Columbia courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1902-1905, 1903-06-05
OVER ONE HUNDRED KILLED
TERRIFIC CYCLONE STRUCK
GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA..
City Hall and Other Large Buildings
Destroyed-Terrible Loss of Life in
Bodies Strewn Everywhere-The
Day Was Turned Into Night.

Day Was Turned Into Night.
Gainesville, Ca, June 3.-Just after |
the noon hour Monday the city was
struck by q terrific cyclone, killing |
probably 100 persons, unroofing the
city hall and other large buildings.
and destroying the GAINESVILLE cotton
mills. The greatest loss of life is re-
ported in the district of the cotton
mills, where about so people are re-
ported killed and scores injured.
Eighteen persons were killed in the
city between the center of town and
the railroad station, where four large
stores were blown down. The storm
had driven away many persons at
work in the cotton mills. The mill
was a three story building. The first
story was left standing, but badly
wrecked The second and third stories
were completely demolished and the
employees were caught under the
wreckage and mangled. 1t is esti-
mated that there are at least rs bodies
under the wreckage Of the third floor,
and it is not known how many persons
on the second floor of the building
were killed. The roof of the electric
car barn was lifted and the building
badly damaged.
Buildings Wrecked.
The Gainesville iron works were
demolished and several people perish
ed in the wreck. The Gainesville cot
ton oil mills were blown down. The
old Piedmont hotel, now used as a
school and apartment house, was razed
and half dozen or more persons were
killed in it. The Richmond hotel was
wrecked and several perished along
with it. One hundred and twenty-five
cottages, a school house and church
were blown away in the negro section
Of the city. rive brick stores on the
main street of Gainesville were swept
away. In all 200 buildings are de-
mohshed here.
The tornado went from Gainesville
to New Holland and it is believed many
people are killed there.
Came In a Moment.
The tornado struck the town in the
southern portion. 1t came with fright
full rapidity and day was turned into
night. Some houses were torn into
fragments, others were lifted from
their foundations and carried intact
for quite distance. Roofs sailed like
leaves in the air and several persons
were carried over three blocks in
house by the wind.
The tornado dropped almost un-
noticed, and before any one realized
what was happening 1t tore down brick
buildings, frame houses, churches and
school buildings as If they were struc-
lures Of paper. One Of the first large
buildings to fall was the Gainesville
cotton mill, three story structure.
The third and second stories were
shaved off smoothly. About 500 were
working in them at the time, but a
great number of them were in the
lower story and escaped. In the five
brick buildings on the main street
about 1S persons were killed, most Of
them employees in stores.
Fire In Wreckase.
A fire started in this pile of wreck
age and the fire department Is unable
to get to it because Of the obstructions
in the street. All of the stores in the
business section that were not hit.
closed their doors and every male citi-
zen who could lend a hand promptly