The Penn's Grove record., 1908-05-01
325 NEWLY MADE GRAVES
IN WAKE OF TORNADOES
Relief Funds Started Throughout
South to Succor Homeless.
F0RTY-SIX TOWNS SHATTERED
Death List Put at 350-Twelyc HIM.
dred Persons Were Hurt, While
Thousands Are HomeIess-Hun.
dreds Of Houses Blown to Pieces.

itN&Ss
New Orleans. - With about 325
newly made graves in Louisiana, Mis-
sissippi and Alabama, the dead in the
t%ornadoes in these States is not be-
lieved to exceed $50. About 1900
were injured.
Cities on all sides of the tornado
belt prepared to ship supplies and
money to the homeless. New Or
leans sent food to Amite, La, where
the supply was practically exhausted.
Amite, Purvis and several other
stricken towns were given bad scares
by heavy winds, but the only fatali-
ties reported were four negroes
killed.
The storm was peculiar in that it
travelled in circles. 1t struck Georgia
with terrific force for a second time.
Floods have followed, and in some
cities mills and street car service
have suspended.
The financial loss will aggregate
several million dollars in Mississippi,
Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia.
The totals of deaths, misery and
ruin caused in four Southern States by
the tornado have come to hand
in approximately correct form.
Briefly stated they are:
Killed-About $50.
Injured, painfully or seriously
1900.
Homeless-Several thousand.
Towns reporting serious wrecl;age
-46.
Habitations and business houses
practically ruins in these towns
About $500.
The above figures do not include
the wreckage on plantations and
farms, scores of which were struck
and damaged. The number of dead
will never be known accurately. for
the reason that about 300 of them
were negroes and they were buried
in many communities without care
full records beng made Of their UNI
bers.
By following the wreckage of
towns the general direction of toe
tornadoes can be traced closely. Ap-
parently the storm struck in three
separate currents, each describing the
arc of a circle and travelling toward
the northeast.
Why the fatalities were so unusu-
ally large is apparent from a glance
at the photographs which have ar
rived here from many portions of the
tornado belt. They all tell the same
story. Whole blocks CT what were
formerly little residences and cabins
lie spread over the ground in separ-
ate boards. If a huge lumber pile
had been scattered over these areas
the number of boards unattached to
anything else could scarcely have
been greater. Many of these planks
show very few breaks where they
were separated from the other con-
5truction.
Under this mass of wreckage many
hundred persons were buried, not
n in a hundred escaping without
some injury. The houses which were
thus scattered about were mostly ne
gro habitations.
This week has been one of relief
measures throughout the wrecked
district. The ruined towns have been
visited by thousands of spectators,
many of whom went with a few dol
lars in their pockets to distribute
among the needy. Sheds made from
the ~wreckage have become the homes
of hundreds. Small parties of men
ON horseback have gone through
country districts, taking inventories
of the assistance needed and render
ing aid where it was most necessary.
At least a dozen relief funds have
been started in as many cities and
towns.
Following is a list by States of for
ty-siX towns reporting more or less
damage:
Louisiana-Lucerne, Kenmore, La
mourie, Richland, Amite, Essie, Pine,
Angie, Franklinton, Sheridan, Award,
Eunice.
Mississippi - Giles Bend, Purvis,
Churchill, Lorman, Tillman, Melton,
Baskerville, Braxton, Sunfower, Wa
halak, Wingate, Columbus, Walls,
Fairchilds Greek, Quitmans Landing,
McLaurin, McCallum, Winchester,
Pine Ridge.
Georgia-Columbus, Chipley, La
Grange. Harris, Griffin, McDough,
Locust Grove, C~edartown, Cave
Springs.
Alabama-Albertville, Righmound,
Patton, L%eesburg, Settlement,
Blountsville.
Nineteen Mississippi towns were
hit hard by the tornadoes, while a
dozen were badly damaged in Louis
lana. Georgia reports nine towns
hit, while Alabama had six towns hit.
Arkansas reports one.
President Roosevelt telegrapbed
Govenor Noel, of Mississippi, Offering
aid, which was acknowledged by the
Governor.
Governor Noel was advised that
there were 40 people in Purvis
whose condition was desperate, and
ne has ordered all the available tents
IN Jackson hurried to the scene. The
relief work in Purvis is progressing
satisfactorily under volunteer com
mlttees. In Amite City, La, tents
nave been supplied and the distribu-
ton of rations is carried out with
system.