The Washington times., 1905-04-30
TORNADO SWEEPS
MANY To DEATH
IN TEXAS TOWN
Laredo Visited by Storm
Which Destroys Com
munlcation.
WILD REPORTS CURRENT
One Hundred Persons Sup
posed to Have
Perished.

DALLAS, Tex. April 29.-ReportS have
reached here of the tornado which swept
the town OF Laredo, Tex, this morning
II Is reported that many houses were
blown down. Including the cathedral
Several lives are also reported 10 have
been lost. There is no direct telegraph
communication out of Laredo, but fifty
houses are reported to have been de-
stroyed
Loss of life and damge is also re-
ported to have occurred in New Laredo.
on the Mexican side OF the river.
The railroad dispatcher's office reports
that 1t has information from the Mex
lean side Of the city. and that part of
the town was damaged. One report
says that five houses were unroofed and
demolished; twenty people were killed
and many injured. A string of box cars
was blown of the International and
Great Northern tracks.
4 iong-distanee telephone message
from Cotulla says the bodies of ten dead
Mexicans have been recovered.
Part of Bridge Gone.
a part OF the bridge over the Rio
Grande was blown away 1t is reported
that fourteen persons have been killed
outside of Laredo.
Telegraph and telephone eommuniea-
tions have been cut off and II IS almost
impossible 10 get reports from Laredo.
Additional particulars received here
late this afternoon Of the Laredo storm
are 10 the effect that over 100 persons
were killed. and several hundred more
or less injured. Thirty-hve guests In
one hotel We're killed outright.
Fifty railroad coaches belonging to
the International and Great Northern
and Mexican National were blown away.
II is estimated that over $50 houses
were blown down by the storm including
the two hotels of the town.
GoXernor ianhan is inquirfng into the
matter with view of sending relief 10
the storm sufferers
Telephone Lines Down.
General superintendent of the South
western Telephone Company, with head
quaters in Dallas, stated this afternoon
that the lines OF his company were down
south OF Cotulla. about eighty miles
south or San Antonio. He has advices
by way Of the city of Mexico from
Laredo. to the effect that the telephone
exchange is wreck, and that teIe-
graph and telephone wires are down all
over the city. Mr.. Gates also received
dispatch from San Antonio to the ef
Iect tnat the repair crew at CotIiIIa had
learned from a conductor OF a passan-
ger train northbound that the bridge
across the Rio Grande had been wreck
ed by the storm. The conductor said
his train had just escaped the storm
There are two bridges at Laredo across
the river, and it is not clear which one
was destroyed
Both are built of steel and are costly
structures.
Repairing the Lines.
The Southwestern Telegraph and
Telephone Company has a large force
or men now at work repairing the
damages done by che storm. The line
men are working south from Cotulla.
Alnemen making repairs to the long
distance telephone line have been heard
from within fifty miles Of Laredo.
They report tonight a terrible state
OF devastation. From the most re-
liable reports they have been able 70
gather concerning the situation at La
redo, they estimate the dead at from
40 10 loo, most OF whom are Bfex-
leans.
1t seems that the tornado was most
destructive in the cheap Mexican quar-
ter.
Lashed by The Storm.
Shortly after o'clock in the eyannig q
dark cloud appeared In the southwest. A
short time later. and with hardly q
warning. rain began falling IN torrents.
accompanied occasionally by hail, The
wind began blowing at a hurricane We
locity. and signs and roofs and every
thing movable went sailing through the
air The houses occupied by the poorer
classes were first Ieyeied 10 the s.rn,.rd
and as the storm increased IN force. the
more substantially constructed buildings
were unroofed. and many Of them demoI-
ished. The lightning was vivid, which
added to the terror of the people.
The city OF New Laredo suffered So
yerely. Among the buildings DESTROYED
Is the new Concordia Hall. which was
used as an opera house. The roofs of
the Hamilton and Ross hotels were
lifted by the tornado and carried some
distance. The rain poured in and the
rooms We're flooded 20 a depth OF four
their quarters for the night.
The property loss is estimated at