Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26


Probably a third OF a thousand
lives lost, a hundred or more per-
sons fatally injured, and many
times this number painfully hurt,
together with a property loss
running up in the millions, is the
record so far of series of lorna
does that originated in the west
two days ego, sweeping across
Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas,
Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennes-
see. Alabama and Georgia yes
terday and last night. 1t left a
path of death, desolation and
want in its wake, seriously inter-
nseted communication between
cities in the south and brought
about chaotic conditions in many
smaller towns. Mississippi bore
the brunt of the storm. Reports
from that state indicate that the
loss of life will be by far the
greatest of any section through
which the storm passed.
=, NEW ORLEANS. April 25.-Estimates
Of those who lost their lives as a result
of tornadoes place the death list near 300.
with thousand or more injured. Au-
thentic information is, in many instances.
lacking. ewing to the crippled facilities
for communication and the lack Of time
to form anything like an accurate esti-
mate Of the damage.
:, The most utter misery Of every sort was
found today at Purvis. Miss. by relief
parties. Although Of the $500 inhabitants
which that little town boasted yesterday
morning there remained only abou 900 to-
day. still there were not sufficient ac-
commodations in the wrecked village for
even the wounded. Old negro mammies
and little black children lay wounded and
helpless under the broiling southern rays
Crushed and Wounded.
Some had broken bones. some were
partly crushed, and others had been
wounded by sticks and splinters. There
was not enough shelter in the town to
protect them from the sun. and many of
the walls which remained standing had no
roofs. and by a queer freak Of the tor
nado. many of the trees which had not
been uprooted had been snapped on a
few feet above the ground grove of
pines was mutilated In this manner, SO
that it appeared as II a giant scythe had
swept through the grove about twenty
feet above the ground.
The g1e ester part of Purvis' population
today were refugees in IIattiesburg and
Lumberton. Miss. about $50 OF them be-
ing badly injured. OF those remaining
in town many appeared distracted and
their fellow townspeople who had been
killed. s, me gravely asserted that a third
of the population was dead
Many hurried funerals were held today
and a count of the visible dead revealed
only thirty-four. about half of them ne
groes. Many other negroes were report
ed killed in the vicinity of Purvis.
Instead OF entering the town at one
storm see-sawed about Once or twice
judging from the appearance of the de-
bris today. the wind veered so much as
nearly to double on its trail. The result
whom were caught and either injured OIL
killed after they had apparently escaped
Scores sought safety In running and the
story Is told Of young woman who rar
away from the storm as it. struck one
street corner. but who was killed as she
reached the next corner. where some tim
bers fell on her
The usual freaks were played by the
from house to a neighboring building.
Jail 1s Unroofed.
Tventy-seven prisoners were in the lit
tie town Jail The roof was lifted COM
pletely of the jail, leaving rain and debri.
beating in upon the exposed prisoners. bu,
SO terror-stricken were they that not one
gained his freedom.
The wreckage which remained on the
site of a lumber mill near town con.
sisted quite largely of splinters from the
size of toothpicks up to small sticks.
The total money loss at Purvis was
today estimated at 100000 These fig.
ure. were obtained from dozens of busi.
ness men, each of whom calculated his
individual loss. The state tonight is
furnishing tents. neighboring towns sup
plies and with martial law the town is
virtually safe from looting
In half a dozen communities martial Law
has been declared. SO terrible was the de
struction and so helpless are the stricker
people left by the disaster. Serious disor
cluding Amite. La. Looting and Other
crimes have been reported. but these in
stances have been. on the whole rare
Several places have issued special ap
peais for aid, and in MISSISSIPPI. Gov
Noel has been asked to provide tents fo
the homeless in regions desoIated.
1t was Thursday night that damage b,
tornadoes. travelling eastward. was frs
reported from points in Texas. These re
ports were followed during the next TWEEN
ty-four hours by similar reports from Ar
kansas, Louisiana. Mississippi and Ten
nessee. Last night Alabama came within
the flight of the storm and today's re
ports Of serious damage by the wind 1,
Georgia were recorded.
APPEALS FOR HELP.