The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-01-21
A TERRIBLE TORNADO.
Death and Destruction to Let
Loose at Fort Smith, Ark.
Nearly Half Hundred Pevsons Killed.
and Hundrsds Injured. and Large
Part Of the City Laid In Ruins
-Outsids Of the City.

8COE0 VI nutn0u itNOS 0ha oR" -
q. 900. 900 worth OF property were de-
stroyed by terrible tornado which
burst upon this city few minutes past
IL o'clock Tuesday night.
The storm struck near the national
cemetery, aud tore its way through
the entire city, leaving its path marked
by death and desolation.
Men, women and children, peace
fully asleep in their homes. were, with
out moments warning awakened TO
meet . horrible death in the fearful
storm. while others momentarily more
fortunate and who escaped the furies
OF the wind, met far worse fate
little later in the flames which soon
enveloped many Of the wrecked build
ings.
The tornado struck Garrison avenue
at the corner OF Ninth street aud made
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 Brothers cof-
fee and tea. Hartsield's restaurant,
Smiths grocery store, Marines Sec
store. Mann 4 Wilson. groceries, and
the city feed store.
Those badly damaged are: J. W.
Patrick's, shoe store; Boyd Brothers.
flour and feed; Tom Caldarera, fruits;
Racket, dry goods; Frank Bollinger,
liquors; OShea Il Hirsch. groceries; +.
+. Payne, drugs; A. 4 j. Grier, gro
ceries; J. X. Jones, liquors; Tom Ho-
cott groceries; Thompson's second
hand store; j. d. Maledon. groceries;
Kelley's meat market; L. l.. Beard,
groceries; and Pat OKeefe, liquors.
The upper door OF the block on the
corner of Garrison and Towson ave-
nuss 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, a three-story brick
on Towson avenue, was demolished.
There have been eight bodies already
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 brought great many farmers
here, who crowded the cheaper board
ing houses and wagon yards. The Ma
tional house, . two-story frame, went
down in wrecksge with Is inmates.
but all escaped without serious injury.
George Carriers house was one Of the
first struck. and it was turned com
pletely over, and is now supported on
the roof A half pane Of glass was
driven through Carriers neck. almost
severing the head from the trunk.
Pagan Bourland's store. on South
Sixth street, was unroofed. and NJ. w.
Burlse's foundry was demolished.
The beautiful national cemetery is a
wreck. The huge trees are uprooted,
the lodge demolished and the wall
torn down.
Fort Smiths $4,000 high school
building, the finest Of its kind in the
southwest, was badly wrecked, blu,
was one of the few buildings upon
oh M ina
ance.
The tornado destroyed two his
toric buildings Judge Parker's resi-
dence is badly wrecked and the old
passed his days is pile OF ashes the
ruins having caught fire from lamp
The First Baptist church and tn,
Central Methodist church were race
10 the ground. and now are only scat
tered piles of kindling wood. Thu
Church of the Immaculate Conception
and Brownscombe Memorial churcl
lost their spires and sustained othe
damage.
Signal Service Observer O'Donnell
after viewing the wreckage, is Of tn
opinion that the tornado started nea
the national cemetery.
The scene following the first terrifi
crash of the storm was one Of awfu
grandeur. Business blocks, handsom
mansions, hotels aud humble cottage
ware RACED to the ground and scattcre
In shapelcss masses. Several of tn
wrecks caught fire. and the lnflamms
BILE timbers burned furiously.
The city was crowded with rurs
visitors. many OF whom were sleepin
at boarding houses unregistered. FL
this reason the number of victims WI
persisted in Fort Smith Tuesday nigh
may never be definitely known.
The storm struck the city near III
National cemetery and swept its VS.
through the heart OF town. Leavil
Fort Smith it bounded by Van Burs
and continued down the river. demo
ishinR erything in its path. New
from outside points il not vet Mt han