Evening journal., 1903-06-02
CYCLONE KILLS
OVER A HUNDRED
Terrific Wind Storm Carries
Death and Devastation to
a Georgia Town
IMMENSE COTTON MILL DESTROYED
Employees Were Caught Under Wreck
age and Many Were Killed and In.
iured-others Met Death in FalIina
Stores.

Gainesville. Ca. June 2-This city
was struck by terrific cyclone. killing
over 100 persons. unroofing the city no.
tells. other large bildings. ana deatroy-
ing the Gainesville cotton mills The
greatest loss of life was in the dessruc-
tion of the cotton mills, where s4 per-
sons were killed and scores injured.
Eighteen persons we're killed in the
city between the centre OF town and
the railroad station, where four large
stores were blown down. The storm
had driven many persons into these
stores for refuge. There we're 500 per-
sons at work in the cotton mill when
the cyclone struck. The mill was a
three-story building. The first story
was left standing, but badly wrecked.
With a terrible crash the two upper
stories of the building were swept
away, leaving 80 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. ne plant
of the Pacolea Company was not seri-
ously damaged. but probably 100 cot
tages standing nearby, occupied by the
operatives who were employed in the
mills, were completely demolished.
killing 33 people. These were mostly
women and children, as the heads OF
the families were nearly all in the fac
tory at work.
The store of Joseph Logan, near the
Gainesville cotton mill. was crushed to
ruins by the lind. and eight men who
had taken refuge in It were instantly
killed.
The Jones general store met a SINH
lar fate. and in the ruins two people.
one man and one woman. were crushed
TO death. The woman was Mrs. Jones.
wife of the proprietor
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 absolutely con-
frmod
Dr. Smith. city physician of Gaines
Vile, says he has visited 100 wounded
and has personally seen 100 dead.
The property loss at the Pacolet
mills occasioned by the destruction Of
the cottages and outbuildings is esti-
mated at $4,000 The gainesville cot
ton mills are damaged to the extent Of
$4,000.
The physicians who have assisted In
the work of relief say that the scenes
at the mills we're appalling, the victims
being crushed and mangled in every
conceivable manner.
The tornado struck the town in the
southern portion. 1t came with a
frightful roar. and the day was turned
into night. AS people fed from the
storm they we're caught in the wind
and bodily thrown I'm all directions.
Some houses were torn into frag-
ments; others were lifted from their
foundations and garfield intact for
blocks; roofs sailed like leaves in the
air, and many persons were picked up
In the storm and carried over trees
and houses for long distances.
The Richmond Hotel was wrecked,
and several perished along with it. One
hundred and twenty-five cottages, a
schoolhouse and a church were blown
away in the negro section of the town.
Five brick stores on the main street
OF Gainesville were swept away. In
all 200 buildings are demolished here.