The Forrest City times., 1894-10-05
A DEATH-DEALING STORM
A TERRIFIC CYCLONE VISITS LIT TILE ROCK DOING IMMENSE
 DAMAGE.
The Streets Strewn With Debris Several Persons Killed and Many Injured Portion of the Insane Asy.
 lusn Destroyed-A Brief
 Story of the storm.

cyclone of gigantic proportions struck this city at 1885 o'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 cc h. scquently 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 subsided the rain poured down in almost torrent for nearly a half hour. This was followed by brilliant electrical display, ac- cOmpanied by loud peals of thunder, which was continued for over an hour. At9:30 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
  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 tric wires were prostrated, endeavored to be exceedingly cautious in thread ing his way among the debris.
 The damage will not fall short of $l,00O,O0o. That was the figure agreed upon by many business men who sur veyed the scene of the disaster last night The state of Arkansas will lose not less than $lOO, 1000. The loss on buildings and the damage dcne to the stocks of merchants will hardly fall short of $900,000. The destruction to plate and other glass is quite an item itself. Many buildings were so badly damaged that it will be necessary to tear them down, and in cases of this kind the loss is 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 calam- ity to the entire city, and wherever helping hand is need to assist suffer. CT 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 un- roofed and the office building demol- ished and the old buildings scattered to the winds. Griffin, a convict who was sleeping in the third story of the cell house, was killed; two guards. Smith and Will, and seven trusties 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 $20,000.
 IN THE WEST END
 With the exception of a few houses being unroofed and windows broken little damage was done on West Mark ham street The damage being esti- mated at $10, GOO.
 AT THE INSANE ASYLUM. The damage effected at the asylum was terrible. The front wall of the south 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. T. lngate. The water tanks also came down. There were 26O in- mates of the male wards in the south wing. Most of them were m the cor riders 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 supposed 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 S150,0 In addition to this the stables were blown down and sev- 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 number of fine and four ishing businesses conducted there. A visit to that portion of the city amid the wreckage that made travel almost impossible caused the heart to sink, for the damage seemed so wholesale and irreparable. The streets were filled with piles of brick and mortar. On the south side of Markham between Scott and Cumberland the storm must have 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. ,.,