The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1909-03-17
And Many More Injured by Cy-
clone in Arkansas
HUNDREDS HOMELESS
The Town of Brinkley Almost WHIP
ed Off the Map-Fourteen White
and Sixteen Colored People Known
to be Dead-Many Killed at 9th

er Places.
Little Rock, Ark, March 8.-Many
persons are reported dead, and a
number injured as the result of a
violent storm which swept through
western, eastern and southernWAr-
kansas late this afternoon and to-
night.
Three are reported to have been
killed at Brinkley and dispatches at
midnight on the only wire in opera
ton between that place and Little
Rock, a railroad wire, were to the eff
feet that the town was in flames, and
it's complete destruction seemed in
evitable.
Brinkley is a town Of 5000 per-
sons and the junction point of sew
eral important railroad systems.
A dispatch from Forest City says
late advices from Brinkley indicate
that practically the entire town is
now a mass of ruins and that eight
persons have ben killed and the in
jured will be numbered by scores.
The fire at 2 o'clock this morning is
| still burning and the reflection can
be seen from here, a distance Of
twenty miles. Every physician of
this place as we'll as many nurses
we're dispatched to Brinkley at mid
night and other towns are rushing
| aid to the storm-swept town.
A Cotton Belt passenger train due
in Little Rock at $50 o'clock to-
night is lost in the vicinity of Bau-
cum, where a tornado struck, and is
reported to have been swept off the
track. Another report is to the
effect that the train was struck by
lightning. Railroad offices in Little
Rock have been endeavoring to To-
cate the train for hours, but have
been unable to do so.
The tornado struck at F%ourchdema
at five o'clock this afternoon within
five miles of Little Rock, killing a
negro boy and injuring other ne
groes. Two houses were demolished
by fire after it had been blown to
bits. Several negroes are reported
to be fatally hurt.
The tornado crossed the Arkansas
river at Fourchdema and raised a
| spout of water about 200 feet high.
1t travelled toward the northeast and
swept a clean path about sixty yards
wide. 1t was impossible to get any
definite reports from that vicinity
tonight. The tornado was followed
by a violent hail and rain storm,
which kept up throughout the night.
The same tornado passed into Bau-
cum, where the extent of the dam
age is also unknown and from there
to Kerns, in Lonke county where sew
eral home were demolished and E.
B. Adams, a farmer, was seriously if
not fatally injured.
He, with his wife, son and three
others were in the house at the time
of the storm. They We're hurled
in the debris, but all escaped alive.
The home of Dan Wagner, a saw
mill operator, ear there, was also
destroyed, but he and his wife es-
capped with a few bruises. A gin
and several negro cabins were de-
m%olished.
All the windows Of a train between
Gurdon and Roster were blown out.
At Balvern the Methodist church
vas entirely destroyed at a loss of
$4,000. The Baptist church was
damaged, portion of the court house
was u%nroofed and other extensive
damage was done. No loss of life
was reported, although the extent OF
the damage in the surrounding coun-
try was not known.