The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1898-01-19
TORNADO'S AWFUL WORK
Forty. Five Residents of TT Smith,
Ark, Lose Their Lives.
scores of Buildings Demoiishcd, Prop
erty Loss BEING Estimated mt
sI.oOO.O00 - Relief Work
begins at Once.

Fort Smith, Ark, Jan. 1.-TWO score
Of human lives and upward Of $1,000
300 worth of property were destroyed
by terrible tornado which burst upon
this city few miGutes past II o'clock
Tuesday night. The storm struck near
the National cemetery and tore its way
through the entire city, leaving its path
marked by death and desolation. Men.
women and children, peacefully sleep
ing in their homes, were, without
moments warning, awakened TO meet
a horrible death in the fearful storm,
while others momentarily more for
tunate and who escaped the furies of
the wind, met a far worse fate few
moments later in the flames which soon
engulfed many of the wrecked build
ings.
An Awful Scene.
The scene following the first terrific
crash of the storm was one OF awful
grandeur. Business blocks, handsome
mansions, hotels and humble cottages
were RACED to the ground and scat
tered in shapeless masses. Several of
the wrecks caught fire and the inflam-
mable timbers burned furiously. The
city was crowded with rural visitors,
many of whom were sleeping at board
lighthouses unregistered. For this rea-
son the number of victims who persisted
may never be definitely known.
Work of Relief.
1t is now thought all the persons in
the storm-wrecked buildings have been
accounted for. The citizens relief
committee has $4,000 in hand for as
sisting sufferers. President Robinson,
of the Frisco railroad, unsolicited, sent
his check for $1,000. The Missouri Pa
cific railroad also sent 81 900. Business
is practically abandoned all over the
city and men of all classes are assisting
in clearing the debris.
Many Buildings Wrecked.
The tornado struck Garrison avenue
at the corner of Ninth street and made a
clean sweep from there to the Texas
corner. l. Isaacson's store was totally
demolished and the stock is total loss
Babcock's grocery store had the rear
end blown out. The following stores
were totally demolished Fleming
Bros. coffee and tea; Hartsf1eld's res
taurant, Smiths grocery store, Mar
tinez' secondhand store, ]. Nance, dry
goods; Mann & Wilson. groceries; City
feed store. Those badly damaged are
]. w. Patrick's shoe store, Boyd Bros
flour and feed store, Tom Caldareo
fruits; Racket store, dry goods; Frank
Bollinger, liquors: OShea & Hrsch.
Frank Bourland's store on South Sixth
street was unroofed and NJ w. Burke's
foundry was demolished. The beauti-
full National cemetery is wreck. The
huge trees are uprooted, the lodge de-
molished ard the walls torn down. Fort
Smiths $4,000 high school building, the
finest of its kind in the southwest, was
badly wrecked, but was one of the few
buildings upon which there was any
tornado insurance. The tornaod de-
stroyed two historic buildings. Judge
Parkers residence is badly wrecked and
the old Rector mansion, where Albert
Pike passed his days is a pile of ashes
the ruins having caught fire from 6
lamp. The First Baptist church and
the Central Methodist church were
RACED to the ground. and now only a
scattered pile of kindling wood. The
Church of the Immaculate Conception
and Brownscombe Memorial church lost
their spires and sustained other damages
The Death List.
Fort Smith, Ark, Jan. 14.-The latest
official death list shows total of A.
lives lost in the tornado which swept
through Fort Smith Tuesday night
Not less than 70 others are injured,
large number of whom are seriously
hurt, and several are expected to die.
In Crawford county three persons were
killed, three fatally injured and about
20 less seriously hurt.