San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-05-16
OVER A HUNDRED DEAD.
CYCLONE DEVAsTATEs GRAYS0N
AND DENTON COUNTIES.
Entire East End of Sherman Wiped Out
and the Country Swept for Miles
Around-Whole Families
Missing.

NaSGi NO' lNfN
cial About an hour after the
LIGHT went to press yesterday az
ternoon a terrific thunder storm
broke over this city. The light
ming was fearful, and the crashing
peals of thunder were deafening.
Frightful gusts Of rain fell and
then above the roar Of the dashing
rain was heard that Of wind.
Scarcely any one saw its approach,
and almost in an instant 1t was
gone, leaving in its wake absolute
destruction. The west end of this
town Is literally wiped out. Not a
house or tree in the path OF the
storm is left standing. To give
any connected tale of the disaster
is as yet impossible. Only an ap-
proximate list of the dead is avail
able.
AS soon as the nature Of the ca
lamity was known willing hands
We're at once at work. The court
house was utilized as depository
for the dead and hospital for the
wounded who were not otherwise
cared for. When this was found
inadequate the Moore building was
used for the same purpose.
All the undertakers' establish
ments are full. The grain houses,
now empty, are utilized as NOR
CUES and the work OF dressing the
dead and tending to the wounded
is carried on with regularity. A
corps of physicians, a score or
more in number are hard at work,
and hundreds OF willing hands
aid them in relieving pain and
supplying the wants Of the injured
and destitute.
Every hour the names OF those
who are dead grows in volume as
new ones are added. Couriers
from the country continually ar
rive, telling Of a dead one here and
a family missing there. At the
morgue and the hospitals there is
order, but everywhere else it ia
confusion. Reports are so conflict
ing that it is useless to attempt to
give connected accounts.
Relief parties are going and
coming. Mass meeting for raising
funds has been held and contri-
buttons are coming in. Several
thousand dollars have been
promptly raised. There will be
no appeal to other countries.
Grayson county will care for her
own dead and wounded and needy.
The telephone wires have been
almost useless in conveying infor-
nation from surrounding towns
and the telegraph wires are bur-
dened with enquiries from anxious
friends everywhere. Four extra
operatives are at work and there
is no rest from their labors.
1t is certain that in this county
alone not less than one hundred
have been hurried into eternity,
and reports indicate that 1t may
reach half as many more. The
property loss is above half mil
lion dollars.
The dead have been brought in
for distance of five miles to the
south and west, and it is thought
that for at least fifteen miles the
storm was more or less destruc-
tive.
In Denton county as well as in
this, a number are reported dead,
and the casualty reports come in
from all sections. 1t will be days
before the full results Of the awful
visitation will be known.
THE STORM AT DENTON.
DENTON, Tex, May l6.-The cy-
clone which cut out the heart Of
this county and Grayson county
just to the northeast, started with
in a mile of Justin, this county. A
terrific wind was experienced here.
People were blown down, houses
demolished and farm buildings
completely removed.
Reports from the country dis
tricts show five were killed, most
of whom were traders to Denton
county, but whose names cannot
be learned at this time. The roads
are impossible and small streams
beyond their banks. So far no one
has been reported killed in this
town, but the town is in darkness.
Reports from Justin, Sherman
and Gribble Springs are to the
effect that $500, 600 worth Of prop
erty has been destroyed in these
counties.
A WHOLE FAMILY WILL DIE.
DENIsoN, Tex, May 16.-At Car