Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1908-04-29
A SOUTHERN STORM
Furious Tornado Sweeps Over
Wide Stretch of Country
HUNDREDS DEAD in ITS TRACK
A Wind of Cyclone Velocity Sweeps
Over Parts of Louisiana, Mississip-
pi and Alabama-Scores of small
Towns Destroyed and Partially
Wrecked.

4SH0o SsNSs -
Wrecked.
A wind of cycloric proportions
swept over portions of Louisiana,
Mississippi and Alabama late Friday,
leaving trail of dead and injured.
Friday night the number Of killed is
estimated at close to a hundred and
the number of injured at over a hun.
dred, with many portions OF the at
ficted districts to hear from.
Most Of the dead are negroes. Per.
haps a dozen white persons were
caught in falling buildings and either
fatally injured or so seriously dis,
abled as to require medical attention.
The loss of life was chiefly in the
quarters of colored persons where the
wind destroyed their cabins, burying
tile occupants in the debris, or in the
farming sections Of the country
where the trees were uprooted, tele.
graph and telephone poles torn up
and general destruction became an
encore to a storm which swept with
almost tornado fury through the
country.
1t is difficult to estimate the loss
of life or the extent of the destruc-
tion to property, for there Is little
OF no communication with the points
where the rain and wind did It's
greatest damage.
In Louisiana it Is estimated that
score of small towns were destroy
ed or partially wrecked. These in
clude Amite City, Arcadia and Inde-
pendence, Belle Grove, Melton, Lor-
man, Pine Ridge, Quitman, Landing,
Fairchild's Creek, Purvis and Lum-
berton, Miss, are reported seriously
damaged by the storm.
In Alabama Dora was the chief
sufferer. This town is also known as
Bergen. Four or more persons were
killed, among them the wife and
daughter of Station Master Moore.
Filthy persons at the lowest estimate
were injured. Those most seriously
hurt were carried to hospitals in Bir-
mingham, Ala. One woman, Mrs.
McCully, died OH the train. Two 9TH
er members of this family were SER
iously injured. At Bergen cars were
blown FROM the railroad tracks and
considerable other property destroy
ed. Reports also say that the storm
struck Albertville, Ala, late in the
afternoon and destroyed nearly the
entire northern portion Of the town.
A cotton mill was blown down, the
storm ranging northward, doing much
destruction to life and property. An
unconfrmed report from this section
gives the death list at from 30 to 35,
with scores Of persons injured A
special train was sent from Birming-
ham, carrying physicians and squad
of State militiamen to the district.
Aid is also pouring in from all other
directions.
From. Meridian, Miss, comes a re-
port that Mrs. John Minniece and
her child were killed outright and
John Minnieca was seriously injur-
ed, while a number of other persons
were hurt and there was considerable
destruction Of property.
Winchester, Miss, small town, is
reported wiped out, though only two
persons are known to have been
killed.
Natchez, Miss, reports go are
known to be dead in the northern
Louisiana storm. Hundreds of plan
.tation cabins are reported destroyed
in his section.
Mobile repors nine dead in Hat
tiesburg, Miss, but this has not been
confirmed.
The first damage done was at S. n.
Lambdins plantation. seven miles
south of Vidalia. Here Mrs. Shields
of Natchez. while in bed with her
two little boys was instantly killed
by beam falling on the bed. Her
boys were uninjured. -Four negroes
were killed Ion the plantation and
many cabins were razed to the
ground. S. 81. Lambdin was struck
by bear, and injured internally.
From LaEbdins the tornado passed
a mile and half west Of Vidalia,
striking DR.. j. C. Carter's plantation
where several negroes were killed
and others injured, two Of whom will
die. The tornado proper covered a
breadth of 900 feet through. this par
ish and swept across the Mississippi
river striking Adams county at Giles
Bend four miles north Of Natchez.
Here four negroes were killed and
seven injured. Continuing northeast
the tornado ravaged Pine Ridge in
this county, killing 12 and injuring
20.
Tho brick church, a historic build
ing, the first Presbyterian church
erected in the southwest, was demol-
ished.
Two plantations in the neighbor-
rood belonging to james Mcclure. of
Natchez were shorn of their two
houses and IL cabins. Eight deaths
were reported on these plantations.
New Orleans, La, Special
Amite, a small town in southwestern
Lauisiana, was almost destroyed by a
tornado. The dead arc estimated by
physicians at from 25 to so. The
first details were brought to New Or
leans by trains with IL injured. Cor
respondents on the secene however
assert that not more than a dozen
were killed, but that SO many suffer-
ed fatal injuries that the list will
reach 25 before morning.
Sixty Dead in Mississippi.
Natchez, Miss Special.-Sntty