The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-04-25
NINE DEAD AT ALBERTVILLE Business Part of City
 Destroyed. SURGEONS FOR 200 INJURED Heroic Work on Part of North
 Alabamians. Large Part of Thriv,As Little City is Destroyed, InciudIHs Over One Hundred Residenees--Mni-
 tary en nnty.
 
BY y. '. OSBORN.

 Albertville. April 25.-(Special.)-- Human life was made a plaything by the clements here Friday afternoon, when a tornado swept the town, laying a part of 1t in waste
 After midnight this (saturday) morn ink, 1t IS known that nine persons of more or less prominence are dead and scores are injured. i've of whom will die.
 The dead:
 Erie Mccord. aged 13; Mrs. c. O. Barnett. aged 65, T J. Sadler, aged TO-; Mrs. John Decker. two children of John Decker, Arnold Birdsong, aged IA; Ida Dorsett, aged s sad a negro girl.
 Fatally lniuredis John Decker, two children of John Decker. Mrs. William Avery. Professor Sylvester Greer. as- ssstant superintendent of the Seventh District Agricultnrai School; pr. Turk. Mrs. Turk. Infant of Mrs. Bobo.
 Dangerously injured: Madison Walker, Christie Walker. Miss Johnny Libas. T. R. Robertson, Charles Dor sett, child of Dorsett, ], L. Scarbrough, Mrs. R. N. Moody. William Ragsdale, Mrs William Ragsdale. Mrs. H. c. Wflson and baby, Professor C.. M. Dan- nelly, D.. R Reeves. Mrs. D. B. Reeves. four ebtldren Of D. B. Reeves. Albertvifie is . thrtying little city of 1;Seo pbpuiatfon spn the faslsa.ailns | miles north Of Csadsden. Itwas struck by q cyclone yesterday afternoon and almost wiped out of existence. Nine are dead, as many more fatally injured, a score so seriously hurt that many may die. This Is the story of the mighty wind that swooped down upon the peaceful town, smashed 1t with Titanic strength; and passed. leaving desolatfon in It's track.
 The storm came up at few minutes aftefN4 o'clock, and was accompanied by a terrific roaring sound It came from the southwest and struck the town just north of the Nashville. Chat tanooga and St. Louis depot, cutting a Swath through the center and dernoi- lshihg everything in its path. BusEneas Section Ruined.
 The business section was leveied to the earth with the exception of few buildings which the freaks of the wind left partIaIiy wrecked
 More than 125 residences were com pletely destroyed and the debris fills the streets and the fields surrounding the town.
 Last night the village presented a scene of desolation. Through the mud and water parties of searchers bearing lanterns went seeking the missing. The few houses that remained were turned into improvisod hospitals and everything possible was done to re- lieve the suffering A special train was hurried out of Gadsden as soon as the news was received of the disaster and every available doctor and trained nurse in the city was hurried to AL bertville.
 But In spite of every effort many of the injured were forced to wait until the overworked doctors could reach them. Men swarmed the streets, hail ing each group and begging for doc- tor to go home with them.
 The people seemed dazed by the ca tastrophe and talked in hushed tones as men who had without warming zazed into the face of death and bare iy missed It's clutch. They would seize a lantern and point to some demon stration of the winds terrific strength and repeat over and over, "It was aw- full"
 No estimate can yet be placed upon the financial loss, and indeed the peo- pie seemed indifferent to the property loss. They only realize that many of their friends and neighbors have been slain by the storm. A tour in the darkness only lighted by the fltful xleam of a lantern revealed the fact that thousands of dollars worth of property has been destroyed.
 Some Property Losses.
 Some of the business houses which were totally demolished were: D. A. Bakers grocery store office of Mar shall Banner, Hood Brothers ware house. Pittsman 6 Reynolds livery sta ble. Templeton's sample rooms, Farm CTS Union wareh ouse. McNaron Broth CTS feed store. John Millers ware house. Methodist Episcopal Church and Christian Church.
 In addition to these the top of the AlbertvilIe Bank was blown off. the Aibertvllle hotel was unroofed, the front of the postoffice was blown out and every other business house in the town was damaged.
 The oil mill suffered severely and the gin connected with 1t was demolished.
 An empty tank of 1S.0OO gallons ca pacity, as lifted by the wind. carried half a mile and deposited against a negro cabin.
 The negro section of the town was destroyed and no. Idea has yet been gained of the damage suffered by the blacks.
 All trajfic on the Nashville Chatta- nooga and St. Louis Railroad of the north is stopped. Nine box cars are lying on the track besides great piles of wreck age which 1t will require time to re- move. The head block of a switch stand was pulled out of the ground and twisted in two and the switch stand was leveled to the ground. Planks were driven through the box cars as though fired from a cannon and on