The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1894-10-17
WRECKED BY 4 TORNADO.
THE BUSINESS PART OF LIT
TILE ROCK DEVASTATED.

I
Four Lives Lost and Many Persons
Iniured-The State Insane Asylum
and the Penitentiary Partly Do
stroyed-The Loss Will Reach a
Million. H
A terrific cyclone swept over the business
portion OF Little Rock, Ark. at 7.So o'clock
p. m, carrying death and destruction IN Its
path: Shortly after dark a heavy storm
came from the west, accompanied BY vivid
! flashes Of lightning and heavy
clashes of thunder. The sky sud
denly cleared, and the storm was
thought to be over, when suddenly q
heavy gale from rhe southwest appeared,
| and in three minutes the city was badly dam
aged. Trees, telegraph, telephone and eiec.
tric light poles were uprooted and carried 2oo
yards. Theroofs OF about thirty OF the largest
buildings In the city were torn from {ne
houses and hurled against buildings on the
opposite side of the street, leaving the occu-
pants at the mercy Of the rain, which be-
gan to descend In torrents. When the cy.
clone had ceased 1t was discovered
that the residence portion OF the city
had entirely escaped, but Main streer 70
Third, Markham street, from Centre 70
| Cumberland, and Second, from Cumper-
land. was almost q total wreck. This terri.
tory covers the principal business portion OF
the town. The Western Union ONCE was
wrecked and the operators had narrow es-
eapes.
ies and injuries Killed-Dr. ]. T. Iqgate,
jackson Boyd, son Of Jackson Boyd. and
T F. Griffith, Injured-C. T. Monroe, John
Eaton. Jerry Donahue. s. o. Smith, VIII
Ward. John Brown, Fritz Reis, Mrs.
I. Volmer, Mrs. J. Janka. Mrs. Lulu Prev
lit, Joe Holloway. Joe Swift. John
Fontereaus, ". D. Trotter, Miss Lucille
West, ". A. Langford, John Ballan, Tom
Forbes, Houser, George B. Gross, U.
! Prater, ]. NJ. Ryan, J. c. Blggs, J. D. Bow
convict T. Mitchell, convict G. Baker, con-
yict a. s. jerks. convict Lee Hinson. con-
yicr Will Singleton. convict; j. >. Smlln,
guard John Witt, guard.
Never In the history of Little. Rock was
! there such a scene OF wrecked and ruined
buildings as was presented on the streets
next morning. The streets were almost In
passable. The damage will aggreeate nan
million dollars. The only insurance neio py
the sufferers amounts to about SZooV.
Almost every building between Markham
/ and Third streets on Main was unroofed,
and In several cases entire fronts were
leyeled. On East Markham street the de-
struction Of property was greater tnan else
where. Several large buildings were de-
molished and not one escaped injury.
Windows and doors were blown out, TN
roofs carried away, telephone and electric
| light wires blown to the ground, ana poles
! twisted of at the curbing. .E
It was a: the insane asylum wnere sae
most complete wreck was to be seen. Inc
buildings, built by the State at a cost OF
| $500. 900. are on 8 prominence three miles
| west of the business part OF the CRY. ana
offered O splendid target for the fury OF tho
! storm. The ruin was not complete, put tne
damage Is estimated at from Sfo,ooo 70
| $100, 600.
There was one death there. Dr.. J. T. In
gate, second assistant physician. He ana
| DR.. Robinson, the Superintendent, were
standing In the hall talking just before the
storm struck, and rs they separated to go to
| their rooms. the two towers which crowned
the main Office portion crashed through
| the three stories, burytng Doctor
! Inpate under the debris Of one Of them. DR..
| Robinson had anarrow escape, but BY press
inp up against the wall while bricks and
timbers were flying about his head IN the
dark, the lights having been at once e9tln-
guished, he succeeded In getting out without
injury. j;
forenoon In removing the debris to find the
body OF the unfortunate physician, but MS
remains were not uncovered until IL o'clock.
| He was found under q mass OF brick and
timbers In tho yestibule Of the main build
ing. living on his face. His remains were
forwarded TO his parents at Mobile, Ala.
Besides the destruction wrought In tne
main building. the east wall OF the male
ward was completely torn away. wares !,
8. and are a total wreck. The roof Is
blown off. and debris has been found half a
mile east. Pandemonium reigned after the
fury OF the storm had been spent. The cells
In the south wing we're occupied by mmates
at the time.
About fifteen escaped, but all but seven
were recaptured. The following were miss
! ing, and It was not Known whether they
were killed or were at large: Quincy Jones,
Dennis Callahan, James McPeters, william
M. Miller, William Surratt. Joseph W.Jonn-
son, George Wackerman.
The storm did damage at the State
penitentiary aggregating $4,000. The
south half of the roof OF the cell house was
! completely torn away and carried outside
the walls. The windows were all broken
out, but very little damage was done to the
| interior. Many OF the convlcts were In
| their cells at the time and were not hurt.
The new workhouse, chapel and kltcnen
were badly wrecked. The third story ana
the east wall OF the second story were blown |
down. The west wall was cracked at the
floor and inclined to the east about forty
five degrees.
It was in this building where the only
death occurred. J. F. Griffith. white man,
| from Clay County, was descending the stair.
way from the third story, when the wall
/ cayed in, and buried him under the debris;
The two-story stable, blacksmith shop. and
woodshed that stood In the centre OF the
! ward were badly wrecked. Several head OF
stock were killed.
The heaviest losers are Insane Asylum,
s1OO,OOO Penltentiary, s9o, 600 DICKINSON
Hardware Company. S250O; Dudley Z.
Jones Company, $4,000; b. b. Rottaken,
5000; G. F. Baucum, $4,000; J: Il; Nc
Carthy. $4,000 Louis Volmer, $4,000; Ralph
Goodrich, $4,000; A: Lotion, $4,000;
Mrs. c. P. Redmond, SIC, Capitol
Hotel. $4,000: Arkansas Stacles, $4,000
Bell Telephone Company, $1,000; Sam
Rudolph & Company. $4,000 E. Ellenbogen,
$4,000 Arkansas Carpet and Furniture Com
pany. s2o, 900: Little Rock Tent and Awning
COMPANY, $4,000 Wilson and Webb Station
ery Company, a15, 900, ". P. Homan, $4,000
Nv. Bideiman. $500. Several hundred
others sustained losses ranging from $500 to
$1,000,