Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-04
SOUTHWESTERN STORMS.
No Loss Of Life Reported From
Arkansas.
The Rain all Over the State was
the Heaviest in Years, and al
Little Rock Amounted to Over
Four Understandings Flooded
and Other Damage Done-The
Disastrous Results in Louisiana.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark, January Com
munication was re-established with all
the towns south of here on the Iron Noun
tain to-day, and the reports indicate that
the greatest suffering by last nights
storm was at the town of Benton, where
half a dozen small frame houses were de-
molished and several freight cars stand
ing at the station were overturned. Sew
eral persons were more or less injured,
and many had narrow escapes and thrill
ing experiences, but no fatalities occurred.
1t seems that the storm was severest in
the southern portion Of the State, and it
is not unlikely that
CASUALTIES OCCURRED
in some of the lumber camps in that sec
tion.
IN 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 overflow
ed TIL erailroad in many places is under
water. but trains are now running nearly
on time.
The cannon bali, which was held at
Benton, last night. had narrow escape
from being wrecked, and but for the
keroism OF a country lad
A TERRIBLE DISASTER
might have occurred. The train was late
and was running at a high rate of
speed when nearing Benton. Five minutes
before it would have reached the spot the
storm struck a farm house near the track
and demolished it. Trees were blown
across the track. a boy, realizing the
danger, secured lantern and tagged the
cannon ball Just i'm time. The passengers
made up purse and presented it TO him.
The rainfall at Little Rock continued
until early this morning; the precipitation
was more than four inches. The streets
were flooded and in many portions Of the
city the water was TO the depth OF foot
in 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 filed with debris
all the way from State east 20 Arch. The
water in the branch at Spring and Seventh
streets overfiowed and flooded the neigh
boring residences and assumed
THREATENING PROPORTIONS
at Centre and Fifth. Merchants along
Fifth and Centre had to move their wares
to elevated places. The brick sidewalk
over the branch in front of Gil
more's store on Fifth street,
caved in and the butcher shop of +. d.
Clever and the grocery store of w. R. Tay-
lor were inundated by water. In the
street the water was foot and a half
deep and 1t crossed Fifth. flooding Isen-
berg's dry goods store and other business
places. South and east of the Union depot
the water accumulated and formed
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 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 wa
ter for hours last night. reaching 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 about