The Forrest City times., 1901-03-15
Saturday Nights Blow.

" lap Of the gale and drove the winds with reckless fury, leaving desolatiou aud dis. aster tn his wake. ~.
 Many old settlers have been questioned with reference to the storm and all conrur tn the belief that it was the heaviest ever known in this county.
 Forrest City escaped, as if by miracle. the ''brun" Of the storm. and scarcely any damage was done other than the failing of . few delapidated trees and fences. al. though the rain came down fn torrents and the lightning was continuous and vivid. Adjacent communities, however. were not so fortunate.
 In the neighborhood of Beck's switch. about three and half miles west of this city much damage was done to fences and tenement houses and quite number of horses and cattle were crippled. A mum Der of tenement houses on the Dennis farm were completely demolished.
 The cabin of Dan Hughes (coD in the Spybuck community was blown into atoms and two Of its occupants killed outright. Andrew Austin. with his wife And child. of Beck's switch. were visiting Hughes her father--and when the cabin blew away they all ran in frantic excitement to seek . place of safety. The Austin woman and her child were caught up in the timbers and carried about 300 yards from the scene, and when found their bodies were horribly mangled.
 Fourteen or fifteen houses were de. stroyed in the Spy ybuck neighborhood. George Alexander, and family of eight. all sustained painful injuries, and their home was destroyed. Burke, . negro tenant on Lee McDaniels place, was hurt, though not'seriously. The Masonic hall was destroyed and Hogans chapel was lifted from its foundation intact and carried half mile into an old field. l Another tale of horror comes from Johnson township. The wind set in with great fury al the south west corner of Bob Pirtle's place and. taking northeasterly course, swept everything in it's path till 1t reached the bluff. Trees, fences and houses were laid waste for a distance of two miles. Mir. J. A. Morley, whose home was in the path of the cyclone, was killed and his wife received serious iniu. ries, having her collar bone and one rib broken. Mir. Morley was highly re- spected citizen and was an sppoIntee for service on the grand jury for the term Of court which Is now in session.
 Mr. James N. Beard informs us that he lost two houses on his place below Pales- tine. One, box house. of which he didn't think single board could be found; the other . log house. which was merely lifted from its foundation and tumbled down.
 Capt. James Russell lost three tenement houses on his farm west of town, known as the Clifton place.
 There were very heavy winds in St, Francis bottom. New ground was liter. ally covered with logs. Sheriff Williams lost one house and Ellis Hurley lost ] three.
 !, There are perhaps many other losses of which we have not been able to learn par. I ticnlars.
 The rains had the effect of extinguish. ing the forest fires which were raging in the St. Francis bottoms last week, but the winds did great damage to the fences, farm houses and deadenings.
 Many persons who had gotten their new ground In shape for cultivation will be rut to additional expense in the matter of rolling logs and fence building.
 Our Dark Corner orrespondent gives a very clear account of the damage done in his territory.
 It seems to have been genefal blow. which effected the states of Arksnsas. Texas, Mississippi and Tennessee. A full account Of the damage done in these latter states may be read in another col. umn.
 Forrest City, Ark, March 10-(Special t" Commerciai-Appeal. )-Three persons were killed and many injured in this county last night by . cyclone. Four miles west of this city Pinksy Watson, c"Iored, and her infant child, were the first victims and in the same neighbor hood sixteen houses and miles of fences and forests of tress were leveled to the ground. In Johnson township. some len miles to the northeast, and eight miles north of this place, the cyclone literally lifted the house of j. A. Morley from i.s foundation and shattered 1t to fragments. killing Morley and seriously injurinx his wife and step-son, Bob Allen. and John Latimer In the same neighborhood. ". J. Dillon's barn was leveled to the ground and one mule killed. Out buildings and miles of fences were smashed to pipces