The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-05-02
STORM IS SEVERE
 AROUND ANNISTON Causes Slight Wreck on Soufh-
 ern Railway PIEDMONT IS HIT HARD Several Buildings Are Wrecked and Total Damage Will Reach $1o,ooo. One Child Is Slightly Injured.
 Drummer's Experience.
PIEDMONT IS HIT HARD

Anniston May Especial )-As a re- suit of the fierce storm early Friday even ing and night, which undermined a short ham division of the Southern railway in Ward of this city. two passenger coaches and sleeper of train No. 12, which was due here this morning at 257. but which did not arrive until short ly after 3 a. m., were thrown off the tracks and partly turned over at that point, causing great alarm and confu- sion. though 1t Is said that no one was hurt in the accident.
 The engine. mail and express cars of the train passed safely over the under mined trestle, but the second and first ! class passenger coaches and sleeper were thrown off by the sinking tracks and were turned about one-fourth over before stopping. The trucks were torn loose from the cars in some instances and considerable damage done to the cars. The accident occurred where there is a long sidetrack and by the use of this extra line trains have continued over the road without interruption. In fact, the rear sleeper which did not leave the track, was switched around the wreck and attached to that part of the train which had escaped the accident. and to ! this the passengers. were transferred and the journey continued.
 The wreck has been cleared up and traffic continues as heretofore. Roadbed Washed.
 The flood terribly washed the Southern had 4r,
 1t unsafe in many places to operate trains, many places being seen this morning where the ties were being supported by the rails instead of tue rails by the ties.
 Great damage was done by the flood to bridges. streets and sidewalks in all parts of the city. At Fourth street and the railroad the street and sidewalk are terribly washed. Bridges were swept away and other damage of like character inflicted which amounts to great loss.
 As usual. the flood on East Tenth street completely submerged that portion, and the business men of that street say they can endure the conditions no longer Thrasher's meat market was deIuged by flood six inches deep. and the entire street in front of the Winner hotel prop erty and the Knox buildings was a seeth- ing flood of water and muck Passengers reaching the city on the | early trains of Friday night were com | pelled to wade a river of water which rushed down in front of the passenger l station. extending out as far as the New l England hotel. Ladies lifted their skirts l alarmingly high and hiked out into the
 sea of water. which was the only means they had of reaching Thirteenth street
 Cabbies were happy and were kept busy
 hauling people, but everybody could not
 secure such transportation, as the de-
 mand exceeded the supply
 The storm of rain was accompanied in many places with haistones, said to be
 as large as hen eggs At Weaver one stone was picked up which was said to have measured three inches in diameter. And in that neighborhood it is said that the fruit crop was completely ruined. be- 1 ing beaten to pieces by the hail
 At Piedmont
 | The worst damage by storm in the | Anniston district was at Piedmont where the property loss will approximate s1O,OOO according to J. W. Hawke, manager of
 the Coosa Manufacturing company, which
 will have to shoulder the larger part , of the loss.
 i In a conversation over the telephone
 Saturday morning MT Hawke stated that
 the gale, moving in a very narrow path | struck the mill city with great sudden
 ness, and he says that had not most of the residents been at work in the mill ! there would have been considerable loss
 of life. Three dwellings were razed, four
 were swept off their foundations, the ! companys warehouse was razed the Christian church was demolished and q
 new house being built by Southern Rail | way Track Supervisor Colquitt was also
 completely destroyed, probably making 1t | impossible to use the material in rebuild
 ing. 1t is considered marvellous that only
 one child was injured to any extent.
 MT. Hawke says that the loss sus-
 tained by his company will amount to
 about s500o; the church was probably 1 worth S3500 while the loss sustained by MT Colquitt will range between S1O0i
 and 5000
 Drummers Experience.
 A drummer who was driving through
 the country from Spring Garden to Pied
 mont during the storm yesterday after
 noon had very exciting experience 1 The vehicle was being drawn by two l horses and the team was driven by a l small negro boy. I.ightning struck one of the horses, knocking the animal down The current then followed the wet reins | and shocked the negro boy. In the meantime the horse had recovered from l the shock and the horses started to run | throwing the drummer to the ground ] and considerably damaging his clothing. | He was not injured, however, and when the negro boy had recovered and stopped the horses he was able to get in the ic