The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-05-19
Texas Storm Dealt Death
and Destruction in
GOliad.
KILLED IN THEIR HOMES
People Had Sought Shelter From the
Elements and the Wind Demolished
Houses, Catching Them in the Col
lapsing Building.

HOUSTON, Tex, May I9.-The town Of
Goliad was swept by a tornado at 4
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. Fifty-seyen
persons were killed and eighty seriously
injured. Of the dead twenty-seven are
white persons and thirty are negroes
The storm swept a path a mile long
and about $50 yards in width. Within this
area there is only one building left stand
ing. and that is the residence of D Davis.
Of the Goliad Guards. The structure,
however. is a wreck.
The wrecked portion of the town ex-
tended north aad south between Church
- Patriee Streets. The section which
suffered most vas the residence portion,
the lower part being the negro settle
ment, while the upper part contained the
residences OF the Weather white classes.
The Methodist and Baptist Churches and
the Baptist parsonage, both just com
pleted, and the negro Methodist Church
= were destroyed. The Episcopal Church
was badly damaged, and fully 100 houses
were totally destroyed
Aid Sent Immediately.
A special train from Victoria, Tex,
bearing doctors, nurses. and medicines.
friends and relatives Of Goliad people, and
the O'Connor Guards, reached the
wrecked town at O'Clock Cuero, near
by town, also sent aid Immediately.
General superintendent Forbes. of the
New York, Texas, and Mexican Railway.
stopped the regular BeeYi1le train at
Goliad and turned It back to Victoria,
bringing IN on the return trip six doctors
from there and abundance of medicine
and surgical appliances. Another train
came later from Cuero with q number of
physicians. dozens Of nurses, and many
citizens.
The tornado was preceded a few mo-
ments before by heavy hailstorm. and
deep, ruubl4ng sound, but no one had any
pFemonfSoE Of the disaster, and there
wes nc opportunity for escape, as the
wind, dealing death and disaster, had
passed over In q few moments
We're in Their Homes.
Many persons were in their homes when
the storm struck, and the loss OF life in
consequence was heavier than It would
have been on a weekday. Most of those
killed had sought shelter from the heavy
fa1 OF rain aud hail preceding the Sc
we're blow,
The doctors and militiamen who came
On the rescue train Immediately started
9 fight With IRE II some. OF the wrecked
sSildings. Wounded, wherever found. were
taken out and cared for as fast as pos
sibIe- The work OF rescue was hamDeTed
greatly BY the darkness which soon fell
over the town.
DALLAS, Tex. May 19.-The tornado is
believed TO have originated On tie Gulf
Coast at point almost directly south Of
Goiiad and Travelled in a northsasteTly
direction as far as Kentucky It left
desoIation behind in four States, but
Texas seems TO have suffered more than
the others.
Lasted Five Minutes
A special to the News" from GoIiad,
Texas, sazs3
Ninety are dead, more than hundred
wounded. n addition there is a gaping
wound in the town-the path OF one of the
most destructive cyclones ever known il
Texas
The tornado struck the place about 3: 10
o'clock IN the afternoon, lasting only
about five minutes, leaving death and dis
astsr everywhere IN its wake
II came from the southeast without q
warning, completely demolishiRg a strip
Of about two blocks wide through the
whole western part Of the town, about a
mile long.
About all the dead and wounded have
been taken care Of The path Of devasta-
tion is strevR with all kinds Of debris and
dead and wounded animals.
report from the country around Coli
ad is 10 the effect that no damage was
done.
Storm at San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO, Tex. May ia heavy
TaInstorm. accompanied by 2 terrific wind,
struck this city shortly after noon yester-
day. Several persons we're injured, but
10 fatalities are reported. Scores Of
buildings were wrecked and The property
loss is placed at So. 900.
The wind reached a velocity of seventy
two miles an hour and continued at that
rate for nearly twenty minutes Il blew
from the southeast and then shifted to
the southwest, the greatest velocity being
from the latter point.
AT Fort Sam Houston Government prop
erty Was damaged to the extent Of so, 600
the doors being torn Of the officers head
quarters and barracks. The West End
Church was destroyed. causing q loss OF
<, e00. Damage TO private residences Will
reach $50. COO. HartwelTs Hotel was dam
aged to the extent OF $1,000
AdzIces received here show that the
storm was general throughout the State
extending from the Red River TO the
lower Gulf coast, g distance OF fully 5000
miles. Walters Park, small hamlet
fourteen miles to the northwest Of Austin,
Tas badly damaged, nearly threescore
houses being blown down In Austin
nurnbSr OF houses were unroofed and the
State institution for the Blind was con-
siderably damaged. though none Of the in
mates was injured. a number Of camp
ing parties at various points up the river
we're serious sufferers In the matter OF
destruction to property, but so far as
known no loss Of life Is reported
Considerable damage was also done at
Beeville. town close TO the Gulf coast,
near GoIiad-