The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1906-03-10
Mississippi State News.

lace of the earth. 1t is reported that
d sixteen clerks who were working over.
time were buried in these buildings, but
the people nave been so busy fighting the
flre that 1T has been impossible to in
vestlgate the report. Front street, which
Is the principal business street of the
city, wa wiped off the map. Only one
building on the entire street, that of Ar
mour 4 Co., was left standing and that
was badly damaged.
Hundreds of people were eating their
supper at the various restaurants on this
street and were buried in the debris. All
have been rescued, but with injuries. The
hospitals here are full of the wounded,
and physicians are going from one to an
other, giving such relief as they are
able.
The news of the terrible misfortune
of the city spread like wildfire. The fire
alarm bells began to ring out and the
militia was called out. Guards were
placed about the ruined section, which
included about eight square blocks. The
\. NJ. c. A. building, one of the finest in
the city, was a mass of ruins, the Meri-
dian Cotton Mills were RACED to the
ground, the new union depot, which had
Just been completed, was wrecked, and
several of the hotels were totally de-
stroyed. All means of communication
with the outside world were cut off for
hours, and it was impossible to summon
help from n%eighboring towns. Then
when it seemed that the entire city had
been wiped out the fire broke out in a
dozen different places at the same time.
The streets were blocked with debris and
it was impossible to get to some of the
fires. Dozens of negroes who had been
pinioned under the debris of the tene-
ment houses in which they lived were
slowly burned to death, and their cries
for help could be heard for blocks. The
fire department and the citizens worked
heroically, but so rapidly did the flames
spread that it was impossible to rescue
many of them.
Then the fire broke out among the
business houses, which were RACED by the
storm, and in which it was believed that
many business men had been imprison-
Then the firemen worked with re-
doubled energy, aided by the citizens.
The fires in this section were got under
control at midnight, and it is not be-
lleved that any white people were
"a - W oNilus dlSuOuSu cSCdDtS were |
numerous. AS fast as the bodies were
from the wrecked buildings they
were laid in rows.
The n INJURED were carried away to the
hospitals. A number who were dug out
Of the debris are expected 70 die before
morning.
Coming as it did, absolutely without
warning, people had no time to make
heir escape. Some were killed as they
from their work and others as
they were eating their supper.
a Southern railway train, with over a
passengers, had just arrived in
he passenger station ten minutes be-
ore the cyclone struck the town. The
passengers had left the depot, and the
rain had been backed out when the
fell in. The engineer and con-
luctor of the train, who had remained !
n the building, were the only ones who +,
vere killed.
Special trains were sent out from |
Orleans to the assistance of the '
there, and to look out for the in !
erests of the railroads. 4
With the exception of the shops all /
he railroad property in the city was de- {
troyed, together with thousands of dol ,
ars worth of freight which was stored .
the warehouses. The warehouses were :,
from the fire, but the Gulf Com i
ress Company with several hundred {
ales of cotton was partially burned, and Q
everaI OF the walls fell in during the I
q