The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1908-04-25
TWO HUNDRED ARE DEAD:
TORNADO HITS SOUTH

New Orleans, La, April 25.-Dead
more than 200, and injured at least
5O0 These were the grim facts that
came to light this morning when n
little of the wreckage of yesterday Is
toi'1adoes In Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama had been cleared away.
The tornadoes lasted altogether about
twelve hours, striking promiscuously
one town after another, from before
daylight Friday until mid-afternoon.
Many hours after they struck, trains
bearing 200 injured came crawling
cautiously out of the tornado districts
| leaving behind one town, Purvis.
Miss, utterly demolished, five others
practically blown away, and fifteen
! little villages in more or less acute
stages of ruin With these wounded
came details of one of the worst wind
disasters in the history of the Gulf
states. First of all it became known
that negroes comprised most OF the
dead, most OF their deaths occurring g
in f1imsy cabins, and most of the
badly wounded came from the same
places The identified white dead ear
ly today numbered AZ. In addition it
is reported that four whites were kill
ed in McCallum, Miss, which would
bring the white dead to 46. The
number of negroes killed was between
$50 and IT'S.
The towns which suffered the
worst damage in addition to Purvis
were Amite, La, McCallum, McLau
rim and Winchester, Miss, and Albert
Vile. Ala. In Purvis. of about 200
dwellings only seven were left stand
ing
Amite was so badly damaged that
it was put under martial law at once
by orders of the mayor. The storm
struck there about noon, killing two
white persons and 13 negroes out
right and injuring many others, most
ly negroes. The total death list at
Amite will reach at least 25. Rev.
Father Felix Rumepf was probably
the first person killed there. He was
in the bell tower Of his church, hav-
ing just finished ringing the bell, and
was crushed to death by the falling
tower. Mrs A. w. Ogden, of Amite,
was caught by the tornado as she
was driving home. A tree fell across
her horse, killing him, but she was
unhurt.. Forty persons were dining at
the Commercial hotel when the storm
<Hf
the diners were hurt.
The path of the tornado was about
two and half miles Wide. and when
It passed Amite strewed wreckage for
miles. Large numbers of farm ami
mails were killed. The greatest loss
OF life amoag the negroes occurred
in the vicinity OF Natchez, Miss.
Twenty-Five persons were killed in
Adams county, near Natchez, and 35
in the neighborhood of Churchill. The
tornado of this section was about 100
miles north of the Amite tornado,
and struck about breakfast time. In
800 yards and deposited in a swamp
unhurt. An aged negro woman was
whirled into the air and her mead al
most severed by flying timbers. The
body of little negro boy was found
in field with a piece of timber driV-
en- through his heart.
AS a result of the terrific storms
which yesterday swept the Gulf states
communication between the cities OF
this section of the country was poor
today, and in a majority of instances
there was no communication at all.
Trains coming into New Orleans on
various railroads report heavy dam
age all along the lines.
Seventy-one Dead at Natchez.
Natchez, Miss, April 25.-Two bo-
dies, both colored and badly mangled.
victims of yesterdays tornado, were
found between Giles Bend and Pine
Ridge this morning, bringing the list
of dead in this section to II, of which
number all are negroes but two. Sew
eral of the injured are not expected
to live. Nine injured negroes from
the Churchill neighborhood were re-
Iceived at the charity hospital this
morning. These arrivals were rein
forced by seven from Lucerne planta-
ton in Concordia Parish, La.
A Later Storm in Georgia.
! Atlanta, Ga, April 25.-Reports re-
ceived here today say that a severe
wind storm struck Griffin, Ga, during
the night, wrecki1g part of the town,
killing hve persons and injufing ut
least f,fteen. The report declares that