The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-06-24
TERRIBLE TIME IN TEXAS.
Cyclone That Swept Death and DE.
misunderstanding Account.

structiOn-Thrillins Account.
Mr.. Editor;-The public Press has given US
the news Of the two great cyclones and their
effects particularly, In Sherman, Texas, and
ST. Louis, Mo.
| We eread the statistics of deaths and value of
| property destroyed, given in so many dollars,
out lalled 10 take In the reality Of these dIsaS-
ters; but If one OF our own family our ac.
quaintance tells us that he was there, and
gives US his story OF what he saw we seem more
easily to apprehend the suffering of those who
passed through the trying ordeal and more
readily weep with those that weep
An Abbeville boy, my son, DIR. ]. Perrin
Sherman, Texas, his home as dentist. He
writes to his mother something OF what he
saw on that fearful anu fatal evening OF the
giving his description Of it as he saw lit it which st
| If you thinh proper, you can print in the
Press and Banner.
Yours, w. L. A.
Dear Mother:-I suppose you expect me to
whirlwind. l do not know how better TO
give you an idea of 1t than to relate my own
experience:
was standing at an upper window watch.
| ing the rain which was falling In torrents,
and was rejoicing over it for we were needing
rain very much, when l noticed the
blowing a gale from the East; directly 1t
changed and blew even harder from the
West. I thought that was ominous' ana re,
marked ID TO MI mmedatev Of
mud and muddy water and pieces Of green
| leaves were dashed against the panes OF
glass-this In the center OF the city-then
That fearful, indescrbable roaring filled all
space. The roar Of Niagara comes nearer IT
than any sound have ever heard. Happen
ing to look out toward the Southwest corner
OF The city, saw that huge funnel outlined
against the sky. l watched 1t in its awlully
majestic march across the city till it left near
| the Northwest corner. II took about three
minutes TO 60 the two miles between the city
limits. After II passed the rain suddenly ceas.
ed and 1 started vest on Houston street. /
had not gone far before met q hatless, coat
less, and breathless runner, who managed 10
say Every body dead over there" Half
square further, met dray from the rear OF
which hung the bare legs OF a negro man. l
ask ed If he was much hurt without stopping,
the driver replied dead" I ran 10 the side
OF the wagon and will never forget the sight.
bleeding numau bodies. Horrified, and
with mind almost parayzed, went on TIL
came TO where once stood the iron bridge
over Post-oak creek that separates Grays Hill
from the main part OF the city. This bridge
was a heavy wrought iron structure with lit
tie surface for the wind TO take hold on, but
1t was torn from It's fastenings and twisted
into q cork-screw. I managed to cross over,
where the scene that met my view was the
most awful that have ever beheld; the dead
and dying. the naked and wounded, all COW
cred with mud and blood, lay on every side.
Some were in the creek, some half In and
hall out; dead and wounded horses and dogs
added to the horrors. There were seven
corpses Within twenty-five feet or Inc spot
where I landed on that side Of the stream.
Crowds began to gather, all wanted TO do
something, but seemed paralyzed, and knew
not what TO do. "Isnt 1t awful! could be
heard all around. But recovering from the
shock, they were soon busy gathering the
wounded into the nearest house sstil stand
ing. The dead were carried directly to the
morgue The clocks picked up after the
storm registered so o'clock, but before dark
some disposition had been made or all that
could be found.
The sensation that in this fearful emergen.
cy, 1 must help somehow, was oppressive, Till
one of the Surgeons called for hot water, and
began TO build fire In a stove. This gave
some relief as had something to do. went
10 neighbOr ing house to get some clothes Tor
woman whose head the Doctors were at
work on. sewing and plastering up. Her
scalp had been almost entirely torn OF by
the wind. A Sioux warrior could not have
done II better; her skull was not crushed.
When arrived at the house for the clothes,
DR.. -- met me saying. " You are the
very man | want, let some one else take Inc
clothes over and you come in here" found
there woman and two little girls, all In
half conscious condition. 1t was now about
7 o'clock, and from this continuously until
o'clock next morning i; was administering
chloroform and other assistance. Wnlle
DIR. NJ did the cutting and dressing.
We had eight patients that night TO our part;
two of whom had fractured skulls and one, o
poor girl about sixteen, had a splinter OF
wood about seven inches long and as large as
two fingers, entirely EMBEDDED behind the
shoulder. One of the patients. from whom
we removed large piece OF skull. lived ten
days, the other one, with fractured skull, Is
still living Most OF the serious wounds were
about the head. The dead almost equaled
the wounded In number. In many cases
victims bad not s. shred OF clothing left, on
others the sleeves. Suffering makes all the
world akin. That night you might have seen
at the improvsed hospitals, elegantly dress
ed ladies tenderly caring for the wounded ne
groes, and the negroes willing to do all tney
could. That night or rather next morning
at 2 o'clock when l got back to town ana
went to a restaurant for supper, l realized
how tired and hungry I was. could hardly
get 10 bed but was soon alright estma-
| Bile citizen, possessed an elegant home with
| loving wife and three little children, was ao,
sent at the time of the cyclone. He returned
| TO find his home vanished and wi te and chill,
| dren all dead and 1 was not much surprised
TO learn that before the next day he was
maniac This will give you some idea oi tne
cyclone as saw 1t. l hope you may never
see one such. Whole families, were In some
cases. destroyed; in others the house was
torn to kindllng wood and all the family es,
capped unhurt Sxty-seven have been buried
SO far. Afectlonately, leiiiN'