The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-03-26
MANY KILLED
| BY TORNADO
DESTRUCTIVE STORM SWEEPS
OVER BIRMINGHAM.
GREAT LOSS OF PROPERTY
Eighteen Bodies Recovered with
Others Still Buried Under
the Ruins.

Birmingham, Ala, March 90
Shortly before 10 O'Clock this morning
fearful tornado, travelling in an east
erly direction swept over the upper
part of the city. The number of killed
is tonight estimated at 25, of whom fl we
are white. The destruction of property
is placed at quarter Of million.
Eighteen bodies had been recovered
up to p. m. and scores of injured had
been removed to the hospitals. Among
the dead are DR.. G. G. Chapman of
the firm Of Tally & Chapman, who
conducted private infirmary in this
city, and the wife and infant child of
the Hon. Robert J. Lowe. ex-chair-
man of the democratic state executive
committee.
The following is the list of identi-
fed dead and injured:
Dead DR.. G. G. Chapman, Mrs.
Robert J. Lowe and infant child, j.
Alexander, little daughter Of B. B.
Hudson, J.. Myro. colored; Carrie
Hudson, colored; Maggie Blevits, col
ored; Carrie Henry, colored Lizzie
Glen, colored: cook for B. B. Hud-
son, colored; unknown carpenter,
struck by flying lumber
Fatally injured f. H. Thomas,
Mrs. W. H. Thomas, Mrs. K. Fergu-
son, Mrs. Aylum. Carrie Elm, colored.
The storm struck the city in the ex-
treme southwestern corner and plowed
its way eastward, leaving a path $50
feet wide through the southern Sec
tion, extending from Green Springs
on the west to Avondale on the east
and continuing it's course until it's
fury was spent in the mountains be-
yond Irondale, a small town six miles
east of the city.
Morning dawned cloudy and sultry
and grew more threatening as the day
advanced. Clouds began to gather and
shortly after 8 O'Clock sharp lightning
flashed from the southwest. The air
became heavy and sitting. The ve-
locity Of the wind suddenly began to
increase and from out of the east sky
hung funnel shaped cloud. Hugging
close to the earth, it passed through
the city in leaps and bounds.
The altitude of the cyclone was not
more than IS feet. The negro cot
tages in the lowlands in the path of
the storm were the principal sufferers
The larger residences on the higher
grounds suffered but slightly. Large
trees Oh the hillside Of ST. Vincent's |
HOSPITAL were torn up by their roots
and large masses of stone were hoisted |
out of the earth.
From Eighth to Tenth streets the
tornado bounded like rubber ball
and when it again decended it struck
the two story house occupied by Jos.
Jusenhelhner and almost raised it from
the ground. The 11-year- old daughter |
of John Krunsey was caught under the
debris and severely injured. The
house occupied by Taylor Hanson
nearby was unroofed and three small
negro houses demolished.
Onward the wind sped, in it's fury
demolishing trees and fences until it
reached Eleventh street, where
house owned by John Hayes was
levelled to the ground. Swimming
close to the earth, the storm swept
through the grove tearing trees up
by their roots and hurling them
though the air like arrows. Beyond
the grove the storm cloud swooped
lown upon the nego settlement and
The fail cabins were crushed like egg
shells, nothing being left in its path
way. Carrie Elm, IL negro woman,
vas buried beneath the debris, but
most of the negroes escaped with
slight injuries.
Eastward the storm swept, cutting
is way through another strip of I
woods, striking the Second Presby- 9
erian church at the corner of Avenue g
I and Fifteenth street, demolishing the q
tructure. East of the church and di-
ectly in the tornado's path was s
mother negro settlement and much 9
lavoc was wrought among the frail !
hacks, seven of which were swept !
way. A number of small houses q
we're levelled between Seventeenth and
Eighteenth streets. A small house G
coupled by negroes was completely
and Granny Curry,
egro woman, was caught beneath the
imbers and sustained serious injuries. d
,hree other houses were blown down O
earby. q
The storm then struck the more O
hickly settled resident portion of the a
ity and it's work of destruction in q
reased. The cottage occupied by Q
red Schaeffer in South Eighteenth Y
treet, and small frame building O