The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-03
4ORNADGS AWFUL WORK,
AFataI and Destructive Storm Sweeps
Over Texas.
AN ENORMOUS LOSS OF LIFE.
A Path Ono Hundred and Fifty Feet Wide
Made Through the Heart Of Sherman
mo Buildings Left Standing---The
City Hall Turned Into Morgue--
Great Destruction of Property.

Great Destruction of Property.
DESrsoS, Texas, May le.-The city OF sher-
man was visited by the worst tornado In the
history Of North Texas about o'clock yester-
day evening. The path OF the destroyer was
$50 yards wide. It struck the city at the
west end Of Post Oak Creek and swept in
q westerly direction for several blocks. and
then spread and spent its force. The track
Of the storm is grewsome sight. the deVas-
tation being complete-houses, trees, fences
in fact, everything In Its pathway de-
stroyed. The loss Of life will probably reach
one hundred, with as many more bruised
and wounded.
occupied by 8. G. Holmes have been turned
into Temporary hospitals, and eighteen
bruised. mangled and mutlated bodies ore
awaiting Identification. Nearly every house
in Fairview Addition has been turned into
hospital.
known, r, T.. Burns, wife ond two ohll-
dren, Mrs. Otto PauIding and two children;
James Nicholson. wife and two children; /.
R. MONTGOMERY, wife and two children; John
Ames. wife and two childreni the Rev. Mr;
shearer; eight members OF the pearce ,,an0 ana
child of Mrs. Craighead, Mrs. James Davis,
Mrs. Jchn Fields, Lucinda Lake, coloredi
Charles Cox, colored; Eliza Cox. coloredi
Rosina Lake, colored; Sloan Ballinger, coll
ored: Katie Ballinger, colored; William NICE
erson's four children. colored; Wright CLARK
and three members of his family, colored;
Eighteen Unidentified dead are at the City
Hall. The seriously injured are Professor
and Mrs. Koher. six children OF j. b. Irwin
and Edward True.
damaged, and the tornado passed directly
west Of the North Texas Female College,
barely missing It.
p. p. Savles, a delivery man, drove down
Houston avenue directly after the storm. BE
said that he saw at least seven men, women
and children lying along the avenue dead
and many wounded The devastation IN
spots where the storm was the worst Is COM
piete. Trees were stripped OF their 1oilase
uprooted. Houses once the pride OF the city
are In some instances entirely gone, ana ID
others only pile Of rubbish marks the place
where they stood.
nieces. His wife and two children were at
home, but fortunately escaped without sen-
ous injury Not thing remains to marx the
SPOT where only few hours before $1,000
the fine home Of Captain Burgess. His lam
ily was absent from the house at the time.
Mayor Tone, Of Denison, who was in snet-
man during the storm. gives the following
account Of It: ~ was on the courthouse
square about o'clock and heard roaring
wind coming from the south. The next thing
knew the air was thick with mud and
small specks resembling ashes. The storm
did NOT strike the courthouse or jall, put tol,
lowefup Post Oak Greek. The roaring did
not %6ntinue over two or three minutes.
During all this time 1t rained hard. In about
FIVE minutes rumors began to spread tnat
many lives had been lost, and the reports
grew worse and worse as time passed.
Az q o'clock fifty dead bodies had been
broupht into the public buildings, and search,
in1 6arties are out for more. The dead
children have been found In trees, under
leyelled houses and on Post Oak Greek. an
iron bridge over Post Oak Creek was tWlsleo
JUSTIN. Texas, May 49, "A cyclone struck
the town Of Justin, blowing twelve houses
down, killing one man named W. j. Evans,
of Keller, Texas. snd badly inlurinS seven
teen others. The cycloue also did nucn
damage north Of here.
from Denton, Texas, says a cyclone struck
the town Of Gribble Springs, eight 1 miles
north OF Denton. Four persons were Xlileo
and five others so badly wounded they can
NOT live. The property damage IS great.
NEwToS. Texas, May 16.-Six persons we're
injured. one of them fatally, by cyclone
Which passed near Mound Ridge. A stretch |
Of country about eight miles in length and q
hundred yards in width was devastated.
Samuel Bass was fatally injured and MS
house demolished.
HousroN, Texas, May 16.-Reports from
different places throughout this State snow
that over hundred persons have lost tnelr
lives In frightful cyclone which sWept tne
country for miles. The damage to property |
cannot be even reasonably estimated.