The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-23

Brookside, April 22.-(Special)-A cy-
 clone, preceded by wind which has been
 scarcely rivaled in this section in many years, struck this place this morning about 4:35 o'clock. wreal1ing havoc and distress on all sides. At least 20 houses
 were razed to the ground and % others
 badly damaged. But few structures in
 tho entire place escaped the fury of the twister.
 There were five negroes and one white
 child injured here, all of whom were taken to Birmingham and placed in hos pitals there. One negro, Dick Gibbs, was fatally injured 1t is thought, and
 his son was seriously injured The white child was Slav, but it is not thought that its injuries will prove fatal. At Tur- nertown, which is a suburb of this place, there are but three houses left standing. The house belonging to Lee Johnson, a negro, and the largest house In this
 suburb, was completely destroyed and Johnson was found unconscious half a
 mile away from his house. where he
 had been blown by the wind.
 Churches Are Destroyed Four churches were also destroyed in | the storm. The First Baptist church is missing from where 1t had been stand 1 ing Only one side of the weatherboard- ing can be found and here and there in the hills chairs identified as belonging
 to this house of worship can be picked up. The negroes Baptist and African Methodist churches were also destroyed as was a Catholic church belonging to the Greeks here.
 Two or three houses which last night contained happy homes are now not to be found. A search was made for them today but up until 1 o'clock this after noon they cannot be located. Portions Of a house which formerly stood in Pinkney City, three miles from here, were found today in Brookside.
 The financial damage was conserva- lively estimated here today as being
 not less than $50,00o. including both
 houses and their furnishings. The negroes are the principal sufferers and are in a dreadful state. Many of them know not where to turn Tor their next meal and at least one-third of them are nearly naked A movement was started here this afternoon to alleviate their condition as much as possible. MdtlN Ol lHtil eSCdptu lIOlll lHe ny lIS houses only in their night clothes. One mountain which yesterday was
 beautiful in its green trimmings of the springtide is today veritable desert l so far foliage Is concerned. Pine and oak trees were uprooted and seat tered for a mile around. On the road from here to Pinkney City, trees lay
 across it and it is quite difficult to
 reach the latter village.
 Baby Lodged in Tree
 At Pinkney City the only known death resulting from the cyclone oc- cured. This was Arthur Hill negro who was killed outright. His body was found about s o'clock this morn- ing under some wreckage where he had been caught and killed. A little negro
 baby was missing for awhile and its parents were frantic as to its where- abouts They were almost certain that | it had been killed by the flying tim 1 bers, but they wanted to find the body.
 Finally someone came in with the news l that he had found the infant in the l top of a pine tree a mile and half distant from where their home had
 stood. He said that the little coon
 was cooing as happily as you please, enjoying the rocking of the tree in l the pleasing breezes which followed 1 this mornings storm. The joy of the | distracted darkies at finding their lit- tie one was touching indeed.
 There were 70 houses completely de- 1 stroyed at Pinckney City and about 10 others partially damaged. The wind played curious tricks at the neighbor- | ing town, by sweeping down between ] two houses not % feet apart tearing out | the sheds between them and then swirl ing around again taking the back part | of one without touching the other The | financial damage at Pinckney City is placed at s25.000.
 | Course Was Puzzling
 puzzling in the extreme. Not that it | cannot be traced but rather for the places which were left untouched. The l first place that any knowledge can be 1 gained of it is at Porter where the home | of S. T. simmons a Methodist minister l was destroyed. white man was slight ly injured here. From Porter the storm came to Graysville. Gin Town. as il | is better known. Eight houses were razed to the ground here and one wom- | an, a Mrs Thomas, was injured. 1t is | thought her injuries will perhaps prove 1 fatal Several others were slightly hurt
 but not enough to keep them from going about their business. The financial loss l is estimated at sl0,000
 | The storm came direct from Gin Towr I to Pinckney City and thence to Brook side leaving Brookside for Mnera l Springs. It is understood that ths damage was slight there, the financial