Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-04-12
MANY LIVES LOST g 4. +.
IN TORNADO.
WHICH SWEEPS ACROSS LOUISI.
ANA, MISSISSIPPI AND ALA
BAMA. e&
INSANE ASYLUM IN RUINS
LOUISIANA INSTITUTION SUFFER-
LOSS OF 100000. GOVERNOR
BLANCHARD HAS COME TO RES
CUE. ~>.e..~.

NEW OrleanS.-ProDaDly nIteen nVeS
were instantly blotted out by "a tornado
which swept across portions of three gulf
states, which was distinctly traceable fo-
a distance of 800 miles, and which took
about eleven hours in crossing this zone
The tornado moved from west to east,
crossing the southern extremities of LOU
isiana and Mississippi and striking into
Alabama for short distance. Portions
of four towns were devastated and dam
age probably exceeding half million
dollars was done, for in addition to the
places in which the tornado manifested
fatal violence, the disturbance did gen.
eral damage to property, crops, and tele.
graph wires throughout its. 800 mile
course.
The tornado began at Alexandra, La,
instantly killing four persons there, prob
ably fatally injuring three and serious
ly injuring thirteen others.
Soor after daylight it neared the Mis-
sissippi river, instantly killing five per-,
sons at Jackson, La, while at bayou
Sara, La, at least half a dozen others
are reported killed. There was one ia
tai injury at Jackson.
The tornado next appeared at Car
son, Mississippi, where great property
damage was done, and the last heard
of it was about noon near Selma, Ala,
where tn Inhabitants saw whiring clouds
rise into the air as they crossed theSrfger.
One death, a negro, was reported near
Selma. s,e. s@-,Tt::f sz.
alexandria, a town of about 10000,
had fearful experience. When The
storm struck it the electric lights went
out the cracking Of buildings could Re
heard above the noise, OF the Wind anil
vivid lightring showed such sights as an
empty Iron Mountain passenger train
rolling over and over Immediately after
the wind spent its violence heavy hail
storm adde to the general discomfort.
Luckily tie main portion of Alexan-
dria esca. the worst of the tornado,
which cut a path through the nor rHeTn
part of sa town, a residence section
About of houses were completely
wiped out, fifty were damaged and alto.
gether about 100 buildings were seriously
wrecked, including several business
houses. A freak of the wind drove a
small section of house into one of
the empty passenger coaches, wedgiag
these two bodies almost inextncably tJ-
gether.
In the woods about the town the tor
nado cut down trees and small cabins
in narrow line about seven miles long,
Several houses were blown down at Pine
vile and injuries were reported. Tho
hail did much damage to crops.
Details are meagre from Jackson, La.
The insane asylum there was almost
wholly wrecked, with a loss Of about
100000. In addition to the three ia
talities, many other inmates were injured.
Mrs. Zach Lease s residence was blown
down and first reports said that her
daughter, Mary, had been killed, while
others say she was fatally injured. Two
negroes were killed on a nearby planta-
ton, while reports from the surrounding
country indicated there was heavy loss
of life among negroes, whose cabins tum-
bled on the heads of their occupants.
AT Bayou Sara several passengers on
the Steamer Betsy Ann, running to Nat
chez, had a thrilling experience. The
Betsy Ann was reduced to almost total
wreck. While the breaking timbers both
from the steamer and the shore few
through the air, the crew got all the pas
sengers safely ashore. First Clerk Abe
Crothers had an arm broken, and hard.
ly a member of the crew escaped with
out painful bruises.
At Carson, Miss, the next point, the
tornado struck the Mississippi Central
railroad depot, blew it down; also a
school house and two business buildings
and several cabins. There the storm s
path was about 200 yards wide and blew
from the southwest.
From Carson the storm crossed the state
into Alabama and there it began TO lose
much of its 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 the tornado wiK
reach twenty and the injured will num-
Der fifty in Louisiana alone. according to