Oxford eagle., 1909-03-18
DEATH LIST
INCREASES
Work Of Terrible Cyclone
at Brinkley, Ark.
Mayor Appeals for Aid-Sseves,
Building Material. Food and
Bedding Badly Needed.

Bedding Badly Needed.
Brinkiey, Ark Brinkley is wiped cut-
The proud and prosperous little city
OF 1000 people is . tangled mass Of
wreeksge- Not . building in the busi-
ness section Of the city has b<en left
intact, not residence but that hAs ssf-
fered In . fearful eye,sne vkieh sssps
the place Aouiay night. Ssuvinx dessh
and desolation in its wake
More than hfty people ere known 10
have Peri-hed in the storm
Damage Enermoua
The property damage is enormous
Conservative business men estimate the
damage at more than 81 900 COO. More
than 1000 houses were wrecked. or par-
italy wrecked, by the great wind Every
business house Is in ruins, every church.
save one, Is destroyed, and there is
hardly home that has not at least suf-
fered the loss Of root or wing.
First work One of Mercy.
The hrst work Was one Of mercy.
Mayor Harry Jackson took command
OF the relief committee, DIR. E. ID. Nc
knight was assigned to the position Of
chairman of the doctors committee Be
fore It was hardly day, relief commit
tees were coming from all directions.
Each brought physicians and nurses,
armed with medicines and supplies.
eager to help in the work.
In TIE few houses still standing il IL
well nigh impossible to start . Hre, be-
cause chimneys were among the first
things to go and the situation /. terrible
In the extreme
The Catholic Church and the Green
lee building, the latter minus . roof in
parts and otherwise damaged, have been
converted into hospitals. and here the
doctors are working with the injured.
Many of the citizens are badly hurt, but
determined to help those worse of than
themselves, have refused to 20 to the
temporary hospital
Most Of the dead were caught in the
wrecked buildings, and crushed almost
beyond recognition The family of Isaac
Reed was almost completely wiped out.
Reed, his wife and their two son.. Rus
sell, aged Is, and Raymond, aged IL.
were instantly killed Miss Murlis Reed.
. daughter. alone escaped death, but she
10 seriously injured
Did cyeIene Stunts-
Straight across the city from the
southeast to the northwest swept the
warning elements. leaving death and de-
struction in their wake. The tornado
jumped, turned, writhed and twisted like
. thing endowed with life, judging from
the wreekage which marks its flight.
1t left no path, As is usual with cy-
clones. but spread itself out over q wide
area and embraced the entire town
within its deadly grasp.
II first struck the residence portion Of
the city Cottages, twostory frame and
brick dwellings crumbled beneath the
mighty rush of the winds Trees were
uprooted and carried hurting through
the air for hundreds of feet, crashing
through fimsy wooden walls a. If they
had been 50 much cardboard. Telephone
poles were snapped short of at the
ground and tossed about the streets
like pipe stems
IL struck the business section with
ever-inereasing violence Solid brick and
concrete storehouses fell crashing to the
ground before its fury. Heavy awnings,
doors and even the front walls of many
stores. tin roofs and flying debris OF all
kinds flied the air, while the eiemenfs
ng~d and the rain fell in torrentsL
People Paaie-Striekez-
Men, women and children ran scream
ing and terrorstricken into the streets.
The city was in total darkness. The
Bsinkley Lght-and Power Company vas
one of the first plants struck by the
storm IL was demolished and its wires.
along with the telephone and telegraph
wires. spread over the ground in . YER
liable network of steel. iron and copper
m<shes.
Husbands sought for wives and wives
sought for ehildren- Brothers cried
aloud to mothers and sisters, and - the
full fury Of the wind died away to .
steady and oninous roar, their screams,
combined With those Of the injured. rang
out piercingiy in the almost Stygian
darkness. Strong men paused, shud-
d<red and knew not what to do or where
to 90. Women sank down in the streefs,
which had become veritable torrents.
gathering their children to them, aid
odered up their prayers for tie deliv-
eranee Of their ives-
The reaction cana in another moment.
Lanterns and torches were secured
Searching parties were organized. and
at lao O'Clock myriad of nickering,
haring. 6tful hghts dancsd about over
the scene Of unspeakable desolation and
ruin whirh unfolded itself to the eye
fos bsief moments .as the brilliant and
vivid flashes Of lightning pierced the
sombre heavens
I. The rain was pouring in torrents,
lashing the face and hands with sting-
ing forte
Daylight Expesed the Horror.
/. Not until long after daylight had
essne to add horror to the desoIste pie