The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-10-02
SUDDEN AND FURIOUS.
Savannah, Georgia, is Visited by
Destructive Cyclone.
Seven Lives Lost, and a Million Dollars
Worth of Property DESTROYED
in Half an Hour.

SAVANNAH, ia, sept. EJ.-SeVen
lives lost, million dollars worth of
property destroyed, and that is the
record of the cyclone which swept
Savannah from ii 80 a. IN. until l2:l5
p. m. to-day. The loss of life and
damage to property are yet mere es-
Inmates, and both may be greater
than now known. The storm which
had been lurking in the eastern gulf
for the last few days swept rapidly
across Florida at 8o'clock this morn
ing, and without warning burst upon
Savannah at IL 80. In half an hour
it had done its worst. The streets
were filled with wreckage, hardly a
house in the city escaping without
more or less damage, though there
are few comparatively total wrecks.
Three hours before the storm was at
its height the weather observer said
that the wind would not exceed a
velocity of thirty miles an hour.
1t began to arise at IL O'Clock. Half
an hour later it was blowing sixty
miles an hour and the air was filled
with flying debris.
When the wind reached a velocity
VI olAhy DIN LhlACo du uOul Vie III
struments at the weather station
were blown away.
The storm was terrific In its inten-
sity, exceeding that of the great cy-
clone of 1893, which devastated the
South Carolina coast. The short
ness of its duration was all that
saved complete humiliation of ev-
erything within its range,
The storm came from the south
east and swept directly over the
CITY,, Hardly public building es-
capped its fury. The forests around
the city were laid in swaths. The
parks are in ruins and many build
ings were RACED to the ground. The
immense Plant System passenger
depot was the first building in the
path of the storm, and was com
plete wreck.
The magnificent prize train of the
Plant System, exhibited at the Cot
ton States Exposition and stored in
the shed, was wrecked and the cars
are almost total loss. The Cen
trail Railroad and Georgia & Ala
bama Railroad freight warehouses
on the opposite side of the city were
uDroofed and the walls demolished.
The public market was blown in.
The theater was partially unroofed
and the Second Baptist Church is
almost total wreck. The Savan-
nah Hospital and the Georgia In
Urinary were unroofed. The City &
Suburban Street Railway car sheds,
in which were stored twenty cars,
were blown down. The Georgia
Hussars' Armory was badly dam
aged. Nearly every store in the re-
tail part of the city was more or less
damaged.
The damage to the shipping was
less than in 1893.
One of the most complete wrecks
is Forsyth Park, which has been the
pride of the city. Three fourths OF
the trees are blown down or torn up
by theroots, and are lying in every
direction. The city is in a tangle OF
wires. The street car lines stopped
running soon after the blow began
and the cars are standing on the
tracks in every part of the city
The warehouses on the river front
were heavily damaged.
The Savannah Guano Company
Mills, Corner, Hull & Cos. GuanC
Works and the Southern Cotton Oil
Company's mill and storage sheds or
the river front were badly wrecked
The heaviest damage was sustained
by Conner, Hull & Co., their mill be.
ing almost a total wreck.
The latest reports indicate that the
damage and loss of life will be great
er than ever known. The city is in
total darkness tonight and tn {
police and firemen are doing double
duty.