The record-union., 1898-01-13
awful DISASTER
In ARKANSAS.

Smith, Jr.; Mrs. Gray, son and wife;
Atlas Jones, Eta Kies.
The seriously injured: Mrs. Braden,
arm broken; D. L. Grimes, collarbone
broken; Martin, chin fractured and
side bruised; - Hosea, jaw broken;
VIM. Lawson, back injured Bell Mar
tin, chest smashed; Tony Eberhart, hips
bruised; f. E. Hubbell, back hurt; r. H
Crenholder, back injured; Alb Stafford,
back injured; Ashworth, chest
Mrs. Gate, badly mashed; Mrs. Gates
mother, seriously crushed; Minnie Bur-
CESS, spine injured; Mrs. E. Grell, in
jured about chest; Mrs. Hugh Rogers,
badly bruised about the body; Mr. ana
Mrs. Ritter, caught under falling walls:
Mrs. F. H. Brown body crushed; Mrs.
Luther Hunley, chest crushed; - Lane,
hip dislocated; Ed Yaden, badly
bruised; - Wolsey, seriously hurt; r. L..
Hirschberger, shoulder dislocated, in
jured about the head; Miss Lily Stahl,
seriously injured; Frank Magruder,
chest crushed; unknown tramp, will
die; Mrs. Emma Austin, leg broken;
Irving Kohler, shoulder broken; Mrs.
John Beal, ribs broken, may die; Baby
Beal, badly bruised, may die; Mrs.
Kohler, leg broken; Joseph Jones, leg
cut and arms fractured; Miss Wilson,
ea1-l 1aral ri
broken; d. D. Foreman. arm and leg
broken; H. H. Fisher, arm broken; w.
A. Rumford, hip injured; J. ]. Short,
spine injured; William Blake, injured
internally.
The scene following the first terrible
crash of the storm was one of awful
grandeur. Business blocks, handsome
mansions. hotels and humble cottages
were RACED to the ground and scattered
in shapeless masses. Several of the
wrecks caught fire, and the inflammabla
timbers burned furiously
The city was crowded with rural visit
tors, many of whom We're sleeping at
boarding houses unregistered. For this
reason the number of victims who per
ished may never be definitely known
The storm struck the city near the Ma
tional Cemetery, and swept its way
Fort Smith, it bounded by Van Buren,,
and continued down the river, demolish-
ing everything in it's path. News from
outside points is not yet at hand, but
rumors of much damage as far south
as Alma have reached here, it being re-
ported that number of persons were
killed near that place.
In Fort Smith the tornado struck Gar
rison avenue at the corner of Ninth
street, and made a clean sweep from
there to the Texas corner. Nine store
buildings We're 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 of Garrison and Towsou avenues
is used as a flat. The ruins caught fire
from the night lamp. Several bodies
were taken from these ruins, two Of
them being so badly burned that they
could scarcely be identified.
The Burgess Hotel, a three-story
brick on Towsou avenue, was demol-
ished. There have been eight bodies al
ready taken from the ruins.
Rescue parties are still at work at
both places, and expect to find several
more bodies
The Federal Court is in session and
that has brought a great many farmers
here, who crowded the cheaper board
ing houses and wagon yards
The National House, a two-story
frame, went down in wreckage with if
teen inmates. but all escaped without
serious in1urv.
George Carriers house was one of the
first struck. and it turned completely
over and is now supported on the roof.
A half pane of glass was driven through
Carriers body. almost severing his head
from the trunk.
The beautiful National Cemetery is n
wreck. The huge trees are uprooted, the
lodge demolished, and the walls torn
down
Fort Smiths $4,000 high school
building, the finest one of its kind in
the Southwest, was badly wrecked. but
was one 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.
is pile of ashes, the ruins having
caught fire from a lamp.
The First Baptist Church and the
Central Methodist Church were RACED to
the ground and are now only a scat
tered pile of kindling wood The church
Of the Immaculate Conception and
Brownscombe Memorial Church lost
their spires. and sustained other dam
age.
1t is now thought all the persons in the
storm wrecked building have been ac-
counted for
The Citizens Relief Committee has
$4,000 in hand for assisting sufferers.
President Robinson of the Frisco Rail-
road. unsolicited. sent his check for
81 600. The Missouri Pacific also con-
tributed 81 900
Business is practically abandoned all
over the city, and men of all classes are