The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-03-09
Tornado Visited the Little City and
Fire Followed That Con-
sumed Debris-Many
Were Killed.
"''' ''''' F'F the Place Il
:, :. .r1ne ..nr -. : :
RELIEF IS BEING SENT CERTAIN HE W = SERVE
rranmen Who Passed Through the Not Known Wins
RELIEF is BEING SENT
rrainmen Who Passed Through the
Stricken City This Morning
Say It is Burning in
Twenty Places.

HELENA, Ark, March 9.-Reports
from survivors of Brinkley, a town of
five thousand, today say the entire
town was destroyed las. night by fire
following a tornado which swept the
place. Nothing but mass of charred
and burned wreckage remains today.
Eight are known to be dead and hun
dreds injured, many of whom will die.
The first news of the disaster was re-
ceived when I. N. Kinnell, telegraph
operator, and Line Richardson, ex-
tricated themselves from the ruins
of the Rock Island station and walked
to a nearby town and sent brief
message telling of the destruction of
the town. They said the station was
blown from over their heads, and the
entire building razed. kinnell was
slightly injured. Fire then started in
the debris of the town. The telegraph
and telephone wires are down N Ar
kansas as a result of the tornado,
and details of the storm are lacking.
Relief trains are being rushed to
Brinkley.
Damage is reported in the vicinity
OF Gourdon. Windows in the train
between Gourdon and Reader were
blown out according to reports. Some
buildings were unroofed At Fourche
dam. where the storm crossed the
Arkansas river, it turned into tor
nado. Water in the river was lifted
into waterspout two hundred feet
high. The storm swept on to Kerr,
through Baucum. 1t plowed path
sixty feet wide, leveling buildings and
uprooting trees. e. B. Adams, a
farmer living near Kerr was fatally
hurt.
Thieves arc looting the ruined
houses at Brinkley, and troops are be.
Ing hurried to the scene to furnish
protection. Before the governor left
on special train he received \ sec
ond message from Mayor Jackson ask.
ing for troops.
Reports from Carlisle say that three
persons we're killed when a home
there was demolished. The house de
stroyed was that of Mrs Mason, q
widow, living near Carlisle. Three
sons were killed, being caught IN the
wreckage Of the house. The head oi
one was severed from the body by q
heavy beam. Mrs. Mason's daughter
received injuries which may prove
fatal.
18 Whites-2o Negroes Dead.
Eighteen whites and twenty negroes
are dead at Brinkley and forty per
sons are seriously hurt. But six resi-
dences remain standing in the mids
of the debris of the fire, and tornado
Three thousand people are homeless
The property loss is estimated DIT ovel
million dollars. Help is pouring into
the stricken town from all points, the
dead being picked up and the wounded
cared for. The bodies recovered viii
be put on a special train and brough
to Helena for burial The injured art
being taken to nearby cities. The
identified dead are:
PORTER FOOTE.
]. l.. STERRITT.
HENRY STOvALL, JR.
MRS. PHILLIPS.
MRS. BELLE DARDEN.
CHARLES FRENZE.
MIR. AND MRS. HOOD.
Ihe tornado struck the city withou
warning, the path being the width o
the town and every ''uilding darage'
and most of them demolished
Two trains arrived at Brinkle,
shortly after daylight and found tn
people nearly helpless, dazed by tn
disaster. Relief parties formed, an,
the work of the rescue was started
The negro district was completed
wiped out. The business section |
presenting desolate appearance
buildings being twisted about, tumt
led over into the street. 1t is report
ed almost every business house Il
town was a total loss. In the res
dence section, houses We're unruofed
walls We're torn out, generally demo
ished leaving but six standing. Th
work of relief is greatly hanlpere
for the lack of facilities. The prof
lem confronting the relief parties,
how to house the people for the nigh
Many will be moved to. nearby town:
Death List To, Low.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark, March o.