The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-04-30
DOZENS OF TOWNS
WRECKED BY WIND
TORNADO IN LOUISIANA, ALA
BAMA AND MISSISSIPPI.
TWO HUNDRED ANDFIFTYDEAD
Hundreds of Others Are injured
Most Of the Victims Negroes
Great Damage Done to
Property.

~
New Orleans, April 25.-Repdrts
received here up to two O'Clock this
afternoon show that the destruction
wrought by the cyclone OF yesterday
Is more terrible than at first supposed.
The list of dead now numbers 25O,and
over Ave hundred are injured. The
storm started in central Louisiana,
sweeping everything to the Georgia line.
Another disturbance followed. leaving
death and ruin behind. The proper
ty loss is estimated at two millions of
dollars.
The Earlier Estimates.
New Orleans, April 25.-A hundred
and sixty-five persons are believed to
have been killed and 453 injured many
fatally, In a tornado which yesterday
swept thirteen states of the Union
from the Dakotas to the Gulf of Mex
leo, leaving a trail of destroyed vii
lagos, ruined farms, devastated coun-
trysides and bereaved households.
The full weight of the storm fell on
the states of Louisiana, Mississippi
and Alabama. where many small towns
were badly damaged. Before burst
ing on this part of the country the
tornado traversed North Dakota, South
Dakota. Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Ne
bfaska, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee
and Oklahoma.
In the vicinity of Natchez, Miss,
sixty persons were killed and 126 in
jured. Hundreds OF houses were de.
stroyed. The tornado plowed through
the counties of Adams, Jefferson and
Claiborne, Mississippi, for a distance
of fifty miles, leveling every building
which came in its way. The town of
Vidalia, across the river in Louis
lana, was badly damaged Many in
jured persons have been taken 10 the
hospital at Natchez.
Other Reports of Storm.
Atlanta. Ca, Apr. ga wind OF
cyclonic proportions swept over por-
tions Of Louisiana. Mississippi and
Alabama late Friday, leaving a trail
of dead and injured. The number of
killed is estimated at close to 100 and
the number Of injured at over 100,
with many portions of the afflicted
districts to hear from.
Most of the dead are negroes. Per-
haps 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 chiefly in the
quarters of colored persons, where the
wind destroyed their cabins, burying
the occupants in the debris, or in the
farming sections Of the country, where
trees were uprooted, telegraph and
telephone poles torn up and general
destruction was wrought
Many Small Towns Wrecked.
In Louisiana it Is estimated that a
score of small towns were destroyed
or partially wrecked. They include
Amite City, Arcadia and Independ.
ence. Belle Grove, Melton, Lorman,
Pine Ridge, Quitman Landing, Fair
childs Creek, Purvis and Lumberton,
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 Section Master Moore.
tifty persons at the lowest estimate
were injured Those most seriously
hurt were carried to hospitals in Bir-
mingham, Ala. One woman, a Mrs.
McCully, died on the train. Two other
members of this family were seriously
injured.
Reports also say that the storm
struck Albertville, Ala, late in the
afternoon and destroyed nearly the en-
tire northern portion Of the town.
A cotton mill was blown down, the
storm ranging northward, doing much
destruction to life and property. An
unconfirmed report from this section
gives the death list as from 30 to IS
with scores OF persons injured. A
train was sent from Birmingham, car
rying 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 Minnece and her |
child were killed outright and John |
Minnece was seriously injured, while |
q number of other persons were hurt, |
and there was considerable destruc-
ton Of property.
Richland and Lamourie, La. were
struck by the storm and nearly a
fifth of their population injured.
Winchester, Miss, Wiped Out.
Winchester, Miss, small town, is
reported wiped out. though only two
persons are known to have been killed.
Natchez, Miss. reports so are
known to be dead In the northern
Louisiana storm. Hundreds of planta-
tion cabins are reported destroyed In
this section.
Mabile reported nine dead in Hat
tiesburg, Miss, but this has not been
confirmed.