Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-04-29
SOuth's TornadOes Destroyed Par.
tally or Wholly 40 Towns.
BELIEVED 1900 WERE HURT.
Sections Of Louisiana, Georgia, Miss
isslppl and Alabama Were Traversed
by Three Storms Within Period Of
Few Hours.


four southern states by Fridays tor
nadoes have come TO hand In approx
imately correct form. Briefly stated,
they are
Killed, about $50.
Homeless, several thousand.
Injured, painfully or seriously. 1900
Town reporting serious wreckage,
forty-six.
Habitations and business houses
practically complete 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 800 OF them
were negroes, and they were buried In
many communities without careful
records being made of their numbers.
Direction Of Tornado.
BY following the wreckage OF towns,
the general direction of the too ,does
can be traced closely. Apparently
the storm struck in three separate
currents, each describing the arc of a
circle and travelling northeast. The
first OF these struck through north
Mississippi and Louisiana and into
Tennessee. before daylight Friday.
The second appeared further south,
about o'clock, In central Louisiana
and Mississippi. This apparently was
the portion of the storm which had
swept through Alabama and Georgia
on Friday night and Saturday morn.
ing. The third portion OF the storm
appeared during Friday afternoon
further south than either of its pre-
decessors. This was the storm which
demolished Amite, La. and Purviss,
Miss. the towns in which the wreck.
age was worst.
Why the fatality list is so unusually
large is apparent from a glance at
photographs which have arrived here.
They all tell the same story. Whole
blocks of what were formerly little
residences and cabins lie spread over
the ground.
Under this mass OF wreckage many
hundred persons we're buried, not one
in hundred escaping without some
injury.
Along with the accounts OF suffering
have come many recitals Of remark
able experiences, of which the follow.
ing is typical:
AT Amite, La, when the tornado
appeared, there were seven persons at
the dinner table OF Mr.. Hamilton
Warmers home. including three chill
dren. One of the diners saw the
whirling cloud in time to shout a
warning and rushed outdoors. but the
others remained In the dining room.
The wind, in a second, tore off two
doors on opposite sides of the room
and an astonishing procession OF live
and inanimate objects began to pass
into the room through these doorways.
First came a calf, running before the
wind. The animal jumped over the
dining table and went out the oppo-
site door. Afterward came a horse.
which followed through the exit taken
by the calf. The three children sought
refuge under the table, and no one
was injured.
Relief measures are being carried
on throughout the wrecked district.
The ruined towns have been visited
by thousands of spectators. At least
a dozen relief funds have been started
Following is list by states OF the
forty-six towns reporting more or less
damage:
Louisiana-Lucerne. Kenmore. La
INQUIRE, Richland, Amite. Essie. Pine.
Angie. Franklinton, Sheridan. Award
Eunice-Total, IL.
Mississippi-Gilles Bend. Purvis.
Church Hill, Lorman, Tillman, Melton.
Baskerville. Braxton, Sunnower. WI.
halek, Wingate, Columbus. Walls.
Fairchild's Creek, Quitman's Landing.
McLaurin, McCallum, Winchester.
Pine Ridge-Total. 10.
Observation-Disclosures Chipley. La
Grange, Harris, Griffin, McDonough.
Locust Grove, Cedartown. Cave
Springs-Total, 3.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, High Mound.
Hatton, Leesburg, Settlement. Blount.
6.