Huntsville gazette., 1894-10-06
A DEATH-DEALING STORM
A TERRIFIC CYCLONE VISITS LIT
TIE ROCK DOING IMMENSE
DAMAGE.
The Streets Strewu With Debris-Several
Persons Killed and Many Injured
Portion of the Insane Asy-
1um Destroyed-A Brief
Story of the Storm.

tllls CITY at $50 CLOCK last evening
and left disaster in its wake A brief
but heavy rain preceded and followed
the work of the wind
The storm came from the southwest
and swept nearly everything in its
path The velocity of the wind was
terrific, and the list of the injured &C D.
sequently large.
Roofs, signs and trees were tossed
about like paper. Some of the most
substantial brick buildings in the city
were either demolished or badly dam
aged. The path of the cyclone was
not more than 200 feet wide, and it's
course was of a zigzag nature.
After the wind had subsidized the rain
poured down in almost a torrent for
nearly half hour This was followed
by brilliant electrical display, ac-
companied by loud peals of thunder,
which was continued for over an hour.
At $50 o'clock the rain ceased to fall.
and in the downtown district there
was scene of excitement never before
witnessed in this city. Men were hur-
rying to and fro assisting merchants
whose buildings were demolished, in
removing their goods to places of safety.
There were no lights anywhere in the
streets, and the pedestrian, knowing
that the telephone, telegraph and cleo
trio wires were prostrated, endeavored
to be exceedingly cautious in thread
ing his way among the debris.
The damage will not fall short of
S1,0OO,00O That was the figure agreed
| l.
veyed the scene of the disaster last
night The state of Arkansas will lose
not less than 500, The loss on
buildings and the damage dCne to the
stocks of merchants will hardly fall
| sh Il of SeO0,00 The destruction to
/ plate and other glass is quite an item
itself. Many buildings were so badly
damaged that it will be necessary to
I tear them down, and in cases of this
kind the loss is a total one. There are
very few persons doing business on
Main north of Third and south of
Markham streets that did not suffer to
some extent. The disaster is a calam-
ity to the entire city, and wherever
helping hand is need to assist suffer-
er it will not be withheld.
DAMAGE At THE PEN.
At the penitentiary the second and
third stories of the dining hall, chapel
and shop building were razed to the
ground, the main cell building I'M
rooted and the Office building demol-
ished and the old buildings scattered
| to the winds. Griffin, convict who
was sleeping in the third story of the
cell house, was killed. two guards.
Smith and Will, and seven TRUSTEES
badly injured Two mules were also
killed and the stable wrecked. There
are 160 men now in the cell house, but
they were on the lower floor. The
damage is estimated at $4,000.
IN THE WEST END.
With the exception of few houses
being unroofed and windows broken
little damage was done on West Mark
ham street. The damage being esti-
mated at 10000
AT THE INSANE ASYLUM.
The damage effected at the asylum
was terrible The front wall of the
,outh wing to the main building was
blown down. In the main building
the wreck was awful The tower
crashed through the lower floor bury
ing Dr. J. L. Ingate. The water tanks
also came down. There were 26G in
mates of the male wards in the south
wing. Most of them were IN the cor
ridors- Had the rooms been occupied
the loss of life would have been great
All but ten of the inmates have been
accounted for, and they are suppos eG
to be at large. The body of DR.. In
gate has not been recovered up to the
present writing. The total damage is
placed at $50, ,000 In addition to this
the sta bles were blown down and sew
eral horses killed.
WHOLESALE DISTRICT.
East Markham and East Second
streets comprise what is known as the
wholesale district of Little Rock. and
it is a portion of the city in which
every citizen has taken great pride be-
cause of the mum Der of fine and flour
ishing businesses conducted there. A
visit to that portion of the city amid
the wreckage that made travel almost
impossible caused the heart 70 sink,
for the damage seemed so wholesale
and irrepara ble. The streets were
filed with piles Of brick and mortar.
On the south side Of Markham between
Scott and Cumberland the storm must
nave been unusually severe as only one
building escaped serious injury.
CASUALTIES.
The following are those reported
killed or injured up to date:
Jack Boyd and baby, colored, killed
by falling wall.
Dr. Ingate. insane asylum. killed
Mrs. Jarko, fatally injured.
Joe Holloway. colored, slightly in
jured.
Joe Swift, slightly injured
C Z. Monroe, editor North Little
Rock Times, probably fatally injured
by flying missiles.
Capt Sam Smith. slightly injured.
Mrs Sarah Lynch, frightfully bruised
probably fatally.
Miss Minnie Hinlzle, hip broken