The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1896-10-01
The Furious S'Orm Which Passed
Over the Eastern Portion of
The Country.
1t Appears to Have Been Most
Serious on the Southeastern
Coast.
Million Dollars Damage at Sa-
vannah end Several Lives
Lost.

SAVANNAH, Ga, Oct. 1.-The West
Indian cyclone which swept over this
city and section, has hardly been
equalled for intensity and destruction
within the memory Of those now living.
The wind reached its highest shortly
after l2 o'clock, but its exact velocity
may never be known. The instrument
at the weather bureau registered 66
miles an hour, and then went to pieces.
The barometer went to $3.50. 1t would
have gone lower had the storm contin-
ued longer. The blow was practically
over within two and one-half hours,
but for that time it ragged with an in
tensity heretofore unknown.
Rolled Up Tin Roofs.
There must have been 100 tons of tin
roofs rolled off in Savannah. 1t was
rolled up with the nicely of a timer
economizing space. Bricks and wires
were blown down everywhere and hun
dreds of roofs were entirely demolished.
1t is impossible to enumerate the build.
ings unroofed or partially destroyed.
Shattered trees covered every street,
and these, with hundreds of fallen
wires, made the streets impossible for
several hours. The total damage is
estimated at from 500, 900 to 81, ,OOO, 900
in Savannah and Chatham county.
The list of fatalities SO far is about
nine, all in or near the city. There has
been no way of reaching the island near
the coast where it is likely the fatalities
may be in the hundreds. Wallace John
son, young white man, was killed
by falling roof at the Gordon wharf
w. J. Thompson was killed, the wreck
of A. 8. Bacon's lumber mill. -Four
negroes were killed in q house ON
Twelfth street, and another negro was
killed by falling tree. Captain @. J..
Murphy of the tug Turner, which was
sunk in the river, was drowned. j. @.
Mcclure of the Southeastern Plaster
company, and negro, were drowned
on the tug.
Fears For Steamers.
The steamer Flora left at O'Clock
with q heavy cargo for Brunswick.
Nothing has been heard from her. The
steamer Governor Stafford was to leave
Beaufort for Savannah at TO- q. m.
Grave fears are entertained for the yes
sci. She was due at Tybee at IL o'clock
and it is thought the storm was at that
hour at its height at the island. The
bark Hilda, owned in Savadnah, left
here for Brunswick, in tow Of the tug
N. NJ. c. Smith. Those interested in
the vessel and the owners of the tug are
worried. The lighter, Joseph Souther,
left at 4 80 a. m, with 500 bales of cot.
ton bound for Brunswick. She was in
tow Of the tug Cynthia. The tug re-
turned in the afternoon, reporting
lighter and cargo lost. Among promi
nent buildings damaged are:
City Exchange, Savannah theatre, J.
Rourke & Sons, Savannah gun factory
Savannah pants factory, Henry Solo
mon & Sons wholesale grocery build
ing, Conner, Hull & Co., guano factory
A. 8. Brown & Sons, planning mills
Plant railroad system depot, q tota
wreck; Plant system shops, Centra
Railway of Georgia shops, Chatham
academy, Presbyterian and Lutheran
churches, car sheds of the City anG
Suburban Railway company, Savannah
Brewing company.
Hundreds of dwellings are eithe,
totally demolished or damaged ant
many of the principal retail stores o1
the city are sufferers. There has MOI
been such a general loss from storm il
this citv for vears