Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1905-05-05
TORNADO in TEXAS
SIXTEEN PEOPLE WERE KILLED
Al. LAREDO, TEXAS.
Storm Tore Through City During the
Nisht-seOres Of People Injured and
the Property Loss viii Be Enormous
RAILROAD Coaches Blown over
Bridges Are Also Wrecked.

Sixteen people were killed and many
injured in Laredo, Texas, by a lorna
do which tore through the city late at
night. Rumors of others killed in
places outside Laredo are heard, but
as yet lack confirmation. The prop
erty damage is large
Not one Of the group Of magnifi-
cent buildings which go to make up
Laredo seminary escaped injury. The
escape from death Of the teachers
quartered in the institution is consid-
cred miraculous, as the walls of some
Of the buildings which they occupied
were demolished. Mrs. Eastley, one
of the teachers, was heroically rescued
by several cadet students Of the in
stitution, they lowering her by a rope
from a second story. She was badly
bruised.
Fifty railroad coaches belonging to
the International & Great Northern
and Mexican National railroads were
blown over. 1t is estimated that over
$50 houses we're blown down by the
storm.
Streets Filled With Debris.
The streets are practically impas-
sable, being covered with debris of all
kinds. The spans of the International
footbridge across the Rio Grande river
were blown down. on the Mexican side
Of the river and communication, ex-
cept by means of skiffs, is cut of. New
Laredo suffered severely. One of the
buildings destroyed is the new Con-
cordia hall, which was used as an
opera house.
The roofs Of the Hamilton and Ross
hotels of the city were removed by
the wind. The tower of the city hall,
partially built, was damaged and will
have to be rebuilt
The roof Of the Mexican National
hospital building was lifted, and it will
require much time to repair the build
ing for patients.
A trip through the town fails to
show locality that has not suffered
more or less from the storm. Trees,
fences, telegraph and telephone poles,
corrugated roofs, chimneys and walls
and debris Of all kinds strew the
streets.
New Laredo Also Suffers.
Conditions in New Laredo, across
the Rio Grande river, are similar. It
is not officially known how many dead
or injured there are at that city, but
it is stated there are FIVE. The five
known dead, added to the list of dead
on this side of the river, would bring
the number Of dead in both cities up to
21 persons.
The storm made its appearance from
the southwest in the neighborhood Of
Lampases, Mexico, 70 miles from Lar
edo, and it is reported that great havoc
was wrought in that locality, although
it is not thought that any loss of life
resulted there.
Huts LeveIed by the Score.
When the storm struck the city the
huts occupied by the poorer classes
were the first to be leveIed to the
ground, but as the wind increased in
force the more substantially construct
ed buildings were unroofed and in
many cases were demolished.
The lightning flashed wildly and
continuously. adding to the fears of
the people. The storm lasted about an
hour.
The Mexican National railroad has
temporarily abandoned its trains on
account of lack of telegraph wires
over which to arrange meetinp nnints.