The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-07-07
LAID WASTE BY WIND.
Baton Rouge, La, Visited by a Cy-
clone Bearing Death and
Destruction.
Tho State Penitentiary Wrecked
and Several Prisoners Man
gled or Killed.
Residents OF the City Also Suffer Severely
scenes of HorrOr-vioIent Rain
Storm Follows.


passed over the lower portion of the town
this morning, unroofing houses, tearing up
trees and carrying pieces of wreck through
the air for many blocks The boulevard Is
Uttered with trees that were torn up by
wind and pieces of housetops and other
timbers. The penitentiary walls were blown
down, ten persons killed and thirty wound
ed. factory building was demolished
and the hospital and panitentiary left n
mass of ruins. The steamship Smoky City
WAS blown to pieces, there being nothing
left but her hull. Several of tho crew were
badly injured. In the city no one WAS
killed, though several persons we're serious
ly injured.
The following is list of those killed at
the penitentiary: Whtes-Isaac McClel
land, j. A. Waggoner. Fred Gage, James
Van Meter, John Gibson and William
Willow; colored-Nathan Chancey, Henry
Calestin, Beauregard Hardon, Edward
Buckner. OF the thirty-fve injured five
received dangerous wounds. Convicts were
at work in the jeans pants factory
in the third story of the north wing
when the storm tiuck the building and en-
tirely demolished the second and third
stories. There were others in the hospital
in the second story, and it is a miracle that
any escaped With their lives. In addition
to the north wing the cell building was IN
rooted and partially destroyed. The wo-
mans ward was also unroofed. 1t is i'm
possible to form any estimate of the dam
age to the buildings as all the property was
more or less injured.
Lo AL, o%
rooted or destroyed. j. H. Young and
members of his family were seriously hurt
by the wreck of their house on st. Charles
street. Mrs. Cotton, son and two daugh-
ters, living in a brick house on Main street,
opposite G. d. Waddiils. were injured by
the fall OF the building. Mrs. Cotton re-
ceived dangerous blow on the back Of the
head, while ono of the girls was cut on the
limb. Mrs. Cotton, it is thought, will re-
cover. There were no Others seriously
hurt
There were forty prisoners at work in the
pants factory at the time Of the crash, AID
out of that number six were killed and
TWENTY-FIVE wounded and hor ribly crushed.
On the second story of the central floor was
the hospital, where twenty-six prisoners lay,
undergoing medical treatment. OF these
four were killed and fourteen seriously, if
not fatally, injured. fire alarm was
sounded and the entire fire department
summoned, together with citizens and
prison officials Aided by uninjured prs-
oners, they worked vigorously for the res
cue of the unfortunates. Scenes of horror
greeted the eyes of those engaged in the
rescuing work. and pitiful walls and death
groans from men buried out OF sight by
massive heaps of brick and mortar could be
heard arising from every part of the wreck
imploring help. and altogether the scene
was heartrending. The storm was attended
! by the most violent rain, in which rescuets
worked and toiled for several hours, or un-
| til both living and dead were extricated
from the ruins. Thirty-six in all were
| wounded, and of this number six or more
will die.
Trees on many streets were uprooted. A
| Xisit to the capitol and other state buildings
bowed them to be unhnrmed by wind, as
was also the business portion of the town;
| The southern portion of the city, styled
Catfish town" Suffered great loss and dam
ago to property. In this section several
persons we're seriously hurt and bruised by
flying timbers from falling houses and
fences. The extent of damage throughout
the city cannot be accurately estimated at
this time. But it can be said that this is
the greatest loss the town has ever sus-
tanned, whether from cyclone or fire. The
storm did not make q straight sweep
| through the city, but would strike the
| ball, passing over several houses at a time.
The trunks of large oaks were taken Oft
like pipe stems. So sudden was the storm
! that u number of vehicles were caught and
| wrecked i'll the streets. number of very
narrow escapes are reported.