Los Angeles herald., 1908-04-27
WIDE AREA
DEVASTATED
THOUSANDS LEFT DESTITUTE
BY T0RNAD0ES
FoRTY-slx TOWNS PARTIALLY
DESTROYED
Reports from storm-swept Districts
of Five States Tell Of Terrible
Suffering Among the
Victims

BY Associated Press.
MERIDIAN, Miss, April 26.-A disas-
trous tornado passed through sparsley
settled section of eastern Mississippi south
Of this city late today. Meridian also was
visited by a remarkable wind, rain and
hail storm, much damage being done to
crops and sbrubbery. Timber properties
are reported almost devastated.
report received here tonight says the
timber section of southern Mississippi and
the adjacent Alabama territory has again
been visited by q heavy storm and much
damage done.
BY Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS, April 26.-The
totals of death, misery and ruin caused
in four southern states by Friday s
tornado were compiled today In ap-
proximately correct form.
Briefly stated they are: Killed, 36O'
injured, painfully or seriously. l2oo'
homeless, several thousand.
Towns reporting serious wreckase,
forty-six: habitations and business
houses practically complete ruins In
t.-ese towns, about 250O.
These figures do not include the
wrecKing of plantations and farms,
scores of which were struck and dam
aged.
The number of dead may never be
known accurately, for the reason that
about 800 of them were negroes and
they were buried in many communi-
ties without careful records being
made of their numbers.
While some of the first reports CIV
ing apparently reliable death lists
have since proved unreliable. never
theless remote places which were late
in reporting their dead have served TO
hold the total death list around 800.
The manner in which this death list
sthas grown for two days in spite of
continued subtractions from early re-
ports, has been a melancholy index OF
the interstate scope of the disaster.
Wide Area Swept
BY following the wreckage of towns
the general direction of the tornadoes
can be traced closely. Apparently the
storm struck in three square currents.
each describing the arc of circle,
and travelling toward the northeast.
The first of these struck through
northern Louisiana, Mississippi and
Tennessee, before daylight on Friday
morning. The second appeared far
ther south, about Z o'clock in Louis
lana and Mississippi This apparently
was the portion of the storm which
had swept through Alabama and Geor-
morning. The third portion of the
storm appeared during Friday after
noon, further south than either of its
predecessors. This was the storm
which demolished Amite, La, and Pur-
Wis, Miss, where the wreckage was
worst.
Why the fatalities were so large is
apparent today from a glance at pho
tographs that have arrived here from
many portions of the tornado belt
They all tell the same story. Whole
blocks of what We're formerly little
residences and cabins lie spread over
the ground in separate boards. II a
huge lumber pile had been scattered
over these areas the number of boards
unattached to anything else could
scarcely have been greater.
Under this mass of wreckage many
hundreds of persons were buried. not
one In a hundred escaping without
some injury The houses which were
thus scattered about were mostly
negro habitations. The homes of the
whites held together better. and the
photographs show many of them with
half the top of the upper part of the
structure wiped off. but leaving the
parts below as a protection to the oc-
cupants, thus saving scores from death.
Calf Blown Through House
9 Along with the accounts of suffer-
ing have come many recitals of many
remarkable experiences, of which this
is TYPICAL:
At Amite, La, when the tornado ap
peared, there were seven persons at
the dinner table at Hamilton Warmers
home, including three children. One
OF the diners, Claude Bennett, saw the
whirling cloud in time to shout warm
ing and rushed outdoors, but the 9TH
ers remained in the room. The wind
in a second tore off two doors on op-
posite sides of the room, and an aston
ishing procession of live and inanimate
objects began to pass into the room
through these doorways. First came
calf blown by the wind. The animal
jumped over the dining table and went
out the opposite door. Afterward there
came a horse. The three children
sought refuge under the table and no
one was injured.
Today has been one of relief meas
ures throughout the wrecked district.
The ruined towns have been visited by
thousands of spectators, many of
whom went with few dollars 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 inven-
tories of the assistance needed, and
rendering aid where 1t was most nee
essary. At least a dozen relief funds
have been started in as many cities
and towns
List by States
Following, is list by states of the
forty-six towns representing more or
less damage:
Louisiana--Lucerne. Kenmore, La
mourie Richland, Amite, Essie, Pine.
Angie. Franklinton. Sheridan, Award,
Eunice-12.
Mississippi-Giles Bend Purvis,
Church Hill, Lorman, Tillman. Melton,
Baskerville, Bruxton, Sun Flower, Wa
balak, Wingate. Columbus. Walls,
Fairchilds. Quitman's Landing, Nc
Iaurin McCallum, Winchester, Pine
Ridge-19.
Seorgia-C Columbus. Chipley, La
Grange, Harris, Griffin McDonough,
Continued Page Three)