The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1903-06-02

swept down from the southwest striking
the Gainesville mills with roar like the
report Of artillery.
After lifting two stories from the struct-
ure, 1t swept on to the northward, leaving
trail Of destruction along Summit street
which Is inhabited almost exclusively by
negroes.
Nearly hundred cottages of colored
people on this street were levelled to
the ground but by fortunate circum-
stance the tenants were all absent, hav-
Ing left the city In the morning to take
part In negro picnic.
The furious wind next descended on the
plant of the Pacolet cotton mills, at New
Holland, two miles from the Southern
station
This is one of the largest cotton mills
in the south, employing more than six
hundred hands. The storm spared the
Pacolet factory, but entirely demolished
hundred of its cottages, standing near
by and tenanted by its operatives. Here
the fatalities were greater. upwards of
thirty-hve persons being buried In the
ruins of the cottages.
Bodies were blown hundreds Of yards,
and many Of them when picked up bore
no semblance to humanity.
| The trunk of one young boy was found
with the head decapitated, as If by the
| guillotine.
Tornado Sweeps Eastward.
From New Holland the tornado swept
| onward to the east, in the direction of
| White Sulphur, town of about a hum
| dred people. The extent of its destruction
there cannot now be definitely told, but
reports SO far received mediate consider
able loss of life.
The bodies of most of the dead in the
fu0 "a
mangled. The skulls OF many Of them
were crushed and the limbs broken.
Some were torn and crushed about the
abdomen, with the viscera visibly pro-
! truding The local physicians who gave
first aid to the injured say the sights
were horrible and beyond description.
The death list is expected to be Of
much greater magnitude by morning, as
nearly thirty are believed to be hurt be-
yond hope of recovery.
Gainesville has only about twelve local
physicians, and their services were found
to be entirely inadequate to the situa-
ton. Surgeons came In tonight, however,
from Atlanta and several other points, so
that the number in the city now Is about
forty, and all possible care and attention
is being given the injured people.
Relief Committee Formed.
At meeting tonight of physicians,
| newspaper men and citizens of Gaines
Vile relief committee was formed, with
James r. Cray of Atlanta as chairman.
Supplies will be rushed into the stricken
city as rapidly as possible.
| Gainesville feels able to alleviate the
immediate suffering, but unless supplies
are received, much distress is likely to
result as the families visited by death
and mutllations almost without exception
are dependent upon their daily labor for
support.
The Property Loss.
] The property loss it is now estima ted
| will reach about 100000 The following
is partial tabulation as nearly perfect
as can be obtained at this time:
Gainesville cotton molls. $50 900; Pacolet
| mill, 100000; Gainesville cotton oil COM
pany. $s00o Gainesville iron works $4,000;
Southern railway. $1,000; T. r. Moore $500
! ]. r. Clark, $500; Mrs. Pfeffer, 5000; j.
r. Logan, $4,000; Cooper & Scroggs, $1,000;
b. D. Langford, $1,000: Piedmont hotel,
$500: w. B. Cloan $1,000; j. T. Waters,
$1,000; Gainesville and Dahlonega Electric
Railway company $4,000; Robert Howing-
| ton. 5000; Joe Reed. $500; r. d. Griggs
| $500; j. H. Whisenat, 5000; Mrs f. F
| Little $500: B. G. Parks 1900; J. T.
Duckett, $500 and various others running
from 500 to $1,000.
Thirty-nlne Bodies Recovered.
Atlanta. June IA Constitution special
from Gainesville says:
car has Just come in from New HoI-
land Springs and the conductor states
that thirty-nine dead bodies have been
| injured there.
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