The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-04
THE WRECKACE.
Tells the Story Of the Awful
Cyclone at Little Rock.
Money Loss About $1,000,000-At
Least Six Persons Killed.
By The Associated Press


LITTLE Rock. Oct. 4.-Tuesday even
ing's cyclone grows in destructiveness as
the details are gathered, and the sum total
of the damage wrought by the wreck Is
vet untold. The day had been hot and
sultry. and its elimination was the storm
which wrecked business houses, filled tho
streets with debris, killed many and In
jurcd Others.
Tho first intimation Of the impending
catastrophe was when tho cyclone struck.
All electric lights were extinguished, and
the darkened streets were filed with fly
ing roofs, walls and debris of all kinds. 10
swept up from the southwest, striking the
city near the insane asylum, the mad ward
of which was demolished. There DIR. In
gate was killed and several inmates
seriously injured.
1t then passed on TO the penitentiary, a
portion of which was wrecked. A convict
was killed and several guards were In
jured. The terrible work continued to-
ward the main part of the city, and It's
path was strewn with debris of wrecked
buildings, tangled telegraph and telephone
wires and fallen trees that had withstood
the tempests of many decades Many resi-
dences were more or less damaged, roofs
klown away and walls partly demolished.
Great Damage to Buildings.
The next marked damage was when the
storm struck the Martin building, occu-
pied by tho Arkansas Methodist church
and several lawyers offices. From that
point east the scene that met the view OF
the vast throngs of people who gathered
at the scene yesterday was beyond de
scription Some OF tho most substantial
brick structures of the district were razed
To the ground
The wind was followed by a drenching
downpour of rain, lasting for nearly an
hour and keeping nearly everyone within
doors so that the real extent OF the dam
aue could not be ascertaincd at the time
Telephone wires in the business portion
were all blown down, and communication
by that means was impossible.
As soon as the rain had ceased some
what. the darkened and debris filed streets
wero crowded with the excited populace,
who picked their way about with desire
20 lend assistance where 10 was needed. IL
Is matter of common wonder that hun
dreds were not killed, for no storm In the
history of the country surpasses it in de-
structive powers.
The police were on the scene with an in
creased force, and everything was done to
restrain the disorderly element from cre-
ating disturbance. The saloons that
were not destroyed were ordered closed at
midnight. The patrol wagon was pressed
into service and many of the injured were
taken 10 headquarters, where their wounds
were attended to.
Wires Blown Down In All Directions.
The storm did not last more than three
minutes. The wires operating the fire
alarm system were all blown down, and
there was constant fear of fire, but for
tunately none occurred. Such n disaster
has not visited Little Rock in its history
The losses will aggregate nearly q, ,00o,-
Oo0 The damage at the state insane asy-
ium is 100000 Beside, DIR. Ingate, as
sistant superintendent,f who was killed
beneath falling walls, three attendants
and two patients are missing. Iti be-
lieved they were buried under the walls.
The state penitentiary sustained a loss
of $4,000. A convict named James was
killed and several others injured. Jack
son Boyd and a 3-year-old child were
crushed to death In their home by a falling
wall. When taken from the ruins the
child was clasped in its fathers arms
Both were dead. Everything is confusion
and 1t is impossible to give losses in detail
Six persons are known 70 have been killed
and others are missing, probably buried In
the dshria