The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-05-18
THE TEXAS. CYCLONE
Caused Much More Destruction Than
at First Reported.

this city by the cyclone which swept
Texas on Friday. number 81. There may
be others dead, who have not yet been
found. but this Is probably the most
accurate estimate yet made.
At Denton, five were killed and 20
wounded.
Three dead bodies were found In the
storms path at Justin, mother and
three children lost their lives at Howe.
and the corpse of j. S. Morris was found
at Gainesville.
The storm swept away the jail In the
Chickasaw nation. leaving many wound
ed. one mortally.
A. Carpenters Bsiffs five persons were
seriously hurt. The wounded are SO
badly scattered that 1t is an almost I'M
possible task to gather their names and
the extent OF their injuries.
In the community five miles west OF
the town, Mr.. Taylor was killed and his
wife probably fatally injured. The
houses OF Messrs. Dennis. Gibbons.
Brown, Shell. Martin, Corder, Cave,
Taylor. j. Fields, Devain and Jim Davis
were swept away. In this same commun-
ity eight barns were also destroyed.
The citizens held q meeting at the
courthouse, and about $1,000 was raised
IN little while with which to bury the
dead and care for the wounded. About
10 bodies were buried Saturday evening
One of the first men to go over the
track of the storm was c. Il. Sale. He
told q reporter of the scenes along the
track Immediately after the blow was
over II drove hastily TO the western
part OF the town, where my sister lived,
TO see IL they were injured. OF all the
horrible sights / ever saw, they were
along my route. My mind cannot con-
ceive OF all-the- horrible things / wit
messed, neither can tongue describe
their awfulness. Along West Houston
street were strewn the bodies Of the in
jured, and from their lips ascended
prayers for pity and help. Passing a
wounded woman, shrieking with pain
and fright, my gaze would fall on the
stiffening corpse OF her little child,
mangled as IL some giant had rent 1t
limb from limb. Across the road, the
corpse OF loved minister of the Gospel
lay, cold in death. Further on was the
body of a woman. all out and bruised
and bleeding, the last gasp Of breath
going out OF her body. The gruesome-
ness of this weird woe was seen, felt and
endured as q man only feels some horri-
bic nightmare"
II. E. Durham OF this city was at the
home of Isom Coleman, one mile be-
yond the Choctaw bridge, east Of the
city. He states that he stood on the
roof Of Mr.. Coleman's house. and could
: see for miles around. He saw one sec
ton of the storm come from the south
east, and another from the southwest
When about the vicinity of Choctaw
bridge, the two sections met with a roar.
He described the storm to be about a
quarter OF a mile wide and so yards long
The clouds were black, and resembled
the heavy smoke emitted from a burn
ing building. Those watching from the
room could see the effects Of the storm
all along its path. Trees were blown
down, and the path swept clean of ali
obstructions.
One Of the freaks Of the storm was at
T.. f. Halstead's place. The family
went into the cellar of the house, and
were unharmed. only for bruises. The.
house and outbuilding were blown COM
pletely away, and the carriage was
blown all TO pieces. The wheels were
blown from one axle. and IL was stripped
bare. The wind carried II a short dis
tance, and drove it completely through
cedar telephone pole. six or eight in
ches in diameter, and left the ends pro-
truding. At each end the axle was bent
and resembled perfect letter IS"