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

Mrs. Talley and daughter, badly hurt;
Mrs. Jones, wife Of Mr.. Jones, who keeps
grocery store near Southern depot, badly
hurt ]. r. Logan, badly injured; James
Simpson, Maud Gordon. John Simpson,
Anna Schubert, Ola Miller, Edward
Skinner, Bessie Skinner. Mrs. Doc Clark,
j. e. Summerville, Alonzo Ford, Doc
Stovall, Joe Shubert. Milledge Hill. Will
lie Boone. Perry Connor.
The cyclone first hit the town below
the Southern railway depot.
1t dropped almost unnoticed, and be-
fore any one realized what was happen
ing 1t had ripped down brick buildings,
frame houses churches and school build
ings as If they were structures OF paper.
One of the first large buildings to fall
was the Gaines Cotton mills, a three
story structure.
The second and third stories were
shaved off smoothly. and it is believed
every person working In them perished.
About 500 people were working in them at
the time. but a great portion Of them
were in the lower story and escaped.
Fire Starts in Wreckage.
In the five brick buildings on the main
street about eighteen people were killed,
most of them employees in the stores.
A fire has started In this pile of wreck
age and the fire department is unable to
get to it because of the distractions in
the streets
As soon as the storm had razed the
buildings those who were not dlsa bled
Immediately went to work at rescue. All
| the stores In the business section that
were not hit closed their doors and evc;y
male citizen who could lend a hand
promptly Joined in the rescue.
This work is now under way and the
piles of dead In the path of the storm
are being identified and given to rela-
tives as rapidly as possible
The weather has cleared at Gainesville.
The rain and wind have ceased and the
sun is said to be shining brightly - in
striking contrast to the scene which was
presented not more than an hour ago
Every place In the city has closed up
and the people are working to rescue the
dead and injured from the debris
The cyclone tore down all the wires
leading into Gainesville except those Of
the Southern Bell Telephone company.
These wires are now being used by the
survivors to communicate with the out
side world. Superintendent Wes. Us the
telephone company rendered tne Use "
his wires to the stricken ci.y rs so,1 as
he heard Of the cattsrroi IL
City Manager w. B. Roberts for the
telephone campany is doing all In his
power from this end of the line to give
the Gainesville messages quick transit and
has sidetracked other business In other 20
facilitate the present urgent need of COM
munication.
Depot Blown Down. =
The Gainesville cotton mills were blown
down and nearly every employe in the
building killed, Including a large num-
Der of children The Southern depot was
blown down. The Gainesville iron works
we're demolished and several people per-
ished in the wreck.
The Gainesville cotton oil mills were
blown down.
The Old Piedmont hotel, now used as a
school and apartment house. was razed
and half dozen or more people were
killed in It,
The Richmond hotel was wrecked and
several pershed along with it.
One hundred and twenty-five cottages,
/ school house 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 two hundred buildings are demol-
isbed.
and 1t is believed at least seventy-five
people are killed there. Neither the Ar
! lington hotel nor Brenau college was in
the track of the tornado and they are,
therefore. safe with their occupants.
Met Death in Stores.
Besides these, eight men, six white and
two colored, were killed in the demolition
Of Joseph Logan's store. near the South
ern depot, and one man and one woman
met death In the store of George Jones,
the woman being the wife of the proprie-
tor.
Unconfrmed reports from White Sui
phur. seven miles from Gainesville, say
that about twelve persons were killed
there. Their names are not yet obtain
able. and hopes are expressed that this
report is unfounded.
The tornado did its appalling work in
such an incredibly short time that II is
difficult to obtain a coherent description
of Its character. IL appears to have