The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1913-03-18
DAMAGE REACHES MILLIONS
ELECTRICAL TORNADO SWEPT
SIX SOUTHERN STATES.
Houses Wrecked by Wind and Nearly
Hundred Lives Lost. Heavy
Rains Do Much Local DAMAGE.

| Rains Do Much Local Damage.
Late reports are that more than
ninety people were killed scores Sc
verely injured and great property
loss sustained in the disastrous cleo
trical tornado which swept parts of
Georgia, Tennessee, Ala ANA, Louis
lana, Mississippi and Texas Thursday
afternoon and night.
Eighty-odd deaths have been re-
ported and the total loss of life prob
ably will be increased when wire
communication is restored in remote
sections devastated by the cyclone.
The damage to property cannot be
estimated, but probably will have to
be computed in millions
Twenty=nine persons are reported
to have persisted in Georgia and dam
age to property is roughly estimated
at $1OOO,OOO. Calhoun, Gordon
county, Georgia, and vicinity bore the
brunt of the storm in this state,
where eleven persons are reported to
have been killed The other fatali-
ties in Georgia were nine at Tucker,
four at Eaglesville, three at Clarks-
ton and two at Columbus.
Deaths in Tennessee.
Late reports from Tennessee have
increased the death toll in that state
to twenty-three persons. Six per-
ished at Middleton, four at South
Berlin, three at Huron, two each at
Culleoka and Lexington, and one
each at Leesburg, Rally Hill and Bry-
ant Station.
The. Loss of life in Alabama is esti-
mated at thirteen, although several
persons still are reported missing.
Five negroes we're killed near New
Decatur, three persons persisted at
Caller and two each at Hokes Bluff,
Gayesville and Duke.
Only one death is reported in Tex
as. Reports from Louisiana and Mis-
sissippi contain advices of no addi-
tional deaths, seven having been pre-
viously reported in each state.
The greatest damage to property
was the destruction of buildings and
houses in the sections OF states where
deaths were reported. Telephone and
telegraph communication has been
restored to most of the larger towns
and all of the cities in the storm
swept territory
Saw Huge Ball of Fire.
A Columbus citizen who CHANGED
to be up at the time the cyclone came
! said that he was watching it and
! there appeared to be huge ball of
] fire in the atmosphere that was re-
yolving about. Just as the ball of
IRE appeared to Girard, Ala. it burst,
dropping to the earth, spreading hav-
oc in its midst. From this time for
ward the gentleman doing the
watching was too busy with other
thoughts to give attention to appear
ances of the cyclone. Another citizen
| reported a similar freak of lightning
which settled about St Pauls church.
Rains Do Local Damage.
While Terrell county escaped the
| tornado thousands of dollars of dam
i age was done by torrential rains that
fell Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
i The damage done to farmers will
be hard to estimate. Fields have
been badly washed by the torrents of
rain that swept through them with
the fury of a flood, and the loss of
commercial fertilizers that were
washed away is heavy. Fields that
had been prepared for corn and cot
ton were packed hard, and it will
be necessary to do much of the work
over. Much corn already in the
ground will have to be replanted.