The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
DEVASTATION AND DEATH.
WROUGHT BY A TERRIFIC CYCLONE
IN SEVERAL STATES.

consIn and Oklahoma yIsIted-Farm
Houses Dem ollshed, Crops Blown Away
and Mary People Killed and Injured.
NEwELLToN, LA, Oct. 30.-Tensas
Parish has again been visited by a
most destructive cyclone. The atmos-
phere had been heavy and sultry all
day, the clouds growing blacker and
blacker, and at Q o'clock terrific
wind and rain storm reached Lake st.
Joseph. Telegraph wires were torn
down, and a most unsatisfactory re-
port reaches here from the lower part
of the parish, where the tornado origi.
mated. Information is that the i'm
mense brick gin on the mound plan
tation, belonging to Mr.. Joe Curryn,
was practically destroyed. The course
of the storm was from Southwest to
Northeast, striking Bruen Lake at
Locust Land, tearing down and des'
troying the public bridge over Cheraw
Bayou. Twelve cabins on Locust Land
were completely demolished and two
colored Iaeen Ieenn and and -ttWo colored women
and a baby were killed by lightning
or blown into the lake.
The next place reached was John.
sons Bend, on Lake st. Joseph. The
scene is one of desolation. Johnson's
Bend is leased by Mr.. A. Bland. The
gin house contained a great quantity
of hay and was totally wrecked. Three
barns containing corn were also des-
troyed and a great deal of the corn
blown away. Six cabins were blown
to pieces entirely and many timbers
were blown into Lake St. Joseph.
Several persons were badly cut and
bruised, but no lives were lost. The
tenants living in the houses mad theil
clothing and household effects blown
away. Telegraph and telephone wires
are down and the public road on Lake
st. Joseph front is covered with frag'
ments. of houses, furniture, clothing,
cotton, corn and household effects.
NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 30.-About 4 80
o'clock this afternoon a cyclone struck
this city on the river front, just above
Pension street, and swept over dist
ance of about a mile and a half, or
thirty blocks, from Peniston street to
Robin street, the track of the storm
being about fifteen hundred feet wide
from the river to Annunc alton street.
The first building damaged was the
Independence Oil Mill, situated at the
head of Pension street. 1t was un-
rooted and building and contents
were damaged to the amount of $50,
600. The conveyors of the new eleva'
tor of the Illinois Central Railroad
| were slightly damaged, and john w.
Hitemayer and John j. Buck, EN-.
ployed at the elevator, were lifted
from the ground, dashed against the
elevator and the latter was severely
hurt. Hundreds of buildings in the
track of the storm were damaged,
many being partially unroofed and
chimneys prostrated, trees uprooted
and fences blown down. The storm
swept section of the city is in darkness
tonight, owing to the prostration o1
electric wires, and details of damage
are difficult to obtain. AT first mum
Der of lives were reported lost, but sc
far these reports have not been veri
fed.
The property loss is estimated Al
100000. The Skylot cotton sheds
situated on Robin street near the riv
er front, used by the Texas and Pacific
Railroad for cotton storage. were dam
aged 10 the extent o:$lO,0OO. A mum
ber of other sheds were completely de
stroyed. George Bealer, a switch
tender, was seriously injured, an arm
and hip being broken, and JOSEPH
Hennesy, laborer, was also injured a
the. sheds-all the other laborers
about forty in number, having JUS
knocked off and fortunately got out
of the sheds before they collapsed.
OXFORD, Miss, Oct. pa terrific
cyclone passed through the eastern
part of Lafayette County this after
noon at o'clock, demolishing farm
houses and uprooting trees of all sizes
The news has just reached here, being
reported by Hon. w. V. Sullivan,
Democratic candidate for Congress,
and T. J. Harkins. Mr.. Sullivan had
been speaking at Tula and was return
ing to Oxford, expecting to speak, al
Abbeyville tonight. Heand Harkins
were caught in the storms path, the
wind swooping down upon them
without warning. They were driving
q double team buggy. The wind lift
ed the vehicle, horses and all, ano
carried them two hundred yards. The
buggy was completely demolished by
falling timber but neither men OF
horses were seriously hurt, Harkin!
sustaining slight injury by flying
fence rail.
The storm passed throughout the out
skirts of the town of Delay and demol
ished several houses. The house of Mil
ton Eskridge was blown away, bu
his wife and seven children, who were
| in the house miraculously escaped
with slight bruises. The extent o.
the damage cannot be given, but ne
casualties have as yet been reported
Not tree was left standing in tht
cyclones path. Further details can
not be had tonight.
| GUTHRIE, Oklahoma, Oct. 29.-A
cyclone swept over a stretch of coun
try about 90 miles East of here at 7:3(
o'clock last night, devastating dis
trict several miles long and probably
a hundred yards wide. The farm
and house of VIM. Toby was first ir
the path of the storm. The building
was destroyed and Toby was probably
fatally injured. The other members
T of bic fo noi1u ecconad