The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-04-27
YEw ORLEANS, LA. April 2s.-
The totals of death, misery
Y and ruin caused in four South
Y ern States by Fridays tornado


came to hand to-day in ap.
.proximately correct form. Briefly
stated they are:
Killed, about $50.
Injured. painfully or seriously. 1900.
Homeless. several thousand.
Towns reporting serious wreckage.
46.
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
tire reason that about 800 of them
were negroes, and they were buried
in many communities without careful
records being made of their numbers.
While some of the first reports giving
apparently reliable death lists has
since proved untrue. nevertheless re-
mote places, which were late in re-
porting their dead. have served to
hold the total death list uniformly
around $50.
The manner in which this death LIST
has grown for two days, inn spite Of
continual subtractions from early re-
ports. has been melancholy index OF
the interstate scope of the disaster.
Three Separate Storms.
BY following the wreckage of towns.
the general direction of the tornadoes
can be traced closely. Apparently the
storm struck in three separate currents.
each describing the arc of circle and
travelling toward the northeast
The first OF these struck through
northern Louisiana, Mississippi and
into Tennessee before daylight Friday
morning. The second appeared further
south about breakfast time in central
Louisiana and Mississippi. This ap-
rarently was the portion of the storm
which swept on through Alabama and
Georgia on Friday night and Saturday
morning. The third portion OF the
storm appeared, during Friday after
noon. further south than either OF
Its predecessors This was the storm
which demolhhed Amite La. and
Purvis. Miss. the two towns in which
the wreckage was worst.
Buried Under Wrecks.
Why the fatalities We're so unusually
large is apparent to-day from glance
at the mass Of photographs which hava
tornado belt. They all tell the samo
story. Whole blocks Of what We're
formerly little residences and cabins
lie spread over the ground In separate
boards II a huge lumber pile had
been scattered over these areas, tho
number of individual boards, unat-
tached 10 anything else could scarcely
have been greater. Many OF these
planks show Very few breaks where
Under this mass ot
wreckage many hundred persons We're
buried, not one in hundred esca piEE
without some injury. The houses whtca
were thus scattered scout We're mostly
negro habtatlons The homes OF tho
whites held together better, and the
show many Of them with
half the top Of the upper half of the
structure ripped off. but leaving below
projections which must have saved
scores from death.
Typical Experience.
Along With accounts of suffering.
however, came many recltals Of re-
markable experiences. of which the
following Is typical:
At Anlte. La, when the tornado ap-
peared thorc We're seven persons at
the dinnertable of Mr.. Hamilton War
ners homo. including three children.
One OF the diners. Claude Bennett,
saw the whirling cloud in time to
shout Il warning and rush out doors.
but the others remained in the dining
room ne Win ~ q .eNoins - -
the two doors on opposite sides of the
room, and an astonishing procession
of live and inahimate objects began to-
pass through the room through these
doors, FIRST came a calf running be-;
fore the wind The animal jumped oysr
the aiming table and went out the ops,
nosits door from which 1t entered.
Atterward came q horse, which after q
one or two prances about, followed
the exit taken by the calf.
The three children sought refuge un-
der e.le dining table and no one in ths I.
room was injured.
Relief Measures. @
To-day has been one OF relief meas.
ures throughout the wrecked district. n
The ruined towns havo been visited BY 4
thousands OF spectators. very many OF s