The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-01-13

fO1I smith, AIk., JAN --lMO. SCOIe
of human lives and upward of 81, 100000
worth of property were destroyed by a
terrible tornado which burst upon this
city few minutes past IL O'Clock last
night. The storm struck near the Ma
tional cemetery and tore its way
! through the entire city, leaving its
path reeking with death and desola
ton. Men, women and children sleep
ing in their homes were, without
moments warning awakened, to meet
death in the fearful storm, while others
who were fortunate and escaped the
fury of the wind, met far worse fate
a few minutes later in the flames
which soon cngulfed many of the
wrecked buildings.
The list OF dead and wounded. as far
as can be ascertained, is as follows:
The known dead: Silas Mincer, a
prominent young merchant; Harvey
Ruttledge, a negro; Mary Zimmerman,
two unknown men from Burgess hotel,
Joe Griswold. a tailor; John Martin OF
Madison county, ]. B. Riley of Maddi-
son county, George Carter, fireman at
the Grand Opera House; Mrs. Milt
Burgess, proprietor of the Burgess no.
tel; two unknown men, died at st.
Johns hospital; j. NJ. Foutz, farmer;
Joe Kyle, a farmer; two Lefre boys,
Nilt Knapton, jr., Mrs. Milt Knapton,
Joe Lucas, . negro; Ed Ferrill,
butcher, and his two little children,
Irene and Roy; frank Richardson, res
taurant keeper; John Adams, a car
penter; Mrs. Charles Mauver; Mr.. Rit-
ter, a gardener; Mrs. Will Lamson,
Louis Sencel. Miss Holdens John Badt,
a farmer; = Mrs. Maggie Sheeha11 S IN
FAINT. D. Woehle, a butcher; James
Smith, a clerk; Mrs. Jones, James
Smith, jr., Mr.. Gray. son and wife; At
tas Jones, Frank Lefevre, Eta Kies.
The seriously injured number %.
It is now thought all the persons in
the storm wrecked buildings have been
accounted for.
The citizens relief committee has
SIC. GOO in hand for assisting sufferers.
President Robinson, of the Frisco rail-
road, unsolicited, sent his check for
81. 900.
The Missouri Pacific railroad also
contributed $1,000.
Business is practically abandoned all
over the city, and men of all classes
are assisting in clearing the debris.
THE SCENE.
The scene following the first terrible
crash Of the storm was one of awful
grandeur.
Business blocks, handsome hotels and
humble cottages We're RACED to the
ground and scattered in shapeless
masses.
Several of the wrecks caught fire, and
the infiammable timbers burned fur
iCusly. The city was crowded with
rural visitors. many of whom were
sleeping at boarding houses unregiS- |
tered. For this reason the number Of |
victims who persisted may never be |
definitely known.
The storm struck the city near the |
national cemetery. and swept it's way |
through the heart of town. Leaving !
Fort Smith, it bounded by Van Buren,, |
and continued down the river, demoi- |
ishing everything in its path.
OUTSIDE POINTS.
News from outside points is not yet at |
hand, but rumors OF much damage as
far south as Alma have reached here, |
it being reported that a number of per-
SONS were killed near that place.
In Fort Smith the tornado struck
Garrison avenue at the corner of Ninth |
street, and made a clean sweep from /
there to the Texas corner. Nine store /
buildings were demolished and the
stocks of goods ruined.
Sixteen other business houses on the
street were badly wrecked.
The upper floor Of the block on the
corner o. t-dIItSDn anu IONSOu ave
nUes is used as fiat. The ruins caught
fire from the night lamp. Seven bodies
were taken from these ruins, two of
them being so badly burned that they
could scarcely be identified.
Burgess hotel, q. three-story brick on
Towsou avenue, was demolished. There
have been eight bodies already taken
from the ruins. Rescue parties are stil
at work at both places and expect to
find several more bodies.
The federal court is in session, and
that brought a great many farmers
here, who crowded the cheaper board
ing houses and wagon yards The Ma
tiCnal house, a two-story frame, went
down in wreckage with 10 inmates, but
all escaped without serious injury.
George Carriers house was one of
those struck. and it was turned COM
pletely over, and is now supported on
the roof. \ half pane of glass was
driven through Carter's body, almost
severing his head from the trunk.
The beautiful National cemetery is a
wreck. The huge trees are uprooted,
he lodge demolished and the walls torn
down.
Fort Smiths $4,000 high school build
ng, the finest one of its kind in the
southwest, was badly wrecked, but was
)ne of the few buildings on which there
was any tornado insurance.
The tornado destroyed two historic
buildings. Judge Parker's residence is
BADLY wrecked, and the old Rector man
sion, where Allen Pike passed his days,
S a pile CT ashes, the ruins having
:aught fire from lamp.
The First Bantist church and the
Central Methodist church were RACED to {
he ground, and are now only a scat
cred pile of kindling wood. The church :
# the Immaculate Conception and
Memorial lost their spires
md sustained other damage. '
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CROSSED THE ARKANSAS