The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-10-03
CYCLONE AT LITTLE ROCK
THE ROOFS OF MAHY BUILDINGS
 TORN OFF BY THE WIND.

xt is Believed That Inmates of the Peni-
 tentiary Arc Fatally Ipjured-Entire Firo
 and Police Depsrtments Are Called Out
 There is Great Excitement and All Kinds
 Of Exaggerated Roports.
 Little Rock, Oct. 2.-A terrible cyclone swept over the business portion of this city at 7:s0 tonight. Shortly after dark a heavy storm came from the west, ac- companied by lightning and thunder. The sky was suddenly cleared and the storm was thought to be over when a heavy gale from the southwest ap- peared, and for three minutes the city was in tho throes of death and de- struction.
 The wind was terrific. Trees and tele- graph, telephone and electric light poles were uprooted and carried 200 yards. The roofs of about forty of the largest buildings in the city were torn off and hurled against other buildings on the other side of the street, leaving the occupants and property within to the mercy of the rain which fell in torrents shortly afterwards. The residence por- tion of the city entirely escaped, but Main street to Third, Markham street, from Center to Cumberland, and Second from Cumberland were totally wrecked. This territory covers the business DOT tion of the town. The Western Union of flee is located in the center of this district. The building was wrecked be- yond recognition. The operators, who were at work at their desks, had narrow escapes. Operator Culbert, in particu- lar, who was at work only twelve feet from a large two-story brick building, escaped miraculously from instant death. The cyclone blew that building over on the Western Union building. The bricks and timbers came crashing through the latter building, and Gull bert was badly wounded on the hip. He is at work tonight, however. None of the other operators were injured
 At il o'clock message was received from the insane asylum, situated two miles from the city and the state. peni- tentiary, just west of the Union depot, calling for corps of physicians and other assistance It is reliably stAted that number of patients at the asy lunn are fatally injured and great dam age was done to the buildings. s1..t.ss
 Reports from the penitentiary say six convicts were badly injured by falling timbers and two of them will die. %ar' s~~s7,'
 Mayor Hall called out the entire fire and police departments. -p.-.-
 Intense excitement prevails and all kinds of exaggerated reports are cur rent. ..-----.
 The loss to property will amount to at least a million. The damage to the insane asylum is $10o,oO0; to the peniten- tiary $so.oO0.
 Memphis, Tenn. Oct. 2-From all in- dications the cyclone which swept over Arkansas tonight has been serious in the amount of damage and the extent of territory covered. but only the most meagre reports can be obtained at this point. The weather bureau here knows nothing the wires having been swept away before reports were receivd from Fort Smith or Little Rock. It is not known that Fort Smith was struck by the storm, but there Is no doubt that Little Rock is a serious loser. The Iron Mountain train dispatcher has been ad- vised by the operator of that road at Pine Bluff that the state penitentiary at Little Rock has been blown down, end at least one convict killed, and the residence portion of the city badly damaged. It is not apparent how the Pine Bluff operator could get this infor- nation. The wire out of Little Rock went down at 7:30. Since then not word has been heard. The cyclonic storm made its appearance in the ex- treme northwest, moved southeast wardly and was reported this evening central over the Mississippi valley. The trough of the storm thus occasioned ex- tended southward to the northern bor- der, but there Is no report of damage done in Texas. r. ..,.
 At o'clock a storm of cyclonic pro- portions struck Memphis accompanied by rain and heavy electrical demonstra- tions,, 
 All Hands Safe.