a Wreck-SeyeraI
Patients in the Hospital Killed,
Some Fifty Houses In the City Demolished
and Number of the Citizens
Injured-Narrow Escapes.
Scenes of Horror.
Terrific Cyclone.

BATON ROUGE, LA, July Ga terrible
cyclone struck this city a little after Il
o'clock this morning, passing from south
west to northeast. Il entered the city at
earrings brick yard, passed up through
Catfish town and struck the hill just to the
east of Mr.. John Johnson'S residence. Its
path continued il a northeasterly direc-
ton, crossing South Boulevard a
hundred yards to the east of
the governors mansion. 1t then went
north, striking the pententiary building
and j. A. Dougherty's residence on North
street, and thence beyond the city. The
cyclone was 800 yards wide, and sped along
its course like cannon-ball devastating as
it went. In the city no one was
killed, though several persons were
injured. l have Just returned from
the state penitentiary, which is partially
wrecked. Ten convicts were killed and
thirty-ive injured, five of these danger
ously. Following is list of the dead:
White. Isaac McClelland of Calcasieu. J. A
Waggoner Of Claiborne. Fred Gage of
Ouachita. James Van Metten OF Tanga-
pahoa. Chas Gibson and William Willow
OF New Orleans. Gibson was one of the
Mealy murdererS
Colored-Nathan CLANCY of East Felici-
ana, Henry CaleStin of New Orleans, p
Hardin of Bossier, Edward Buckner OF
Caddo.
The convicts were at work in the Jean pants
factory III the third story when the storm
struck and entirely demolished the second
and third stories. There We're others in
the hospital III the second story. and it is d
miracle that any escaped.
John RhoduS, enc of the guards. was sit
ting in the third-story window opening 10
the south when he was blown out into the
ward along with bricks and other debris,
uuinjured.
EN-Judge L. Ford was in the commits
sary on the first floor when the building
collapsed. He says he got near the wall
and stood still muttering prayer as he
thought his hour had come When the ma
terial quit falling he saw an opening and
escaped uninjured. He Immediately went
TO work to rescue others.
In addition to the north wing cells, the
building was unroofed and partially de-
stroyed. The woman's ward was also un-
rooted. II is impossible TO estimate the
damage. In the city fifty houses, at least,
were unroofed or destroyed.
j. H. Young and a number of his family
We're seriously hurt by the collapse of thei
house
Mrs. Cotton, son and two daughters, liv-
ing in brick house on Main street, WEI
injured by the falling Of the building. Mrs.
Cotton received dangerous blow on the
head and also internal injuries. One of
the girls was cut on the limbs. Mrs. Cot
ton, it is thought. will recover. There
were no others seriously hurt.
There We're forty persons at work in the
pants factory at the time of the crash, ard
of that number six We're killed and twenty
TWO wounded and crushed
On the second or central floor was the
hospital, where twenty sick persons lay I'M
dergoing treatment, of which number four
were killed and fourteen seriously injured
The fire alarm was sounded and the de
partment summoned TO the scene, and to-
gether with the citizens and prison officials,
aided by the uninjured prisoners, worked
vigorously for the rescue of the unfortu-
mates who lay. some dead, others dying, con-
fined under the heap of debris. Scenes CT
THE GREATEST HORROR
greeted those engaged in recovering the
unfortunate ones. Walls and death groans
from men buried beneath the massive heap
of brick and mortar could be heard arising
from every part of the wreck, imploring
help. and altogether the scene was heart
rending.
The storm was attended by a most viO-
lent rain. in which the rescuers worked for
several hours, until both living and dead
were taken from the ruins.
THE WOUNDED ARE:
From New Orleans. all white-Louis
Claire, NJ; J. Finegan, Henry Mckay, James
Molin John Duffy, John O'Leary, Charles
Summertield, L. H. Durlick, James Val
lone
Colored-from New Orleans-,Ia6e Jones.
Sam jackson. Maj. White, William Gibson,
From the various other parishes-Joseph
Powell il, c. NJ. Young. T. B. Stewart.
Gus Block. \. L. Gurnett. d. A Camp
bell }. X. Dolan, Feelix Richards, Marion
Perkins, Walter Douglass, Frank Akron,
John T. Melee O'Neil Alex Terrell, Oscar
Phillips. William Perry. Henry DorSon,
Borie Peterson. Robert ComeauX, Harrison
Allen, William Scott
Total wounded, thirty-six. OF the num-
Der wounded about six are expected TO die
before night. and the recovery of several
others is doubtful
Total damage 10 the penitCntiary building
is estimated at 500