The herald., 1897-01-04
THE SOUTHERN CYCLONE
Fewer Fatalities Than Were FeareA
Much suffering Caused.


LITTLE ROCK. Ark. Jan. s.-Com-
munication has been restored on the Inns
Of the Iron Mountain south of here, and
reports indicate the greatest suffering
from last nights storm was in the town
of Benton, where half dozen houses
were demolished ane several fretgkt
cars standing at the station were over
turned Several persons were more or
less injured and many had narrow es-
capes and thrilling experiences, but no
fatalities occurred.
1t seems the storm was severest in the
southern portion of the state, and it 10
not unlikely that casualties occurred In
some OF the numerous humber camps IN
the section.
All the towns between Little Rock and
TexarNana suffered more or less dan1I
age, and reports from the country give
several instances of damage to farm
houses and cabins.
The rain all over the southern portion
of the state was the heaviest in years.
and all the branches and creeks we're
overt1oWed. The railroads IN many
places are under water, but trains are
now running nearly on time.
The Cannonbail. which was held at
Benton last night, had narrow escape
from being wrecked, and but for th2
heroism of a country lad, a terrible dis
aster might have occurred. The train
was late and was running at high rate
of speed when nearing Benton Five
minutes more and it would have reached
the spot where farm house near the
track had been demolished and trees
We're blown across the track A boy.
realizing the danger secured a lantern
and tagged the Cannonball just in TINA.
The passengers made up a purse ana
presented it to him.
The rainfall at Little Rock continued
until early this morning, the precipita-.
tiol being more than four inches The
streets were flooded, and in many por-
tiOns of the city the water stood to the
depth of foot in many buildings. The
water from Second and Third streets.
west of State, came down that street to
Markham like a mill-race, and the
streets were filled with debris all the
way from State street east to Arch.
The water in the branch at Spring ana
Seventh streets overflowed and flooded
the neighboring residences and assumed
threatening proportions on Centre and
Fifth streets. Merchants in this vicinity
had to move their wares to elevated
places. The brick sidewalk over the
branch In front of Gilmore 81 store on
Fifth street caved in, and the butcher
shop OF Y. u. Cleaver and the grocerv
store of w. r. Taylor were inundated
by the water. In the street the water
was foo and half deep, and 1t crossed
Fifth, flooding Isenberg's dry goods
store and other business places South
and east OF the Union depot the water
accumulated and formed a small lake,
and at one point culvert was unable
to accommodate the great volume and
caused the water to play havoc with the
roadbed of the railroad. Victory street
was all under wster from, Markham
south, and people living in that vicinitN
were compelled to travel around by cross
streets Ninth and Main streets were q
sea of water for hours, reaching a depth
of a foot. Water street was a roarin8
river from Chester east to Main, carry-
ing everything before 1t. In the vicin-
ity of the Pacific hotel water mads
alarming achievements and flooded part
of the lower floor of the hotel. The tenn
perature took a sudden tumble at noon.
and the indications are for snow
IN LOUISIANA.
SHREVEPORT, La, Jan s.-Thero
Is little to add to the Mooringsport dis
aster reported last night. The relief
train of the Kansas City Shreveport
and Gulf road arrived this morning
with the following named wounded, who
were conveyed to the hospital:
Mrs Susan Head, body bruised, Eash
In abdomen and skull fractured.
Mrs. r. G. Morgan. three scalp wcundA
and badly bruised.
Mrs. Morgan's child. skull broken.
Emma Morgan. skull fractured.
Alice Goodman, skull fractured and
broken arm
Coralee Goodman, body bruised.
Claude Goodman. arm broken.
Mrs. Jesse Goodman, scalp wound
and body bruised.
Jordan Robertson (colored) shoulder
and arm broken.
Two of the four Goodman children
thp 49, a. - IL
home with their clothes strippeq from
their bodies. which were bruised and
n,aneled- OF the number at the hos
pitai Mrs. Morgar's child and Mrs.
Head have little chance OF recovery.
The wounded are receiving all The a.