The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-01-04
CYCLONE IN ARKANSAS FOLLOWED
BY TORRENTS OF WA
TER.
TOO DAMP IN LITTLE ROCK.
RIVERS OF WATER SEVERAL
FEET DEEP IN THE PRINCE
PAL STREETS.
Score of Small Villages Suffered Sc.
verely From the storms
Wrath.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, Jan. 3.-Com-
munication was established with all of
the towns south of here on the Iron
Mountain today, and the reports indi-
cate that the greatest sufferer by last
nights storm was the town of Benton,
where half dozen small frame houses
We're demolished and several freight
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
fatanties occurred. 1t seems that the
storm was severest in the southern por-
tlon OF the state, and it is not unlikely
that casualties occurred in some of the
numerous lumber camps in that section
All the towns between Little Rock and
Texarkana suffered more or less dam
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 were
oVerfiowed. The railroad in many
places is under water, but trains are
now running nearly on time The
Cannon Ball" which was held at Ben
ton last night, had a narrow escape
from being wrecked and but for the
heroism Of a country lad a terrible
disaster might have occurred The
train was late and was running at a
nigh rate of speed when nearing Ben
ton. Five minutes before it would have
reached the spot the storm struck
farm house near the track and demol-
fshed it. Trees were blown across the
track. A boy, realizing the danger, Sc
cured lantern and tagged the Can
non BALI just in time. The passengers
made up purse and presented it to
him.
LITTLE ROCK FLOODED.
The rainfall at Little-Rock contin
ued until early this morning.; the pre-
c1pltation was more than four inches
The sreets were flooded and in MANY
portions of the city water was to the
depth of foot in buildings The wat
er 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 east to Arch
Ihe water in the branch at Spring
and Seventh streets overf1owed and
flooded the neighboring residences and
assumed threatening proportions at
center ana Filth Merchants along
Fifth and Center had to move their
wares to elevated places. The brick
sidewalk over the branch in front of
Gilmore's store on Fifth street caved
in. and the butcher shop of E. D.
Clever and the grocery store of w. r.
Taylor were inundated by the water.
In the street the water WAS a foot and
half deep, and it crossed Fifth, food
ed Isenberg's dry goods store and 9th
er business places. South and east of
the union depot the water accumulated
and formed a small lake, and at this
point a culvert was unable to accom-
modate the great volume, and caused
the water to play havoc with the road
bed of the railroad. Victory street
was all under water from Markham
south, and people living out in that
direction were compelled to travel
around by cross streets to reach their
homes. Ninth and Main was a sea
Of water for hours last night reach
ing a depth of a foot. Water street
was a roaring river from Chester east
to Gaines, carrying everything before
it. In the vicinity of the Pacific hotel
near the union depot, water made
alarming achievements, and flooded
part of the lower floor of the hotel.
The temperature took a sudden tumble
at noon, and the indications are for
snow.