Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1893-04-29
THE TORNADO'S WORK.
It Cuts It's Swath Through the
South and West.
A Family of Eleven Roasted to Death
in Their Cabin.

Passengers arriving at Meridian, Miss,
gave particulars of frightful storm that
crossed Jasper and Clarke counties. 1t be-
gan thirty-flve miles south of Meridian and
travelled in northwesterly direction. A set
Element of negro cabins was destroyed and
many of the inmates persisted. Colonel
Berrys plantation was swept clean and sew
sral colored persons were badly hurt. From
this point to Barnett, thirty miles south, the
storm was especially severe. DR.. T. J. Krouse
enc OF the largest plantation owners in the
South, was a heavy loser. Every stick Of
timber on his place was carried away and
every house demolished. DIR. Krouse was
badly injured. His son had his skull crushed
and his wife and daughter were slightly
hurt
On this plantation Henry German, colored
his wife and nine children were imprisoned
under the ruins of their cabin, and fire, be-
ginning at the kitchen stove, slowly roasted
the family to death.
Three miles east of Barnett the wind struck
a number of FARMS Thomas Lots dwelling
was swept away, his legs were broken and
members of his family were bruised. John
Smiths house was leveled and he received
serious injuries. Frank McCormick's turpen-
tine still was ruined. B. f. Legget's store
was destroyed and his stock Of merchandise
is now hanging in shreds upon the branches
of the forest trees. Legget's wife and chill
dren were buried in the ruins, which caught
fire. but were rescued by neighbors. A little
further ON three cabins were struck. Two
colored men were killed and several badly
injured.
Twenty miles east of Barnett the storm
crossed the Memphis and Ohio Railroad track
tearing down three miles of telegraph wires
AID obstructing the track. The poles and
wires along five miles OF the track OF the New
Orleans and Northeastern Railroad are
down. North Of Shube1ta havoc was created
among the cabins on the different plantations.
All along the 80 miles Of the cyclones path
are strewn the carcasses of horses. cattle and
all descriptions of live stock, while crops are
ruined. The loss will reach into the hundreds
of thousands OF dollars.
Pachuta, Miss, was struck at o'clock.
De Soto, town of 500 inhabitants, was
stormed ten minutes later. The damage is
great.
FAYETTEVILLE, ARK.-At noon tornado
passed through the valley just south Of this
place, leaving barren waste behind it. 1t
uprooted trees, tore down fences and de-
stroyed houses. Many families were in the
storm without shelter. Every person in a
family of eight named Wright suffered serious
injuries and one child will die Parts OF the
house were carried miles away.
The cloud came up from the southeast. fol-
lowing a northeasterly course Its upper
portion was funnel-shaped and black and
went spinning like whirlwind, round and
round. Under it and near the ground was
another cloud, almost white, which was ap-
parentiy touching the ground and rolling IN
a direction directly opposite to that of the
upper cloud. Heavy things were literally
lifted off the earth. Just in front OF the fun
nel-shaped cloud was a small cloud that
looked like ribbon whirling through the
air. The cyclone was followed by heavy
wind and rain that lasted most of the after
noon.
LITTLE RoCK, ARk.-The town OF Bole5,
sixteen miles north OF Dallas, Polk county,
was almost obliterated. Seven persons were
killed. An eyewitness says that before the
wind struekthe town the sky became over
cast, then moaning sound was heard, and
finally greenish-colored cloud was seen
rapidly approaching from the southwest.
AS it neared the wind sprang up. The peo-
pie prepared for the onslaught as best they
could. Large houses were lifted of their
foundations as il they were straws and
dashed to pieces. The path Of the tornado
was half mile wide.
DEaIsoS, TBx-Kaney Hollows, forty
miles north OF here was reached by the storm
at were TORN GOWN una
several persons were fatally hurt. Tele-
graphic communications were destroyed.
The Missouri, Kansas and Texas main line Is
blocked by trees on the track. The storm
swath was 300 yards wide. 1t Is reported
that one man was killed by hailstones.
MIDLAND, ALA.-In this town a dozen res
dences, four stores and two warehouses were
destroyed. A number OF persons were badly
bruised.
CHICAGO, ILL.-The wind with a velocity
OF seyenty-two miles an hour. broke all
previous records. The Auditorium in which
the signal service observatory is located
swayed so violently that the clocks in it
stopped.
The aeccmIS aiment of rain snow and
hail, has played havoc with telegraph wires
throughout the West. There Is no workable
wire further west than Des Moines Through
out Iowa, Wisconsin, Western Illinois, Ne
braska and Missouri the wires are practically
useless, and communication is cut of from
Mississippi and Louisiana. East of Chicago
also the wires are largely useless.
WAYNEsBoRo'. PA mighty wind storm
set in in this locality and ragged with increas-
ing fury until O'Clock. The uproar was so
great that people were afraid to venture
upon the streets. Small buildings were shat
tered. roofs ard chimneys blown off and trees
uprooted. Pupils were with difficulty got
ten home from school. Merchants STAYED in
their places of business at dinner time. fear
ing to go out. Several minor accidents TO
persons were reported. There was little
precipitation was heavy and steady