The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1903-06-05
Death List Foots Up Over !
Hundred With Scores
Fatally Hurt.
COTTON MILLS
Victims Were Mostly Operatives, and
With Six Exceptions All Were
Whitehead Were Horribly
Mangled.

6Ao\SH AEk v
nado dealt destruction to the city of
Gainesville and environs. killing at
least 100 people. wounding $50 more.
dwelling 100 cottages to the ground.
and tearing two stories off the factory
of the Gainesville cotton mill. OF the
killed probably two-thirds were women
and children who were operatives IN
the cotton mills. The death list in
cludes only about six negroes.
The storm came from the south, out
OF almost a clear sky, swooping down
on the Gainesville cotton mills. near
the Southern railroad station, at Is
minutes before 1 o'clock. With a ter
rible crash the two upper stories Of
the building were swept away, leaving
thirty-two operatives dead in the room.
The cyclone then swept around the
outskirts of the city to the suburb Of
New Holland, two miles away. where
are located the Pacolet cotton mills,
one Of the largest institutions OF this
character in the south. The plant of
the Pacolet company was not seriously
damaged, but probably 100 cottages
atives. who were employed in the mills.
were completely demolished, killing
thirty-three people. These were mostly
women and children, as h heads OF
families were nearly all in the factory
at work.
Refugees Were Demolished.
The store of Joseph Logan, neaa
Gainesville cotton mills, was crushed
to ruins by the wind, and eight men
who had taken refuge in 1t were in
stantly killed.
The Jones general store met a sim
liar fate, and in the ruins two people.
one mar and one woman, We're crushed
to death. The woman was Mrs. Jones.
wife OF the proprietor.
Partial Let Of Casualties.
The death list is yet imperfect, not
all the bodies having been recovered
mangled beyond recognition, the only
means Of Identification being the rec
.ords Of the two cotton mills, in which
most OF the victims worked.
The bodies Of most of the dead in the
two cotton mills were fearfully torn
and mangled; the skulls Of many of
them were crushed and the limbs brok-
en-: some were torn and crushed about
the abdomen, with the viscera visably
%protruding. The local physicians who
gave first aid to the injured say the
sights were horrible beyond descrip-
ton. The death list is expected to be
of much greater magnitude by morn
ing. al nearly thirty are believed to be
hurt beyond hope OF recovery.
Reports from White Sulphur, seven
miles from Gainesville, are to the ef-
feet that the storm struck there with
terrific force, killing a dozen people.
This. however, is not fully confirmed.
At Least 100 Dead.
Dr. Smith. city physician Of Gaines
vile, says that he has visited 100
wounded and has personal knowledge
Of 100 dead.
The property loss at the Pacolet
mills, occasioned by the destruction Of
the cottages and o~utbuildings, is es-
timated at $75,0 600. The GAINESVILLE
cotton mills are damaged to the ex-
tent Of $4,000.
The local physicians were unable to
cope with the situation, and surgeons
and medical supplies have been or
dered sent from Atlanta A special
train carrying a corps Of surgeons and
supplies arrived tonight, making the
total number of physicians now In the
city about forty.
A meeting was held last night to or
ganize a relief committee, and at
which 1t was decided to issue an ap-
peal to the public for funds to assist
the mill operatives who are thrown
out Of employment.
Gainesville, 1t is stated, can take
care of those now suffering, but there
ed by the closing down Of the mills.
The physicians who nave assisted In
the work of relief say that the scenes
at the mills We're appalling, the VIC
tins being crushed and mangled in
avery conceivable manner. pa