Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1899-03-23
A TORNAD0'S TRACK.
1t Wipes Out a Family in Cleburne
County, Ala.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY IS SUBMERGED.
Three Freight TrAlnN Wrecked Mt Ada, Vn.
Damage by " Tornado In MlssiNAiDpi-
A Horse Causes IA Wreck--Cyolons
Down In Georgia.

nado struck the belt OF country lying
between HeAin and Edwardsville In
Cleburne county Saturday afternoon
and wrought great damage. The fol
lowing Is list OF the dead so far a.
known: Lewis Coffee, aged 80, tax
assessor of Cleburne county, and the
following members OF his family: Mrs.
Coffee, aged 40; Leila, aged %; James,
aged 30; Lulu, aged 10; Jacob, aged 10;
Devepoe, aged s; Dollie, aged 10; Gro
yer, aged 8; John, aged 4, and un-
known woman, near Hoflin. Many
other people were more or less seri-
ously injured. The path OF the storm
was about 200 yards wide and it ira
versed the country for ~ miles, begin
ming in the northern part Of Cleburne
county, near Iron City, and moved
southwark. Those who saw 1t say
there was an immense funnel shaped
cloud and that it bounded along like o
rubber ball, rising at intervals ano
leaping for several hundred yardt
without doirg any damage. Then,
when IL descended, it would pick up
houses and crush them to pieces, up.
root trees or twist them off level With
the ground and sweep all before it.
Lewis Coffee's residence, strong
double log house, situated on little
hill, was in the path of the storm. Ii
was swept away and the timbers scat.
tered for mile. Ten OF its II occu.
pants were instantly killed. Except
the body of the baby, which was
found under the ruins of the chimney.
the corpses of the victims were car.
ried half a mile and nine of them
were found heaped together. Every
body had been stripped of their cloth.
ing, One was twisted around u stump
and two others were headless. Beside
the body of the father lay Bessie COT
fee, the only member of the family
not instantly killed. She was uncon.
scious and her arms were around her
dead fathers neck She is unable tc.
talk and will die.
1t is estimated that about 30 build.
ings were destroyed; between 20 ano
25 persons were injured and over a
score of farms devastated. The storm
lost its force just south of Hoiln, near
which place a dozen buildings were
wrecked. The path of the cyclone
presents terrible scene of havoc.
Timbers of wrecked houses are scat.
tered in every direction. Some were
carried high into the air and Others
were driven deep into the ground or
through trees. Many head of cattle
were killed, One dead COW was found
with q shingle driven through her
back.
TRACKS UNDER WATER.
Knoxville, Tenn, March 2O-Heavy
rainfalls for several days past are now
to manifest their results.
The Southern railway has suffered
considerable damage to its tracks
between this city and Asheville, N. c.,
Tenn, and Chattanooga,
Tenn. The tracks have been sub
merged and partially washed out for
d distance of five miles near Asheville.
All traffic on the Asheville branch has
been suspended, The damage to the
branch has been tempo.
rarily repaired. The Tennessee river
At this city is ~ feet above low water
and is rising rapidly. A spring freshet
is feared.
THREE TRAINS WRECKED.
Roanoke, Va, March 20. "A fatal
wreck occurred on the Norfolk &
Western railroad at Ada Yesterday
morning, killing Fireman VanLand-
ngham, of this city, and brakeman
named E. A. Graham. A tramp was
llso killed. Several trainmen were
more or less injured. Three freight
rains were wrecked. All were com
ng east. The first train had stopped.
The second broke in two and the Sec
ions in their flight down the noun ain
tide crashed into the first train. They
we're soon followed by the third, which
lad not been tagged
TORNADO IN MISSISSIPPI.
Iuka, Miss, March 20. severe
ornado passed over part of this
county seven miles south of here at
our o'clock Saturday afternoon, blow.
ng down three buildings on the Hodge
arm and injuring two persons. The
torehouse of John Hastings at River
on Junction was destroyed and box
ar was blown from the track. AT
Miss, viii Wicke's house
vas destroyed and child killed. A
table is said to have been blown $50
ards with horse in IT, but the horse
vas uninjured.
A HORSE CAUSES A WRECK.
Auburn, Cal, March 30 "A horse on
he railroad track near Clipper Gap
witch was the primary cause of
abroad accident in which two train.
len were killed and a third seriously
liured. Westbound freight train
10. 8 struck the horse with the result
hat the first engine of the train was
itched and it's boiler broken. The
ngineer and fireman were scalded to
cath and an engineer helper was
ably burned.
CYCLONE IN GEORGIA
Atlanta, Ga, March 20.--A special
} the Constitution from Waynesboro
a., says cyclone passed over Burke
ounty at two o'clock yesterday morn.
lg. In the vicinity of Waynesboro
our people were killed.