Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1907-04-11
A 900 MILE TORNADO.
THROUGH SOUTHERN LOUISIANA,
MISSISSIPPI, AND ALABAMA.
TWENTY LIVES BLOTTED OUT.
Disturbance Began at Alexandria, La,
Killing Four Persons--Four
Towns Destroyed.

New Orleans, La: Probably twenty
lives were blotted out Friday by
tornado which swept across points
of three Gulf States, which was dis
tinctly traceable for a distance of 800
miles and which took about eleven
hours in crossing this zone. The tor
nado moved from west to east, cross
ing the southern eXtremities of Louisi-
ana and Mississippi and striking into
Alabama for a short distance. Por-
lions of four towns were devastated
and damage probably exceeding half
a million was done in addition to the
places in which the tornado manifested
fatal violence. The disturbance did
general damage to property, crops and
telegraph wires throughout its 800
mile course.
The tornado began at Alexandria,
La, soon after / o'clock Friday morn
ing, instantly killing four persons
there, probably fatally injuring three
and seriously injuring thirteen others.
Soon after daylight it neared the Mis-
sissippi river. instantly killing five per-
sons at Jackson, La, while at Bayou
Sara, La, at least half dozen others
are reported killed.
There was one fatal injury at Jack
son. The tornado next appeared at
Carson, Miss, where great property
damage was done, and the last heard
of it was about noon near Selma, Ala,
where the inhabitants saw whirling
clouds rise into the air as they crossed
the river One death, negro, was re-
ported near Selma.
Alexandria, town of about 10000
had a fearful experience. When the
storm struck it the electric lights went
out, the cracking of the buildings could
be heard above the noise of the wind
and vivid lightning showed such sights
as an empty Iron Mountain passenger
train rolling over and over. About a
score of houses were completely
wiped out, fifty were damaged and al
together about 100 buildings were seri'
ously wrecked, including several bust
ness houses. The Iron Mountain Rail.
road lost its roundhouse.
In the woods about the town the tor
nado cut down trees and small cabins
in narrow line about nine miles long.
Several houses were blown down at
Pineville and many injuries are report
ed. The hail did much damage to
crops.
AT daylight Alexandria began the
work of clearing the debris, Mayor
Turner organizing relief movement
at noon. The damage was estimated
at 100000
Details are meager from Jackson,
La. The insane asylum there was al
most wholly wrecked, with loss OF
about $4,000. In addition to three
female inmates, many others were in
jured. Two negroes were killed on o
nearby plantation, while reports from
surrounding country indicated there
was heavy loss of life among negroes.
whose cabins tumbled in ON the heads
of their occupants.
At Carson, Miss, the next point the
tornado struck, the Mississippi Cen
trail railroad depot blew down; also
school house and two business build
ings and several cabins. Here the
storms path was but 200 yards wide
and the wind blew from the southeast
From Carson the storm crossed the
state line into Alabama, where it be-
gan to lose much of it's destructive
power Peculiar weather conditions
prevailed all day throughout South
Louisiana and Mississippi. Sudden
rains were followed by clear skies and
gusts of wind were incessant.
The death list from Fridays tornado
will reach twenty and the injured will
number fifty in Louisiana according to
late reports.