Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1898-01-20
The FORT SMITH DISASTER.
Former Reports as to the Number of
Persons Killed Confirmed
Details are Simply
Horrible.

VAN BUREN, ARK, Jan. 12.-Fort
Smith is a scene of indescribable ruin
this morning.
Twenty-Five bodies have been tax
en- from the ruins left in the trail of
the cyclone which struck that city at
IL O'Clock Tuesday night and fifty are
known to have been killed.
Perhaps the number will be far
greater. Six solid blocks of build
ings were razed to the ground and in
a few minutes fire had added to the
terror of the situation and many bod
les will never be recovered.
Lanterns and torches alone guided
the rescuers to the ruined homes OF
the dead and dying, while the mighty
wind tore out pieces of debris from,
the wreck, making the danger almost
as great as during the arst onslaught,
as more people were on the streets.
When the fire started in the ruins,
the ranks of the rescuers had to be
divided to fight against the new dam
ger and 1t looked for time as thougl,
the entire city were doomed.
Half-erazed women and children
ran about the streets, wringing their
hands and with agonized cries, be-
moaned the fate of their loved ones.
Fathers and mothers became separat-
ed from their children and each knew
not the fate Of the others.
Brave men wept, but still worked
like demons against the terrible de-
stroyer. -EEs
The worst destruction was between
Eighth and Ninth streets. Big bust
ness houses were torn down as though
they had been built of straw. The
property loss Is hard to estimate, but
it looks at a glance as though it would
exceed q million dollars.
Every physician in Van Buren has
been sent to the aid of the stricken
people and word comes that Little
Rock has gallantiy rushed to the res
cue.
The work of rescuers goes rapidly
on and as body is carried from the
ruins, it is followed by scores of those
who have known the living man, look
ing for signs of Identification. Many
of the bodies have been torn beyond
recognition and some of them will
doubtless 60 down to unknown
graves. The wires are now up ant
full details will soon be received here
Up to the present time the wires hav'
been burdened with messages from
the outside, asking the fate of friend
in the city.
Details are simply horrible. Tit
city was in darkness, as the electri'
light plant and gas works were
prey to the demon of destruction.
A lady was found with her hea,
mashed fiat; a mother and three chill
dren were found in one group ant
terribly mutilated.
DIR. Gates had both arms and leg
broken and his wife was no doub
fatally injured.
The dead is at present estimated a
about fifty and the injured at abou
| one hundred.
The storm struck Garrison avenue
the main business street, at Ninth 81
Isaacsou's store was entirely de
molished. J. W. Patrick, shoe store
the Racket, j. K. Jones, O'Shea 1
Hinch, Grief Bros, Pat O'Keefe, Boy
Bros. and e. E. Payne suffered heav,
damage by partial wreckipg of thei
buildings and then being deluged wit
the torrents of rain that followed.
Mann & Wilson, Fleming Bros
Hartsfield's restaurant, ]. A. Mann, J
A. Smith and the city feed store a
were demolished.
The upper floor of the block ut tn
corner of Tenth and Garrison avenu
was used as fiat. The ruins caugh
fire from a night lamp and Mrs. Mau
rer and another woman, supposed t
be Mrs. Will Lawson, were burne
| D0yOuu I0CoSAipAoAs
Ed. Farrell and two children wer
taken out before the fire reache
them.
The Burgess Hotel, three-stor
brick on Lawson avenue, was blow
down and eight bodies were recover
ed from the wreck. The rescu
party is still at work on this building
| The streets are filled with debris.
The path of the tornado was straigf
through the city. The houses de
stroyed were mostly the property {
laboring men and represent the
earnings. The damage was almoi
total. There was no cyclone insul
ance.
The new $4,000 High School we
badly damaged.
The First Baptist and Central Meth
odist churches were entirely deuao
ished. The Brownscome Methodil
church and Church of the Immaculat
Conception lost their spires and wel
otherwise damaged.
| Mrs. Mary Bird, Harrisburg, Pa
says: "My child is worth millions
me; yet / would have lost her b
Group had not invested twenty fiv
cents in a bottle of One Minute Coug
Cure" 1t cures coughs, colds and a
throat and lung troubles. For sale b
Woodbridge & Purdy.
ANOTHER RABBIT HUNT.
Galloway County Farmers Ship 1,63
| Cotton Tails to the County