The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-01-19
TORNADO'S AWFUL WORK
Forty Five Residents of Ft. Smith,
Ark, Lose Their Lives.
Scores of Buildings Demolished. Prom
erty Loss Being Estimated at
$1,000. 900 Relief Work
Begins at Once

Fort Smith, Ark, Jan. 13.-Two score
Of human lives and upward of 81 ,O0O,-
300 worth of property were destroyed
by terrible tornado which burst upon
this city few minutes past IL 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,
wamen 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
tanate 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 inham-
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.
II 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
ciic 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
clean sweep from there to the Texas
corner. I. Isaacson's store was totally
demolished and the stock is a total loss.
Babcock's grocery store had the rear
end blown out The following stores
were totally demolished: Fleming
Bros, coffee and tea; Hartsfeld'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
-four and feed store, Tom Caldareo,
fruits; Racket store, dry goods; Frank
Bollinger. liquors; O'Shea & Hirsch.
Frank Bourland's store on South Sixth
street was unroofed and II. ". Burke's
foundry was demolished The beauti-
frl National cemetery is a wreck. The
huge trees are uprooted, the lodge de-
m0Eshed and 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
Parker's residence is badly wrecked and
the old Rector mansion, where Albert
Pike passed his days is pile of ashes,
the ruins having caught fire from a
lamp. The First Baptist church and
the Central Methodist church were
scattered pile of kindling wood The
Church of the Immaculate Conception
and Brswnscombe Memorial church lost
their spires and sustained other damages
The Death List.
Fort Smith, Ark, Jan. 1.-THE latest
official death list shows a total of IS
lives lost in the tornado which swept
through Fort Smith Tuesday night.
Not less than 20 others are injured, a
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.
- Gr.h