Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1897-03-25
TERRIBLE CYCLONE.
Awful Havoc Made by q Storm In
Georgia and Alabama.
CHILDREN KILLED IN An ACADEMY.
~ School Ia Wrecked and Eight Persons
Are Taken Out Dead and Five Others
Are MORALLY WOunded-A Fam.
ny Of Eight Drowned.

EUPALA, Ala, March sS.-This city
was swept by cyclone yesterday
morning, in which death and disaster
played a dreadful part. Hourly the
record becomes more appalling. For
several days there has been summer
mildness all through southern Georgia
and southern Alabama and the country
tributary to the Chattahoochie river.
Sunday the thermometer went up TO
% and the air was as oppressive us
ever 1t felt during the June solstice.
With the coming Of night the skies
were beclouded and rain began to fall
copiously about midnight Toward
morning there was cessation Of pre-
cipitation, but the leaden skies and in
creasing wind told Of storm, which
came with terrific and wrenching force.
Men were almost caught up from the
streets before they could find shelter.
Shutters, roofs, etc, gave way and for
two hours there was terror and desc
lation, when the cyclone passed of to
the northwest, coursing along the
Chattahoochie valley.
The reports soon coming in told Of
the terrible devastation. The town Of
Blakeley, in Georgia, was almost
lifted out Of existence, and people
seeking refuge indoors were as badly
knocked around by cracking and fall
ing timbers as were those on the out
side, who were unable to dodge fence
rails and other flying missiles The
most shocking story OF all, however,
was that which came from Arlington,
Early county, Ga. 1t was about eight
o'clock when the pupils Of Arlington
academy began to assemble There
were about 80 present when Prof. Gov
ington noticed the coming storm and
called them in for shelter.
On and on came the storm, with
whizxing sound, increasing until 1t
lifted two cabins across the way into
midair, wrenching them into splinters
q man would a handful Of rotten
wood. The sight Of this SO affrighted
the children that they chung piteously
70 Prof. Walker and Prof Covington,
who vainly tried to quiet them. A
cracking noise was heard and the
shutters and swinging doors were
wrenched from their hinges. Then
came a twisting and q careening and
the north partition gave way, falling
with deadly effect upon group Of
children who were clinging to the pro
iessors The doors and windows gone,
the storm had full sway within, frag.
ments Of timber flying In the air, the
children thrown helpless, being caught
up and dashed against the walls. The
cries Of the wounded, the groans Of the
dying are described as having been
heart-rending while all this was 60
ing on.
The people Of the town, regardless
Of the wreckage Of their own homes,
ran. TO the school, where they knew
their children were, only to find many
Of them dead, others wounded and
pinioned beneath the debris. Prot
Walker had his arms and legs broken
and cannot live, Eight were dead
when taken out and five Of the Others
were mortally wounded.
The scenes around the building were
most heart-rending as mothers clasped
the forms Of their loved children in
their arms, needing not their bloody
and mangled condition.
Some remarkable escapes were re-
lated. One little girl, almost suffocated
to death for want OF air, was lying
under three Of her dead companions,
whose bodies had formed buffer
which saved her from the severity OF
the blows Of falling debris.
Along the banks Of the river up from
Appalachicola there is but one story Of
death and destruction. The storm
came from the gulf Of Mexico forming
ON the western side, and entering the
Appalachicola valley, traversed It's con-
fluent streams to their source. The
Appalachicola Is formed by the con.
Junction Of the Chattahoochie and the
Flint, the first Of which, up to West
Point, forms the state boundary be.
tween Georgia and Alabama, and the
second DIVORCES northeasterly into
the heart Of Georgia. 1t was in the
tongue Of the territory within this cir
cumference that the strength Of the
storm was spent. and most of It il not
accessible to Telegraph communication,
and details are hard to obtain.
From Henry county, Ala, around
Abbeyville, there comes stories OF
death and wreck, but no names have
been received. A family Of five was
reported killed near Geneva. A sec.
ond disaster, that Of foods, Is now
upon the county. The rivers and
creeks are swelling with rainfall
which almost resembles a cloudburst
lin its copiousness. On both sides of
the Chattahoochie, south of this place,
the aelds are oycraowed. dss.ysy.ss