The herald., 1897-03-23
WILD WINDS
WORK WOE
To Inhabitants 0fthe Sunny
South
THE CYCLONE IN GEORGIA
Wipes the Town Of BlakeIey From the
Earth
THE CYCLONE IN GEORGIA
In the Horrible Confusion Names of the
Dead Cannot Be Lcarned-Storm
Is Followed by Flood
Associated Press Special Wire.

Associated Press Special Wire.
NEW ORLEANS. March 22.-The
Times-Democratfs, Eufaula. Ala, special
says: The city was swept by a cyclone
this morning in which death and disas-
ter played dreadful part. Hourly the
record becomes more appalling. For sew
eral days there has been summer mild
ness all through southwest Georgia and
southeast Alabama and the country
tributary to the Chattahoochee river.
Yesterday the thermometer went up to
so and the air was oppressive as ever
it felt during the June solstice. With the
coming Of night the skies were be-
clouded and rain began to fall about
midnight. Toward morning the leaden
skies and increasing wind told of a
storm. which soon came along with
terrific and wrenching force. When the
storm struck shutters, roofs, ETC., gave
way, and for two hours there was terror
and desolatlon, when the cyclone passed
off to the northwest, coursing along the
Chattahoochee valley.
The reports soon coming in told of the
terrible devastation. The town of Blake
ley, in Georgia, was almost lifted out OF
existence, and people seeking refuge in
doors were as badly knocked around by
cracking and falling timbers as were
those on the outside. who we're unable to
dodge fence rails and flying missiles. The
most shocking story of all, however,
was that which came from Arlington.
Early county, Georgia. 1t was about
o'clock when the pupils of the Arlington
academy began to assemble. and there
were about fifty pNsent when Prof
Covington, noticing the storm coming,
called them in for shelter. On and on
came the storm, with roaring sound,
increasing until it lifted two cabins
across the way into mid-air. crushing
them into splinters. The sight Of this
so frightened the children that they
clung desperately to 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.
Them came twisting and a careening,
and the north portion gave way, falling
with deadly effect upon a group of
cnllQIeII WlO were Cllll6Itl6 " thC PtO-
fessors. The doors and windows gone,
the storm shrieked through the rocking
building, and the little ones, thrown to
the floor, were crushed under flying and
falling debris. The cries of the wouded
and the groans of the dying are de-
scribed as heart rending. 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 dead, others wouded and
pinioned beneath the debris. Prof.
Walker had his arms and legs. broken
and cannot live through the night.
Among the dead are:
Ollie Parramoore.
Claude Roberts.
Alice Putnam.
Albert Butler
Willie McMurray.
Kenneth Boynton.
Maude Johnson.
Mary Wellons.
The wounded are:
Ernest Wellons, leg broken.
Dudley Kilbrew. both legs broken
Prof. Covington, internal injuries; will
die.
Allen Carter, leg broken.
Esther Carter. Internal injuries; will
die.
Ben McMurray, head crushed; will die.
Bette Parramoore, arm broken and
hurt internally.
Robert Childers, shoulder dislocated.
Simon Sanders. hurt internally: will
die.
George Riley, arm broken; hurt inter-
nally.
Clara Thighen, arms broken; hurt in
ternally; will ode.
The scenes around the building were
most pitiful. The rain began to pour
in torrents as soon as the wind passed
off and hundreds OF people were drench-
ed to the skin while clearing away the
wreck
Some remarkable escapes were related.
One little girl, almost suffocated, was
lying under three Of her companions,
whose bodies had formed buffer. which
lesssned the severity of the blows of the
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, and entering
the Appa,echicola valley, traversed its
continent streams to their sources. The
Appafachicola Is formed by the conjunc-
tion of the Chattachooche and the Flint
the first Of wEich. up to West Point
forms the boundary lire between Geor-
sia and Alabama. and the second di-
yerges rorthCasteriy into the heart of
Georgia 1t was IN tie tongue Of terri
tory within this clrcumf ference that the
strrngth or the storm was spent. ard
MOST of It Is not accessible to telegraph
ic communication, an. details are hard
to obtain.
From Henry county, Ala. AZ around
Abbsville. there come itoriee Of death