The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-25
PRETTY ALBERTYILLE
 SORELY STRICKEN BY WILD
 WIND DEMON YESTERDAY
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 water, which was driven through the air in vast sheets by a raging wind. It was more than half an hour after the wind had carried the buildings away before the survivors could venture to the rescue of those who had been caught in the wreckage. Even then the work was not well organized. Every person was look ing for some relative or friend, and in the general disorder many were neglected for a short time who were dying and who needed immediate attention.
 Wreckaee Piled High.
 While the rescue party was at work night came upon them suddenly, and lan- terms and torches were resorted to. But little progress could be made in this man. ner. The debris covered every part of the town, and those who searched through the ruins could only pick their way among the shattered timbers and work the best they could. In some places the wreck age is piled four or five feet high, and none can tell who is buried underneath this debris.
 Owing to the darkness which prevails the work of turning over the wrecked tim bers is slow. although there are several hundred willing hands at work.
 How Cloud Appeared.
 The cyclone came from the south west. A great dark cloud, changing color from deep black to a bright cop per hue, swung over the city from the south west. It rolled down over the city, causing almost complete darkness, and then came the wind with a crash and a roar which killed every one the storm struck. Houses were caught up and hurled high in the air and then crash ed to the ground with deaf ening sound The Albertville hotel, containing several guests, was wrecked. several were injured here. A large livery stable was completely demol- ished and several horses killed out right. A stable boy is reported to have lost his life. The Albertville oil mill, one of the largest buildings in the city. was partially wrecked, was also the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis depot. This building fortunate ly was not completely wrecked and after the storm the operator found the one wire working and reached this city, calling for assistance. Pathetic Scenes Follow Storm. Some of the scenes following the storm were pathetic in the extreme. | Women ran about among the debris of l the wrecked town seeking members of their families. They wept and tore tn cir hair in their grief. At times,
 
 1 lying in the wreckage, injured and dy ing. She would fall upon the ground and cry for assistance. In other cases | women and children pulled and tugged at great beams which were pinioning down some member of their family. Be- l fore nightfull several injured persons 1 were taken from the wreckage insen- ! sible. Others were released from the rebris only slightly bruised and | wounded.
 At II o'clock tonight all communica- tion with the devastated city was cut off. The wires which were working badly during the early part of the evening gave out and no message could be received after II o'clock. Tn ere, was but one Western Union wire work ing after the storm. The telephone office was destroyed and it is impossi- ble to reach the city by telephone. The telephone company is cutting in an instrument at the outskirts of the town l but owing to the fact that the wires | are down for several miles, it will be late Saturday morning before tele- | phone communication can be estab- | lished.
 Covered Wide Area. l Reports received here late tonight prove that the storm extended over wide stretch of the country in this | I wires of the Postal Telegraph Cable | company which has the only wires
 working out of this city at this time | Q1:30 o'clock). Chattanooga cannot 1 be reached, and all communication
 with the outside world is cut off by | telephone.
 Up to this time other cities in the
 north west have not been heard from, and it is feared that some damage has been done in that section because of | the fact that the wires are down. The l cyclone which struck Albertville is known to have travelled for at least
 one mile east of that place, as late to- l night, just before the wires were put | out of commission, the report was re- ceived that the Corbin school house had been demolished School was dis ] missed before the storm and no one 1 was injured. It is reported that sev
 eral farm houses on Sand mountain | were da ma ged