The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1908-05-01
BIG LOSS OF LIFE
In Several States Caused by a
Destructive Cyclone.
THREE HUNDRED DEAD

Over One Thousand More or Less
Injured, and Many thousands Arc
HomclcSS.-Storm Covered Much
ing Wrecked, Some of Which Arc
Almost Wiped Out.
Three hundred and fifty killed, a
hundred or more persons fatally in
jured and many times this number
painfully hurt. together with Il prop
erty loss running UP into the millions,
is II record SO far OF Il series of
tornadoeS that originated in the West
Thursday, sweeping across Texas, Ok
lahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana. Missis-
sippi. Tennessee. Alabama and Gcor-
gia Friday and Friday night.
1t left q path OF death, desolation
& IND want in its wake. seriously inter
rupted communication between cities
in the South and brought about chao-
tic conditions in many smaller towns.
Mississippi bore The brunt Of the
storm. Reports from that state in
dictate that the loss Of life will be by
far the greatest Of any section
through which the storm passed,
Estimates OF those who loss their
lives as Il result of tornadoes in Mis-
sippi place the death list at neal three
hundred and fifty, with Il thousand
or more injured. In Texas, Louis
lana, Alabama and Georgia the death
lists are also large, with loss of life
in Arkansas aud tennessee.
Authentic Information is in nan
instances lacking owing to crippled
facilities. for communication and the
lack Of time to form anything like an
accurate estimate Of the damage.
The storm, which first appeared in
Georgia at Columbus, on the Ala
Dana line. seems to have moyedfftn "a
northeasterly direction, striking the
towns Of Chiplcy, Harris, laGrangc.
Griffin, Mcdonald, Locust Grove. Co
dartown and Cave Springs, while a
portion OF its fury was felt in .lc
eastern surburbS OF Atlanta shortly
after midnight.
Most Of the dead are negroes. Per
haps a dozen white persons were
caught in falling buildings and either
fatally injured or so seriously disabled
as to require medical attention.
The loss OF life was in the quar-
ters Of colored persons where the
wind destroyed their cabins, buryine
the occupants in the debris, or in the
farming section OF the country where
trees were uprootcd, telegraph ana
telephone polls torn mp and general
destruction became an encore to a
storm which. with almost tornado
fury, swept through the country.
1t is difficult to estimate the loss
Of life or the extent OF the disaster,
for there is little or no communities
ton with the points where the wind
and rain did its greatest damage.
In Louisiana it is estimated that Il
score of small towns We're destroyed
or partially wrecked These include
Amite City. Arcadia and lndcrcnd-
ence, Belle Grove, Melton, Lorman,
Pine Ridge. Quitman, Landing. Fair
childs Creek, Purvis and Lumhcrton,
Miss, are reported seriously damaged
IN the storm.
In Alabama, Dora was the chief
sufferer. This own is also known rs
Bergen. -Four or more persons were
killed, among them the wife and
daughter of Section Master Moore.
nifty persons at the lowest estimate
were injured. Those most seriously
hurt were carried TO hospitals in ljir-
mingham, Ala. one woman, a NJ >.
McCully, died on he train. Two
other members OF this Family were
riously injured. At bergen cars
ere blown from the railroad tracks
and considerable other property de
stroycd. Reports also .iay That the
storm struck Abertville, Ala, and de-
stroyed nearly the entire northern
norton Of the town. y cotton mill
was blown down, the storm ranging
uorthward, doing much destruction TO
life and property.
An unconfirmcd report from that
section gives the death list as from ~
to 35 with other persons injured. ~
special train VAS sent from Birming-
ham, carrying physicians II a squad
Of State militiamcn TO the district.
Aid is also pouring in from all drec-
tons.
From Meridian, Miss, comes 4 re
port that Mrs. John Minniccc n her
child were killcd outright and John
Minniccc was y|oriOuaiy injured, While
a number Of other persons were hhrt
and there was considerable dcStruc-
tion OF property.
Richland and Iamouric, La, Wcrc
struck by the storm and nearly Il iitth
of thcir population injured