The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-03-03
WIND And FLAMES
Destructive Tornado Over City
Of Meridian, Miss.
MOre Than a Hundred Persons
Killed and Many Injured.
FIRE FOLLOWS STORM.
One Tenement District Is W hOl-
Iy Wiped Out.
Moved a Swath 600 Feet Wide
and a Mile Long.
Property Loss Is Estimated at
So, 100000.
HUNDREDS HOMELESS.
The Streets Are Piled High
With the Wreckage.
Whole Train Of Cars Was Blown
From the Track.
HUNDREDS HOMELESS.
The Streets Are Piled High
With the Wreckage.
Whole Train Of Cars Was Blown
From the Track.

Meridian. Miss, March ga dis
astrous tornado swept Meridian at
$50 last evening, killing twenty-one
white persons and over a hundred col
ored people.
There were also scores seriously in
jured by being caught in wreckage of
houses The tornado caught the city
ON the southwest and Travelled TO the
northeast. expending itself in two SUI
burbs where many negroes were killed
and injured, a whole tenement district
being wiped out.
The negro tenement district in the
north of the city was demolished and
the debris caught fire. threatening
new danger but the local department.
with the help of hundreds of citizens,
overcame this after hard fight. They
We're assisted by the torrential rain
following the tornado. The storm was
about 500 feet wide and one mile in
length.
Thirteen bodies have been recovered
from the wreckage of the buildings
and the search goes on. The property
loss by the storm and fire will be in
the neighbOrhood of S5,OO0,00O The
dead Identified are:
The Dead.
WILLIAM NELSON. former chief
of police
CLAUDE WILLIAMS. bookkeeper
Meyer Neville Hardware company.
j. P TARRY. policeman.
MRS. ELLA SINGLETON AND
GRANDDAUGHTER
The bodies Of eight negroes found
I'm different sections of the city await
Identification.
Among the buildings destroyed are
The Meridian Cotton Oil mill; the
CITY electric power station; the Queen
& Crescent freight depot: the Lyle
Grocery company; the c. NJ. Rubusch
lumber yards; the NIeyer-Neville Hard
ware company; the Grand Avenue hO-
tel; the ogden hotel: the railroad Y
NJ Q. A, Elmire's restaurant
large number of small buildings
We're either demolished or damaged.
Lasted Five Minutes.
The storm here did not continue
over five minutes and on leaving it fol-
lowed the line of the Mobile & Ohio.
railroad to the north.
About $40 p. m. the clouds began to
gather They came hurriedly and how
cred close and black over the city. At
b:zl the storm came over the CITY 1t
was or estimated four minutes dura-
ton During this time a reign of ter
ror was over every one. The air was
filled with missiles. A rain fell stead
ily for half am hour, following the
tornado, aiding in the suppression of
the 1nnumerable fires that were spring
city was safe from harm
Meridian has always considered itself
tornado proof Mount Barton and the
sand mountain hills were accepted as
sentinel against such disaster. The
SoWashee valley was crossed by the
storm and this was most UNEXPECTED.
h. Z. Woodruff, bOokkeeper for the
Myer-Nevtle Hardware company, had
the most narrowing experience of
those left to tell the story He was
piutOned under the debris Of the five
story structure. his foot caught but his
body peculiarly protected from injury.
Workmen were busi1y engaged in an
effort to relieve him and with saw and
hammer he was aiding as best he
could The fire department has recov-
cred the charred bodies of several ne
groes taken from the ruins of small
tenements which were in the wake Of
wind and Ere.
william Ethridge, a young man, was
carried 100 yards through the air and
set down on his feet unhurt.
Wires Are Down.
New Orleans March president
9. C. Harvey OF the New Orleans &
Northeastern railroad left for Meridian
today. The Northeastern officers have
peen unable TO obtain any information
as to the extent Of the disaster at Merf-
dian so far as their losses are concern
ed. and Mr. Harvey went north to in
spect the situation and assist in the
rehabilitation of the road s property.
superintendent D. ID. Curran, preceded
him i'm special train which left here
shortly after midnight but no advfces
have been received that the train had
succeeded in getting through to the
stricken city The regular eastern
train due this morning did not arrive.
Both the Western Union and Postal
telegraph wires leading in this direc-
ton are still Frustrated. The Postal
had one wire but it has been in ser
vice only Internationally
Train Blown From Track.
Chattanooga Tenn. March 8.-A
train on the Queen & Crescent railroad
reached this city an hour late today
from Meridian. Tt was on time at
Meridian last night and was detained
there barely an hour. None of the en-
ployes of the road was injured, accord
ing TO their statement, but train of
empty passenger cars was blown from
the track and every window broken.
u IS the opinion among the passengers
that the loss of life at Meridian is
overestimated, but that the destruction
OF property viii reach a much higher
figure than that already given.
Buildings Destroyed
Mobile, Ala, March "a special
from Meridian says. Among forty or