Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1906-03-03
Cyclone and Fire.

Miss, saws cyclone, accompanied D'
heavy rain, struck that city yesterday
evening at $50 O'Clock.
The storm center was in the southern
portion of the city and particularly
heavy along Front street, one OF 'ne
principal business streets OF the Town
Nearly every house on Front stree! Is
reported to have been demolished. Inc
Armour packing plant is the only oullo'
ing left standing. aud the roof OF this Is
gone.
Fire broke out in the ruins and, de-
spite the heavy rein, the flames were
burning 6ercely when this report was
filed. A number of bodies are reported
| to be in the ruins, and the rescuers were
last night working by candlelight. The
city was ia total darkness, the electric
lighting plant having been put out OF
business.
The cyclone did severe damage al
other points adjacent TO Meridian, and
all trains entering that city are delayed
indefinitely. The Western Union Tele
graph Company reported having lost 10
miles of wire and the Postal Telegraph
Company also suffered great damage
The wires are down between Atlanta,
Birmingham, Memphis and other points,
and it is impossible to secure communi'
cation with the stricken city.
A private long distance message re-
ceived from Meridian at $3.50 last night
says the FIRE was raging in the devastat'
ed district.
1t is thought that $50 bodies are in
the wrecksge.
The union depot is one of the brild'
ings blown away.
The telegraph wires are still down be-
tween Meridian, Mobile and Other
points.
The city of Meridian is the capital OF
Lauderdale county, Mississippi. and is
along the lines of the East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia, the Mobile and
Ohio and the Queen and Crescent rail
roads. 1t is S5 miles east of Jackson,
Miss, and 1856 miles north by west OF
Mobile. Ala. Meridian is in an agri-
cultural region which produces chiefly
cotton. In the city are the Meridian
Academy (Methodist EpiscoplD, Meri-
dian Normal School and the East Missis.
sippi Female College, of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, among other
educational institutions. Besides, there
are several banks and several large fac
tories. The population in 1900 wa:
II, $50.
Birmingham, Ala, March 3s-The
estimsled loss of life in last nights tor
nado and FIRE in Meridian Mass, and
vicinity is placed here al over 100, &C
cording TO early morning estimates re-
ceived over railroad wrel and messages
dated near Meridian. During last night
communication of all kinds was badly
interrupted. The norlhbound Alabama
and Great Southern train, which left
Meridian two minutes before the cyclone
struck there, arrived here with windows
smashed and the crew and passengers in
state of terror, many being on their
knees in prayer. The coaches rocked
violently on the rails. A fast freight is
reported to have turned over aud killed
the crew. Wire communication is just
being restored between Meridian and this
city. One message states that the work
of rescue is being pushed amid horrible
circumstances. No list approximatiDg
completeness has yet been received here
of the dead and injured. Estimates vary
from forty to two hundred. The loss
will reach SO, 900, 00O
New Orleans, March 3.-The loss OF
life at Meridian has been under eslimat-
ed. Over one hundred bodies have al
ready been recovered.
The slaughter in the negro district was
terrific, and the scenes in that quarter,
which was swept 3y fire after the storm
are worse than eau be imagined. The
people were crowded together in these
tenements and were killed liked so many
cattle. The fire following partially con-
sumed their bodies Many Of the poor
er people are homeless and il will take
several days TO bury the dead. A South
ern Railway train with over hundred
passengers had arrived in the passenger
station ten minutes before the cyclone
struck the town. The passengers had
left the depot aud the train had been
backed out when the building fell in.
The engineer and conductor OF the
train, who had remained in the buildings
were the only ones who we're killed. The
negroes who had been pinioned under
the debris OF the tenement houses in
which they lived were slowly burned to
death aud their cries for help could be
heard for blocks.