The free press. (Poplarville, Miss.) 1890-19??, 1901-03-28
Twenty Persons Killed a nd
Forty Injured.
Tornado Sweeps Southern Sec.
ton of Birmingham.
Hundreds of Houses Torn Into Frag-
ments and Much Other Prop
erty Destroyed.

A fearful tornado, in all the fury Of
its pent-up rage, swept down upon the
southern section of Birmingham short
ly before 10 o'clock Monday morning
and in its ruthless course up the
valley left death and destruction in
its wake. The frowning storm king
summoned all the wrath at his COM
mand and with an awful grinding roar
tore hundreds of houses into fragments
and claimed twenty human lives, the
price OF his unwelcome visit.
Twenty persons were crushed and
killed by the flying debris and scores
of men, women and children were
mangled beneath the wreckage, which
was strewn from east to west for a
distance of more than two miles.
1t is estimated that 500 houses were
destroyed and damaged, entailing a
property loss of between $500, 900 and
f500,0 900.
Among the dead are DIR. G. G.
Chapman, one of the most prominent
physicians of the city, and the wife
and child Of Hon. r. j.. Lowe, chair
man of the state democratic executive
committee.
The fearful catastrophe has cast a
gloom over the entire city, but will
ing hands have set to work to relieve
the suffering and distress that sends
up its pitiful cry from the pathway
of the storm.
The following is the list of the dead
end injured, reported to a late hour
Tuesday night;
The Dead.
DIR. G. G. Chapman, Mrs. Robert J..
Lowe, infant child of Mrs. Lowe, J.
Alexander, merchant, corner avenue
j and Twenty-fourth street; little
daughter of Mr.. B. B. Hudson, f.
Myro, colored, collector Union Mu-
tual Association of Mobile; Carrie
Hudson, colored; Maggie Blevins,
coored Carrie Henry, colored; Liz
zie Goodloe, colored; F. Steadmire,
school girl, colored; Lizzie Green, col
ored; unknown negro cook for B. B.
Hudson; unknown carpenter, struck
by flying timber, unknown negro,
Pratt City; John Gardner, Irondale;
three negro children, Irondale,
Fatally Injured.
Mrs. r. H. Thomas, Mrs. W. II.
Thomas, Mrs. d. d. Mclaughlin.
Mrs. J. Furguson, Mrs. Mylum, Prof.
Grambs mother-in-law; Carrie Elm.
colored, W. p. Dickinson, medical
student, conclusion of brain.
A terrific rain storm followed the
+ wind and greatly retarded the work
of relief, which was Immediately be-
gun by an army of volunteer rescuers.
Path of the Storm.
The storm struck the city in the ex-
treme southwestern corner and plowed
its way eastward, leaving a path 150
feet wide through the entire southern
section, extending from Green Springs
on the LETT to Avondale on the east
1t continued its course onward until
itg fury was spent in the mountain be-
yond Irondale.
The morning dawne] cloudy aud
sultry and grew more threatening as
the day advanced. Clouds began tc
gather, and shortly after 3 O'Clock
sharp lightning flashed from the south
west. The air became heavy and
sitting, and it was evident that &
storm was brewing but no ont
dreamed that it would burst with suct
fury upon the city few minutes later
The velocity of the wind began to in
crease, and suddenly from out of the
overcast sky the funne-shaped cloul
made its descent, and, hugging close tc
the earth, passed through the city il
Fleaps and bounds, leaving death anc
desolation in its pathway.
The altitude of the cyclone was mo-
more than seventy-fve feet The
negro shanties and cottages in the
lowlands in tine path of the STERN were