Connecticut western news., 1894-10-04
CYCLONE IN A CITY.
THE BUSINESS PORTION OF LITTLE
 ROCK WRECKED.

The State Penite ntiary and an Insane Asy-
 Ium Were Partially Denoiished-Many
 Persons Killed and Injured-The Total
 Loss Amounts to Over s5oo,oo0.
 LITTLE ROCK, Oct. 3.-A terrible cy- clone struck this city and almost devas- tated the business portion of the oity. Several people are known to have been killed and injured, while it is feared sew eral others have met the same fate.
 The main portion of the business cen ter, bounded on the south by Third street on the north by the river front, on the west by Center street and on the east by Com mercial, Is practically ruined. The total property loss will probably approximate $500, 900.
 The cyclone was accompanied by ter rife rainstorm, and the stocks of goods in the business houses which were unroofed, though not otherwise wrecked, were de- stroyed by water.
 The storm struck the state peniten- tiary, which stands on hill in the west ern part of the city, with fearful force. de- stroying the dining room, tearing down the stable and shops, unroofing the main cell building and demolishing the ward en's office. Several of the convicts were seriously injured, one of whom died an hour afterward.
 Many Buildings Wrecked.
 Down town the lightning struck the Martin block, totally wrecking the third floor. A man named Eaton was fatally inj jured there. The Tiles building was unroofed, and a part of the fourth floor of Gleason's hotel was blown away. At Main and Second streets the tops of sev- eral adjacent buildings lie piled up in an indescri bable heap.
 The worst damage, however, was done to property on Markham and Commerce streets. Nearly every building in that district was unroofed, and many are to- tally wrecked. The large three story building at Market and Cumberland streets, occupied by the B. H. Mccarthy company, is total wreck, as Is also the two story building on the opposite corner, occupied by Max Elkans as saloon. The third story of the old Deming House was blown of, and the several stores under it were flooded by water and filled with debris.
 The streets are filled with tin roofs, cleo trio wires and other wreokage, and 1t will be several days before the extent of the damage is known accurately. The large cotton warehouse situated at Second and Scott streets, owned by J. H. Bacum, was wrecked. It fell on the Western Union telegraph office next door and wrecked 1t, thus cutting of all telegraphio communi- cation with outside points
 Insane Asylum Reported Blown Down.
 The city Is in the densest darkness, and the streets are veritable streams of mud. Rescuing parties are busy searching for the wounded, but a list of casualties Is utterly unobtainabla
 Among thoso known to have been seri ously and probably fatally wounded is c. P. Monroe, member of the Arkansas legislature, and Sam Smith, 8 prominent cotton buyer, is also badly injured
 Others are known to have been more or less injured but the names are not obtain able. All kinds of rumors are afloat One Is to the effect that the insane asylum, in which some 800 patients are confined, has been blown down and many patients in- iured, but the asylum Is situated mile from the city, and the rumor cannot be confirmed. A number of escaped lunatlcs have been captured near the Union depot, and this fact gives color to the rumor, {.
 Description of the Storm. Shortly after dark a heavy storm came from the west, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning and heavy crashes of thunder. Tho skies suddenly cleared, and the storm was thought to be over, when suddenly a heavy gale from the southwest appeared, and for three minutes the city was in the throes of death and destruo- ton. The wind was terrific in the ex- treme. Trees, telephone. telegraph and electric light poles were uprooted and car ried a distance of 200 yards The roofs of about 80 of the largest buildings in the city were torn from the houses and hurled against buildings on the opposite sides of the streets, leaving the occupants and property within at the mercy of the drenohing rain which began to fall in torrents shortly afterward. Messages were received from the insane asylum, situated two miles from the city, and the state penitenitary. just west of the Union depot, calling for a corps of physicians and other assistants. It is reliably stated that 6 number of patients at the asylum are fatally injured, and great damage was done to the build l ing.
 Reports from the penitentiary say six convicts were badly injured by falling | bimbers, two of whom will die Mayor | Hall as soon as possible called out the en- | tire fire and police departments and sent | 10 hackloads of physicians and citizens to the insane asylum and penitentiary. In tense excitement prevails, and 1t Is utter | ly impossible to learn the names of the killed and injured. All kinds of exagger- | ated reports are in circulation. Through | the services of Mayor Hall and Chief Of Police Frank Mahon the injured and helpless are receiving the best attention. ! Almost every building situated in the district was more or less damaged by the wind and water. The damage to the in | thot k the penitentiary $60, 900, and the Capitol and Richelieu hotels were badly damaged. Every window in both buildings was sither broken to pieces or cracked. | The Dead and Injured. | The doad and injured thus far reported are:
 Representative-electC c. T. Monroe bad. ly cut on tho head and body by falling timbers; probably fatally.
 John Eaton, an employee at the Martin block, the home of Governor Fishback, internal injuries, from which he will die | before morning.
 Captain Sam O. Smith, agent of the firm of k. Allgeyer & Co, cotton dealers, struck on the head and back, four fingers on his right hand broken; will recover.
 John Edwards, with his infant baby in his arms, was found dead on the street by | the police
 An aged negro couple were found dead In a room of a roofiess cabin In the same locality.
 The streets are covered with telephone, electric and telegraph wires and debris from the wrecked buildings Six electric street car motors are pinioned on the track on Main street with heavy rafters and poles. These motors arc a total loss. Governor Fishback's quarters In the Martin block are a mass of ruins.
 Your correspondents visited the peniten. tiary at midnight. Tho office of the main buildings was torn away and lodged on several frame cottages in the neighbor- hood completely demolished.
 A stampede took place among the con- victs, but Superintendent Mcconnell and his assistants soon succeeded in quietine