The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1913-07-22
QUARTER MILLION Loss
Wrought By Cyclone Which
Swept Over Bourbon County
Saturday Morning.
MANY HOUSES IN CITY
Unroofed By Terrific Gale, while
Loss in County will Reach
Appalling Figures.


county Saturday morning. A number
of houses in the business district Of
the city were unroofed by the force
of the high wind and masses of debris
hurled through the buildings and into
the streets imperiling the lives of
hundreds of people.
Panics ensued in many stores and
business houses where scores of per-
sons had taken refuge from the high
wind and but fortunately cooler heads
prevented any injury to excited per-
sons. Only two casualties were re-
ported. Frank Rails, negro cook en-
ployed on the farm of James Caldwell,
near this city, was badly burned when
a temporary kitchen in which he was
preparing dinner for a threshing crew,
was blown over. He sustained injur-
les to his right arm and was also badly
burned about the head and face. He
was takn to Millersburg, where his in
juries were dressed and was able to
come to Paris Saturday afternoon.
Willis Fife, a tenant on the farm Of
Baldwin Bros, near Paris, was struck
by lightning, but not seriously injured.
He was at his home when the bolt of
lightning was conducted to his house
striking Fite on the right shoulder
and knocking him down. His clothing
and shoes were torn from his body and
he suffered few burns. He soon re-
vived and is now able to be out.
The elemental disturbance came
without any notice of its approach be-
ing given. There was no indication of
storm until a dark cloud appeared
on the Southwest horizon and grew
steadily darker. The most discon-
certed feature of the storm was the
darkness. 1t was almost ae black as
midnight, the abrupt change coming
upon morning of unusual brightness.
The threatening elements sent the
hundreds of people on the streets into
places of shelter, many of them run
ming from fright, while others thought
only of evading the downpour of rain
which seemed imminent.
In less than five minutes after the
cloud appeared, coming from the
Southwest, the earth was overcast with
a darkness that was never before wit
messed at time so near midday.
The wind was blowing a terrible gale
and the temperature began to decline,
many minutes. When the storm was
at its height the electric service fail
ed and the entire city was plunged
into darkness This added to the dis
comfort of the inhabitants who feared
a repetition of the disastrous storm of
1889.
The storm continued with undated
fury for half an hour and during the
period a heavy pail which resembled
smoke or fog overhung the city. The
gale struck the city with a fury that
threatened the destruction of large
portion of the business section and the
residence districts in its path. Indi-
Gated by the destruction wrought, the
most dangerous portion of the twiSter
struck the city about eighth street and
covered an area of several squares to
East Paris,
Many persons residing in the South
end of the city and in the more ele-
waited sections are able to give a
graphic description of the cyclone. A
number watched it's approach little
realizing the danger they faced. 1t is
said by a numer of those who ven
tired to view the approach that tie
cyclone reselhtled an immense funnel
/ offending froHl the black clouds ami
at times almost reaching the earth.
/ The gale was accompanied b. rain
and hail, n in some section of the
county hail stones larger than mar
bl3s fell destroying tobacco crops
VII. lie corn was loveled with the 5roU1.i
by the vial The down-pour in this
city lasted Tor half an hour and WIS
The heaviest IL i'll that has fallen il
tins city in Zears.
Paris was practically cut off from
the outside world for a time, OWNS
TO the destruction of both telephone
and telegraph wires. Only one wire Of
the Western Union Telegraph Co. lead
ing from this city was intact, while
the Postal Telegraph Co: was withou
means of communication. Long dis
lance telephone lines were put out o
commission and it was some time be
fore long distance communication
could be established.
Traffic over the interurban line t,
Lexington ceased when the heav,
wind destroyed the poles and troll.
wires Trees were blown across tn
tracks and poles were snapped off a
the ground and blown across the road
The path of the storm was abOu
eight miles wide and in it's wake
left nothing but destruction. 1t e1
tended from a point est of the Greer
witch pike on the Lexington road to
point about four miles west of Paris
The lower end of the county sffere
but little as a result of the gale.
Great damage was suffered by tn
merchants of this city whose places c
i business We're unroofed by the heav
wind, and the stores were drenche
with the down-pour that followed, Ell
thing a heavy loss is stocks of good
and business property.
In some stores where large nun
Der of clerks were employed gres
excitement reigned and many narro
AscaneS are rennrted AL of tl