Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1916-12-27
MEAGER REPORTS RECEIVED
Storm Cuts Path Four
Miles Wide; Fire Fol-
lows in Wake.
STATE CONVICT FARM is HIT
Reinforcements Sent to
Guard; Many Pris-
oners at Large.

OAANA - ~ 1~sNs =
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. Dec. o6.-Rc-
ports are that from II to 80 persons
were killed in u tornado that struck
south central Arkansas at 3 o'clock
this. afternoon. -Four are known to-
bc dead AT England. IL reported killed
at Kco and several are reported killed
at the state convict farm at Tucker.
All wires into the stOrmswcpt dis
trict are down and only mcagcr de-
tails are available. Among the known
dead are Nibcrt l.. Swarts. "A farmer
living near England. and three ne
grocs. one OF whom lived two miles
north of England and two who lived
two miles south. The Swars home
was picked up and carried about one
thousand yards. Mrs. Swarts was
probably fatally injured and an 49,
year old daughter was badly hurt.
Cuts t-MiIc Path.
Tho storm j. said To have swept n
path about four miles wide and IL is
reported that several fires broke out
In the wrcckagc. Every physician in
the little town o: England has been
called to the country 10 care for the
injured
Considerable alarm is felt here over
the situation at the state convict farm
at Tucker, where there l. said to have
been u heavy death list. There are
about 325 prisoners at the farm aud
II i feared that IL the place was struck
that some of the convicts might have
escaped. Captain J. Il. Burkctt, war
den of the state pcnitcntiary. left here
tonight with rcinforccmcnts for the
guard nj Tucker. Communication
with the farm was cut off about 3
O'Clock this afternoon.
Passengers Survive Storm.
Passengers arriving here tonight on
Cotton Belt train that passed thru
the storm district describe scenes of
destruction. However, they had no
authentic information on the number
of lives lost,
I'VE saw furniture in the tops Of
trees and many other evidences of de-
struction." said one passenger. Wires
were blown down. trees uprooted and
in some instances snapped off like
straws and the ground was covered
with wreckage. Several times our
train was forced to stop while the
men of the crew cleared the track
Near Haywood we saw house on fire,
IT apparently having been struck by
lightning. There were terrific flashes
OF lightning and all the time rain was
falling in torrents.
Twics Blown ~ Miles.
AT one station man brought some
pine twigs aboard the train which he
said must have been blown from
pine woods - miles away.
AT kco we heard n report that
negro settlement near there had been
wiped out and that II negroes were
killed"
One Home Demolished.
The home of Joseph Pilkington. n
farmer, four miles north of Pine
Bluff. was demolished and number
of barns and outbuildings We're either
destroyed or badly damaged The
property damage on the Pillngton
farm Ia estimated at $4,000. Mrs,
Pikington was slightly injured and
two negro servants were badly hurt.
3 Die at Carlisle.
Three were killed and five injured
near Carlisle. 2S miles east of Little
Rock. The dead are three little girls
Choice Padgett. aged 10; Allalee
Padgett, aged 7, and Frances Snow
aged Q. Mr.. and Mrs. Padgett. par
ents of the Padgett girls, were injured
when their home was wrecked and n
son also was injured. Mrs. w. S.
Snow and Mrs. Harold Snow are the
others injured. Several houses were
blown down
Storm Raging at Pine Bluff.
]. W. Dean, superintendent of the
Iron Mountain railroad, tonight re-
ceived word from Pine Bluff that n
storm has been raging In that city
for two hours. Many houses are re-
ported to have been destroyed and II
is feared several lives We're lost Dl-
rect communication Is cut OFT. but the
railroad was able to reach the town
via Shreveport, La. The Iron Noun
tain reports cloudburst between Lit
tie Rock and Pine Bluff and the
tracks are said to be under water in
p several places.
Follows Hot Weather.
The storm followed a period of un-
usually warm weather in this section
g.. and at the local weather bureau 1t was
said that the tornado was not unex-
pected. Thermometers in this section
went as high as Sc degrees yesterday.