The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-03-15
Little Town Of Wills Point AL
most Torn 10 SplinterS.
THE LOSS OF LIFE VERY SMALL
Many People, However, Are Badly
injured, and Several rlay Die.
Property Loss Is Heavy,

A terrible storm struck Wills Point.
Texas, Saturday, killing four persons
outright, iniuring many others aud de-
stroying a great amount of property.
Black clouds had been hanging in
the southwest all the morning. The
atmosphere was heavy and at intervals
there had been clustering showers Of
rain. 1t was just at noon, when there
was q long roar of rumbling thunder,
puff of wind and then the air was thick
with flying timbers.
The cyclone came from the south
west and held to straight northeast
course. It's path was about 800 yards
wide. It struck the northwest quar-
ter of the town, in the residence sec
ton. No house is left whole; those
that are not left irreparably wrecked
are in the minority. Most of them
are demolished-mer heaps of de-
bris, that offer opportunity for the
Junk man. Household furniture and
utensils are strewn further than the
eye can reach, and they mark the
storms path.
East of Wills Point the country is
dotted here and there with evidences
of the storms fury, and by the little
mounds of wreckage its course can be
| followed to the Arkansas line,
At New Boston and at Texarkana it
seems to have left the state. At both
these places, especiallyAt the former,
houses were considerably damaged.
At New Boston two negroes were in
jured by flying debris. The recovery
of one of them is doubtful. A number
of small houses were wrecked. AT
Texarkana some damage was done on
College Hill, a suburb, but it was of a
minor character.
The westernmost trace of the storm
is in Collin county, about thirty miles
north of Dallas. Here the wind was
very strong, but it did not develop itself
into the strength of a.tornado. Hail
fell and it was followed by torrential
rain. At one place where a measure
ment was made 1876 inches fell in
forty minutes.
At Terrell the rainfall was extremely
heavy and some damage was sustained
There was''no one injured there,
At Blossom no one was seriously in
/, iured, but the damage to residences
was great. At and near Emery, Rainel
county, one man was killed and sew
eral persons were hurt, two serious
ly.
The storm was first reported from
Uvalde, on the Mexican border, wher,
l church was wrecked. Several town
: between Uvalde and Wills Point re
port small damage, but it was not un
til the last named place was reaches
that there was tornado effect.
The storm section extends into Ar
o kansas, Louisiana and up the Missis
: sippi valley nearly to Memphis in re
gions almost without wire or rail
Telegraph companies are finding
: difficult to gather details of the storm
r but enough is known on which to has
;, estimates of property losses approx
q mating 81, 900, 900 to the farming an
other interests, and at least a score {
Il people dead.
Railroad trains to Dallas from tn
storm sections were badly delayed
n Passengers report extensive destruC
r ton of property along the lines.
! Sunday Mayor Finney issued a stat,
= ment on the Wills Point situation. Il
d says nearly one hundred persons al
IS entirely destitute and are being care
n for by local authorities. A relief con
-, mittee has been formed.