The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-05-01
Which Swept Over Four
States of the South.
OVER 300 VICTIMS
LATER DETAILS OF CALAMITY
SHOW THAT HAVOC WROUGHT
WAS FAR GREATER THAN
FIRST REPORTS INDI-
GATED.

r. g..
TOrnadoes sweeping over the south
eastern states, including Louisiana,
Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia and
southern Tennessee, Friday night and
Saturday morning, left in their wake
greater destruction of life and prop
erty than nas ever been experienced in
this territory from the same cause.
The totals of death, misery and ruin
were compiled Sunday in approximate
ly correct form. Briefly stated, they
are:
Killed, about $50; injured, painfully
or seriously, 1900; homeless, several
thousand; towns reporting serious
wreekage, 46; habitations and business
houses practically complete ruins in
these towns, about $500.
The above figures do not include the
wreckage of plantations and farms.
The total number of dead will never
be known accurately, for the reason
that about 800 of them were negroes,
and they were buried in many COM
munities without careful records be-
ing made of their numbers.
By following the wreckage of towns,
the general direction of the tornadoes
can be traced closely. Apparently the
storm struck in three separate cur.
rents, each describing the arc of cir
Gle and travelling toward the northeast.
The first of these struck through north.
ern Louisiana, Mississippi and into
Tennessee before daylight Friday
morning. The second appeared further
south about breakfast time in central
Louisiana and Mississippi. This appar-
emily 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 It's
predecessors. This was the storm which
demolished Amite, La, and Purvis,
Miss, the two towns in which the
wreckage was worst.
The scene of the worst disaster was
at Purvis, Miss, where eighty are re,
ported dead and practically the entire
town wiped out.
At Chipley, Ca, eight were killed and
scores injured, and half Of the bust
ness section swept away.
At Cave Spring, Ga, nine were kill
ed, and it is believed the list of in
jured numbered more than fifty. There
was also great destruction of prop
erty.
At Griffin, Ca, three were killed and
seven seriously injured. The Rushton
cotton mills were destroyed together
with many other buildings.
Columbus, Ca, reports twelve dead
in that vicinity with scores Of in.
jured.
In Georgia the storm also touched
McDonough, Harris City and Locust
Grove, each place reporting deaths
and a list of injured.
In Alabama the storm struck late
Friday afternoon at Albertville leav-
ing thirty dead and fifty injured. At
High Mound five are dead, at Harton
four, four at Leesburg and three dead
and twenty-one injured in settlement
three miles from Albertville.
At Amite City, La, rs are dead and
many injured in the vicinity.
Reports from FIT. Deposit, Ala, show
that the town is practically wiped out.
At McCallum, Miss, twelve are dead,
with scores injured.
The list of dead in and around
Natchez, Miss, will reach seventy-one
and the number Of injured will go
over two hundred.