The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1908-04-28

Desolation anc Ruin-Vietlrns Snatch
ed From Earth and Whirled to Death
New Orleans. April 27.-About $50
lives were wiped out and at least 1900
persons were seriously injured and
millions Of dollars OF damage caused
by the series of terrific tornadoes that
swept over the gulf states. OF the in.
jured il is expected that not less than
100 will succumb 70 their hurts.
The storm started in Texas and Ok
lahOma with winds OF hurricane fury
which swept eastward. In the Missis
| sippi valley it reached its most terri.
iying proportions when il broke up
into a number OF gigantic whirlwinds
These swept down upon town after
town in Mississippi. Louisiana. Ala.
bama. Georgia and Arkansas. desolat-
ing wherever they touched.
number OF small villages were de-
molished in western Mississippi early
Friday morning. and seven hours later
the towns Of Purvis. Miss. and Amitv.
La. 100 miles apart. were DESTROYED.
with great loss OF life.
AlSertville. Ala was partly demol-
ished late in the afternoon. and It was
not until next morning that Rome and
Griffin, Ca. were struck and damaged.
From the Texas border TO middle
Georgia the path of desolation ex.
tends. zigzagging from north 70 south.
and marked at irregular intervals bv
scenes OF utter devastation. over some
areas it leaped without damage and
almost unnoticed. and others It swept
clear OF everything.
In places it denuded hnlsides OF
grass and shrubbery and stripped ever
green trees completely OF their foliage.
In towns thickly settled BY negroes IL
wrought greatest havoc. The pic
turesQue darby cabins noted for their
himsy. happy go-lucky construction.
had been converted by the wind into
wholesale death-traps. II was in the
fall Of these cabins. which went down
almost without warning that most o.
the negro deaths occurred
In a number Of instances babies
were snatched from their mothers
arms and whirled away TO fall. bruised
and dying. at A distance In one IN.
stance a child was carried several
hundred yards and fell unhurt into a
swamp.
Survivors tell Of tornadoes that
came without warming. snatched up
men and women from the streets and
carried them away. TO be dashed 20
death. Houses were sometimes picked
up and carried whole for a distance
and then shattered 20 pieces hundreds
Of feet above the earth.
Mississippi bore the brunt OF the
storm. Reports from that state indicate
that the loss OF life will be by far the
greatest within her borders. Estimates
uf the number Of those who lost thelr
lives as a result of tornadoes In Mis-
sissippi place the death list al I-g.
with $50 injured.
In Texas Louisiana. Alabama and
Georgia the death lists are also large
with loss OF life in Arkansas and Ten
nessee- 4 partial summary OF the dead
and injured IS as follows.
Iouisiana-Dead. SIS: injured. $50
Mississippi-Dead. I59. injured $50
Alabama-Dead. 81; injured. ll3.
Georgia-Dead. %: injured. 100.
Tennessee-Dead. l injured T.
Arkansas-Dead. 3: injured. 80.
Towns reporting serious wrcckage.
&c.
Habitations and business houses
practically complete ruins in these
towns. about $500
The above figures do not include
the wreckage on plantations AM
farms. scores Of which were struck
and damaged The number OF dead
will never be known accurately for the
reason that about 500 Of them were
negroes and they were buried in many
communities without careful records
being made OF their numbers.