Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-09-29
MOBILE WAS
HIT H.||E'nvlLY.
Hurricane Destroys Business of
City Fifty Lives and
S4,O0O,0OO Lost.

LC y 10 Al<AAI@t A. y, OSpt. 90 4 lc ecl1-
eral manager's Office Of the Louisville
and Nashville railroad has received q
dispatch from Flomaton, Ala. confirm
ing the loss Of life and devastation of
property in the city of Mobile, Ala.
The editor Of the Mobile Register
and the Louisville and Nashville tele-
graph operator have made their way
to Bay Minette from Mobile, making
the, trip by boat and on foot.
They report that at least fifty lives
were lost and s4,0O0000 damage has
resulted from the tornado that struck
Mobile and devastated its business
section. Five river boats are sunk at
the wharfs. The business section, a
quarter of mile wide through the
whole length Of the city, Is inundated,
and the city Is In darkness. Militia
guard the streets with orders to shoot
to kill
A largo number of houses were de-
stroyed, and many people were injured
in the collapse Of buildings. Bienville
square has been destroyed. Christ
Church cathedral was blown down.
The water is five feet deep In the busi-
ness section Of the city, and bales of
cotton, trunks, household goods and
other debris Is floating about the city.
The wind reached q velocity Of nine
ty miles an hour. Fort Morgan, at the
entrance Of Mobile bay, and suburban
towns in the vicinity of Mobile are be-
lieved to have been swept away. The
estimate of the damage is placed at
$4,O0O,OOO In the city of Mobile alone.
There is NO way Of reaching the out
side world except by boat and on foot.
All wires are gone, and washoutS are
numerous In every direction. -Four OF
five blocks Of the best business section
Of the city have been swept away.
A number Of ships were wrecked.
and oil the wharves were destroyed.
The revenue cutter Alert was sunk
in the Mobile river after being rammed
by an unknown vessel during the hup-
ricane. She was a propeller, built In
1890 at Middletown, Conn.,, and was
commanded by First Assistant Engi-
neer s. NJ. Rock and carried four en-
listed men and pilot.
Water from Mobile bay was blown
into the city for many hours by the
gale, and for time the sea stood sew
en- feet deep in the wholesale quarter
of Mobile, which includes that part Of
the city from Royal street to the Ala
bama river.
Among the steamers sunk were the
J. r. Schuh, tho Mary e. Staples, the
Mary s. Blees, CANA, Overton. Hattie
B. Moore. City Of Camden and many
other smaller craft. 1t is feared that
the crews Of these boats were lost
Much apprehension Is felt for the
suburban towns, as II is feared that
they have been obditerated.
Every church In Mobile was dam
aged, though Christ Church cathedral
and ST Francis Street Baptist church
suffered more than others. The dam
age to Christ Church cathedral Is esti-
mated at $4,000 and St. Francis
Street Baptist church at $4,000.
Mobiles shipping suffered more than
anything else. Many of the river boats
are now beached or sunken and are
complete wrecks.
Electric light companies, street rail-
ways and, In fact, all business has
been suspended.
Many trees were felled by the wind,
and roofs were crushed in by hundreds.
Through the streets, carried by the
terrific wind, were hurled thousands of
pieces of slate, strips of tin roofing
cornices, shingles and, In fact, all kinds
Of debris. Blinds were torn from their
fastenings and windows smashed as
though OF tissue paper. Many persons
were seriously injured and cut by fly
ing slate, tin and glass. The railroads
have started wreclkers to clean UP and
to repair tracks, but their task is diff
cult.
The office of the Western Union Teie-
graph company is six feet under water.
Its batteries are flooded, and it will be
some time before business can be re-
sumed. The Postal Telegraph build
ing, while not so low. also suffered Sc
verely.
The Southern Supply company esti-
mated It's loss at 100000.
Over twenty-five wholesale houses
have sustained great damage by flood.
The Merchants bank, the First Ma
tional bank and the Lienkauff bank
were inundated
Hundreds Of bales OF cotton fionted
through the main streets and were car
ried out to sea. Cotton not lost In this
way was damaged by muddy water
Along the gulf coast there were many
fashionable residences, some costing
$4,000.
Fruit trees and fall vegetable crops
all over southern Alabama and Missis-
slppi are ruined; SO also is the cotton,
sugar cane and other crops. One Mis-
slssippi planter said he would willing
ly accept S15 for his cotton crop and
feel that he had fair DEAL
The roof Of Mobile Medical college
was blown off. The college had val
liable museum. which was damaged
st. Paul's African Methodist Episco-