The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-06-14

prayed the great black cloud of destruc-
ton was upon the village Out of the gen.
eral and terrific war 1 could hear the crash
ing and kissing sound as house after house
collapsed. l ran out and was struck twice
by pieces of flying planks. Then the storm
was gone. 1t had come from the south
west. 1t struck and destroyed all the resi-
dences lying between it and the Omaha
tracks. The depot was right in its path, as
it crossed the track there and went right
up the main street of the town destroying
every building in the business center.
1t Was Awful
Immediately began the work of rescue
1t was awful. God keep me from seeing
the like again! Everywhere means, shrieks
and calls for help were heard The wound
ed cried out for prayers. | gave them abb
solution while assisting in the work of res
cue Catholics and protestants alike prayed
for them"
Father Degman fastened to the center
of the town, where the loss of life had been
greater 1t was hard to tell where to be-
gin work. The people who had escaped
turned out with tools, wagons and horses
to the work of rescue. 1t was done sys-
tematlcally. Groups of excited, distressed
and broken-hearted men We're detailed to
different buildings. Whenever a cry for
keep still for fear of displa cling some mass
that would crash down upon glim The dead
were generally taken to the Catholic and
Congregational churches but many were
taken to private residences. The means of
the wounded were mingled with the cries OF
the living when they found their dead
The seriously wounded received atten-
tion at the hands of four doctors of the
town, f. W. Eply, p. McKeen, Frank
Wade, c. K. Knapp and Girard, horse
doctor. The doctors instruments and medi-
cine had been lost in the storm. The rudest
bandages were used.
Hundreds Are Missing
1t is the average resident of New Rich
mond who estimates the loss of life most
seriously. They claim that hundreds are
missing who were incarcerated in the
ruins
One such is c. A. Nelson, who owned the
Columbian restaurant, located on Main
street His estimate of the loss is 400
dead He says that when the rain storm
was preceded by the cyclone not less than
twenty persons rushed into his place for
shelter. He is positive that not more than
four, besides himself, escaped The build
ing was a substantial frame structure.
When he heard the roar he tried to escape
through the back door, but could not open
it. He then threw himself fiat under a
heavy moulding board, and showed it
against the bake oven. At that instant
the wind came. 1t left him just space
enough to crawl out. In the shop was
Mrs Broadback, who was killed. Nelson
found only four alive. He could hear
scleams and groans. Since then he has
seen none of the survivors. Everyone was
killed. he says, but he cannot remember
the names of those in the shop. There are
fifteen bodies in the Congregational church
on seats and in the aisles. Crowds
thronged in searching for their dead. The
women of the church assisted in caring
for the dead and the suffering. At the
Catholic church similar scene was en-
acted. Here a dozen bodies were laid out
and some of them were awaiting identifl-
cation Later several corpses were added
to those already there.
Only One in a Family
In John Gliddens family one escaped in
Jury. The family was in the living rooms
over the store on Main street when the
cyclone struck Mrs. John Glidden was in
stantly killed. Mr., Glidden, John Glidden.
Jr.. Mary, aged "a; Charles, aged 16, and
Ella, aged TO- were also seriously hurt.
Mary was carried block form the house,
and little on the edge of the mill pond.
Many bodies are though to be in the
pond. Of the 500 stores and buildings COM
prising the town fully 800 We're totally
wrecked by the cyclone. Almost every
family has one or more among the dead,
injured or missing, and little groups are
seen everywhere searching by the light of
a lantern or torch for loved ones who may
be burning in the piles of debris on every
hand The wounded find temporary asy-
lum in uniniured dwellings, on either sldo
of the path OF devastation, where doctors
and nurses from nearby cities and towns
work without sleep or rest.