The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-05-16

southwest OF tho city.
IL al, reports were credited the number
Of dead would already reach 100.
The storm passed two miles fAom Dcn,-
son and 1t Is thought broke up from there.
TELEGRAPH and telephone wires between
here and ponison arc down and many
other towns have no connection. The tel.
ogrdph office Is overrushca ana four OK
tn operators are voriing all night In
numorahc te!egtams have boon received
asking about friends and relatives In
Sherman The city ~ greatly excited and
Ionly nj the morgucs and hospitals is there
any system.
a full estimate OF the loss OF property
viii reach sSoo.coo In this county.
Five elegant residences were demolished
In this city. The Houston street steel
suspension bridge was torn to splnters and
tho huge Iron Orders were twisted like
straw. Houses. trees, animals and human
beings werc blown Thousands OF feet ani
whole families were oxtorminatcd and sep
arated by the relentless. even Ia death.
The body OF Mrs. otto Ballineer. pro-
p,,otor of the West Houston street store
Of general merchandise. was blown 500
fee, up Grape I'm. Many bodies are yet
uncovered.
hundred negro cabins were taken off
tie face OF tho earth. Chickens were
rlueiod OF their feathers. rabbits had
fhelr fur torn Oft. while horses arc ly-
iir with their legs hanging by Il little
lskln md cattl. and stock of all kinds arc
found dead and injured after the storm
Mrs. l.. Il. Ely and two children were
tremendously saved under the ruins OF
,selr elegant home. The bureau fell on
lu,o family and the stairway on top OF
ih, bureau thus protecting the family
from tho falling walls.
,rho family of Captain NJ Il. Blrgc hap
n.nol TO be from home. Their house was
destroyed The little Holt cottage next
aoor Mas left untouched.
Whole buildings on Six'cth street were
carried upward IN the mighty whiTiwihd-
Luke Montgomery. prominent fur-
nturo man. lost his wife and three ch''-
lren. ono has not yet been found
John Ames whole family wero Killed
OF badly hurt.
A dead child was found in the top of
u tree.
The Jenkins family were almost nnn.-
hilated beneath the ruins of n neat cot
tage home.
A farmer driving along in front OF Cap
tain Ely's house was killed instantly. The
wagon wheels were found, but no trace
of the team.
chilIrcn beheadcl and lisembowcied are
frequently found
six unidontnel white cnrrsPs aro In
ljnder'nker Ilurriugton's room Some of
the victims have limbs broken in as many
as ,hree places.
j. u. Heron. who lvca fvc miles south
of town brought in his only son nc"rly
dead. There ara only the man ard the
10y IN the family. Thcy have been
'batchlng" together for many years and
now the faiher Is distracted with grief.
Tho father saw the storm romine and
went to the storm house, escaping without
a scratch. The boy was away from hcine
at his unclo's who was Killed with hts
wife and baby.
Ten bodies wcrc brought In from tho
Wakefield farm. two miles west Of the
city
A. +. Pleroson. wife, granddaughter.
mnrrlei daughter and three other children
who lived on the farm were all killed. No
cher persons worc Killed there Mr.. Piurc-
son and TWO other children were seriously
wounded.
1t IS thought the country fourteen or
fifteen miles down was devastated and
idepopuated by tho storm.
A few In Sherman saw It before II hnd
unsacl Not n tree or house IL left stand
ing In It's course. Five hundred yards TO
,he ona, and tho storm would have taken
ia tho business portion OF the city, The
cyclone vas preceded by terrific elnps Of
thunder and much lightning. Accompany
, ing ii came furious dash oNrain. which
) spattored the business and residence f'or-
tinn with mud and covered the roofs and
sfrce5s with leaves and twiss Of trees The
roar of the stopm was heard all over the
city ard many fell on their knees and
prayed for life, Tho colored people terror
stricken fell on their knees In the mud
and cried: Jesus, saint Of Mercy. have
mercy on US. save Ms"
a BIZ, colored woman who ha, both legs
broken was fcund In The creek crying; "pn
the 18th Of May The Lord done Killed me
and all my Children
Five minutes after the storm the SKY
WAS bright aud cloar aud the sun was
Alreneiy shining. but desoln'loi, terror ana