Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-03-26
Tornado in the South and Snow
in the West.
Mary Lives Lost and Much Property
Destroyed in the South.
Ira MS Stalled and Pas:e Il ers SIicr in Scy.
craI We:t,rn States.


ly before 10 o'clock this morning,
fearful tornado swept over the south
ern section of this city, travelling in an
easterly direction. The number killed
is estimated at %. Only five of them
are white. The destruction of property
is placed at $3.50, 900. Eighteen bodies
have been recovered from the debris up
| to dark, and SCORES of injured have
been removed to the hospitals. Among
the dead are DIR. c. c. Chapman of the
| firm of fully & Chapman, who conduct
a private infirmary in this city. and
| the wife and infant child of Hon. Gob-
ert j. Lowe. chairman of the Demo-
cratic state executive committee.
Following is the list of identified
dead and known injured
| The dead: DR.. c. c. Chapman: Mrs.
| Robert J. Lowe: infant child of Mrs.
| Lowe; J. Alexander; little daughter of
+. r. Hudson; r. Mayo. colored. Col
| lection Union Mutual Association of
Mobile: Carrie Hudson. colored: Mag
| gle Blevins. colored; Carrie Henry.
colored: cook for 3. Is. Hudson. col
| ored: unknown carpenter, struck by
| lumber.
Fatally injured: Mrs. r. II. Thomas:
Mrs. w. II. Thomas; Mrs. d. d. Nc
| Laughlin: Mrs. ]. Ferguson: Mrs. My
! ium; Carrie Film, colored.
| Al least 81 others are known to have
| been injured.
| The storm struck the city in the ex-
| IRENE southwestern corner and plow-
ed its way eastward, leaving a path
$50 feet wide through the entire south
| Springs on the west to Avondalc on
| the east, and continued its course I'M
| til its fury was spent in the mountains
| miles east of the city.
The morning dawned cloudy and sui
try and grew. more threatening as the
| day advanced. Clouds began to gath
| er and shortly after 9 o'clock sharp
| lightning flashed from the southwest
| The air became heavy and sitting The
velocity Of the wind suddenly began
| to increase and soon from out of the
overcast sky the dreaded funnel
| shaped cloud made its descent Hug
| ging close to the earth it passed
through the city with terrible force
| The altitude of the cyclone was not
| more than - feet. The negro shanties
and cottages in the lowlands in the
path Of the storm were the principal
sufferers. the larger residences on the
higher ground suffering only slightly
The large trees on the hillside of the
st. Nincent's Hospital We're torn up
by the roots and masses of stone were
twisted out of the ground and scatter
ed all over the drivcways.
From Sth to 10th street the wind
bounded like n rubber ball. When it
again descended it struck two story
house occupied by Joseph Buscnhelner
and almost RACED it to the ground The
11-ycar-old daughter of John Krunzey.
a rolling mill man. was caught under
he debris and severely injured. A
house occupied by Taylor Hinson. nea,
by. was unroofed and three small ne
gro houses demolished. Onward it sped
until it reached 18th street where a
house occupied by John Hays was lev
eled to the ground. Swimming close to
the earth it swept through small
pine grove. tearing the trees up by the
roots and hurled them through the
air.
Beyond the grove the storm cloud
swept down on a negro settlement and
the frail cabins We're crushed like egg
shells. not one being left in the path
way of the storm. Carrie Elma, a ne
gro. was buried beneath the debris.
but most of the negroes escaped With
slight injuries. Eastward the storm
swept. cutting its way through another
piece OF woods. striking the Second
Presbyterian church at the corner Of
Avenue II and 18th street. and demoI-
fishing the structure.
East of the church. directly in the
dos path. in another negro set
| Element, seven ShackS were swept
away. number of small houses were
leveled between 18th and 18th streets.
In alley III. between 18th and 18th
tn streets. a small house occupied by
negroes was completely demolished
and Greena Curry. a negro woman.
was caught beneath the timber and
sustained serious injuries. Three other
houses We're blown down nearby.
The storm then struck the more
thickly settled residence portion of the
city and it's work of destruction in
crea Sed. Almost a clean sweep was
made of the district lying between 18th
and Goth streets and avenues II and l.
two blocks. Here the scene is one of
complete demolition. The frame cot
taGes were reduced to flattened piles of
de bris: every tree. large or small. was
either crushed down or uprooted and
fallen telephone poles and their tan
gle of wires made a mass of destruc-
ton. The occupants of some of the
houses had no warning of the coming
of the storm and were buried under the
ruins. Most of them We're. however.
rescued. bruised and bleeding, by
neighbors.
From 18th to 10th streets an Avenue
]. every house but one little shanty
was destroyed. Hinter's grocery store
was literally picked up. killing DIR. c.
C. Chapman. who had left his buggy
to escape the rain.
The dead were removed to the vari-
Gus undertaking establishments while
every available ambulance in the city
was pressed into service in removing
the injured to the hospitals.
Tonight. mass meeting of citizens
was held and a relief fund was start
Continued on page 3D.