The Van Buren press., 1893-10-07
TORNADO SWEPT.
Scores Of Lives Lost and Much Proper.
ty Destroyrd.

ty Destr0yrd.
New Orleans. La, Oct. "A
terrific tornado struck New Or
leans late last night, coming from
the northeast, and ragged here all
night and a portion of to-day,
sweeping to the south from here
along the line Of the Mississippi
River, through the Parish OF. Pia-
quemine to the Gulf.
The storm was one of the worst
which ever visited this section, and
as far as can be learned killed "a
or more persons aud wounded
probably three times as many,
some of thsn fatally, besides de-
stroying large amount OF proper
ty at New Orleans.
The wind had reached q velocity
of 48 miles an hour at 8 o'clock
when the aer0meter of the Wealth
er Bureau was destroyed.
1t constantly increased in force
until 2 q. M, when it's velocity was
estimated at 80 miles an hour. The
crash ofsheds and buildings blown
down, trees torn up and houses
unr0Ofed caused intense alarm,
and most of the population of the
city stayed up all night, expecting
their houses to be blown down.
Among the buildings destroyed
was q large market house, which
crushed several buildings in its
fall; the Burdette Street Mission
Church, the cotton yards of the
Northeastern Railroad, Coleman's
boiler shop and the Pythian Hall.
A number of other buildings were
unroOfed.
The revetment levee ON Lake
Ponchartrain, which protects New
Orleans from overflow OH the rear,
was washed away the water sweep
ing over it I5 feet or more, and
many Of the yachts there were
sunken or injured.
While only four deaths and one
person wounded, severely if not
fatally, is the report from the storm
in New Orleans, below the city it
was far worse. especially IN Pla-
qucmine Parish. Here the wind
reached a velocity of 100 to 1875
miles an hour, sweeping every.
thing before it.
Pointe a la Hache, town of g
600 people was the worst sufferer.
In that town not q single house
escaped injury. The Court house
and Catholic Church, the principal
buildings in the town, and some
20 other buildings were destroyed,
and the situation was so threat
ening that the greater portion. OF
the people, fearing being crushed
to death in their buildings, camped
out in the street all night in the
heavy rain.
In the immediate vicinity ol
Pointe a la Hache there are Other
deaths reported aud 13 others In
the country below. 1t is probable
that the mortality will be greatly
increased when news is received
from far-away settlements on the
Gulf Coast, below P0inte q IL
Hache, in the orange country Of
Louisiana. The crop was ripe up
on the trees and about to be har
vested. 1t was completely de
strOyed in the storm, with loss
of $3.50, 900 or more in this single
item.
Mobile, Ala, Oct. "A south
east gale broke here this morning
about 4 O'Clock, and the wind has
been increasing in velocity ever
since, until at this hour Il p. N.Y. il
is blowing al least so miles an
hour. The barometer is still falling
The wind has blown the water in
from the Gulf until the river has
reached Royal street, which is fOuI
blocks from the river, and at al
elevation of about 10 feet from the
main river height.
There is no possible chance Of
estimating the money damage. AL
the wholesale and agricultural pOr
ton of the retail district of the
city is some four feet under water
and thousands of dollars worth
of goods have been damaged.
New Orleans, Oct. 4.-The die
aster at Grand Island and Cheniert
has been unparalleled. The losi
of life is terrible. The first authen
tic news came this morning wher
the survivors reached here. They
tell heart-rending stories. A tida
wave swept over the island, de
stroying lives and property on al
sides. One hundred and forty-fivt
families are said to have perished
The death list will run up into thu
| 4.