St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1918-08-10
120-Mile Gale Sweeps Ev-
erything to Ruthless
Destruction.
AVIATION GROUNDS
PILED WITH WRECK
Reconstruction Work Will
/ Be Begun As Soon
AS Possible.

Charles was devastated by tornado
that struck that city at 2 O'Clock
Tuesday afternoon.
Fire added it's ravages to the
wreckage wrought by the storm.
From 2 O'Clock until 4 o'clock in
the afternoon the wind swept through
the city, the velocity at times reach
ing 120 miles per hour.
mated at much more than one mil
lion dollars. Hardly a building in
the town, brick, stone or frame, es-
capped damage. Hundreds were de-
molished. Ryan street, the princi-
pal business thoroughfare of the
town, is wrecked for one mile in
extent.
The tornado was accompanied by
heavy rain that came from the
northeast and shifted to the north
west. The Episcopal church was
blown down. The loss is $1O,OeO.
The building of the Lambert Cneml-
cal Company was burned down the
loss amounting to $4,000. The
buildings of the Hodge Fence Com
pany were burned, enta:iins a heavy
loss. The spool shop of the Calca-
sieu Long Leaf Lumber Company
caught fire. There was some dam
age but the fire was put oat and the
main plant saved. The upper floor
of the Lake Charles Rice Milling
Csmrany was blown off ana the
building and contents badly damag-
ed. The plant of the LockmoCre
Lumber Company, at LockpCrr, near
Lake Charles, was burning at mid
night and it was expected the loss
would be total
The plant of the Cluney Sal >br:ld-
ing Company, on the outskirts Of
Lake Charles, was reported on FIR.
al midnight. The loss, If the plant
is DESTROYED, will be hundreds OF
thousands of dollars.
Tie steamboat Rex with fo.ty two
Passengers, while on her way to Lake
Charles. was caught by the to'naio
ard wrecked in Brean Lake. All her
rassergers were rescued and taken
to Lake Charles.
III! the wires, electric light. tele-
phone and tleregraph, We're blown
down and the city is in darkness.
Mayor Trotti of Lake Charles or
7 uesday afternoon called a mass
meeting of citizens at the City Hall
Il devise means to protect the city
from thieves and robbers during the
night.
Lieut.. Falter of Gerstner Field
~ tn, ho ~ fhta vny,1n.
teer police to cooperate with the
regular city police and large detail
Of soldiers from Gerstner Field was
placed on duty. The city was divid-
ed into districts; military law was
police and soldiers kept
order during the night.
The mayor issued proclamation
to all property owners to get busy
at daylight and clean away the
Frank A. Smith, editor Of the Lake
American-Press brought this
news to Lafayette tonight after hav-
ing travelled seventy-five miles by
boat and automobile.
Three persons were killed, an aged
white man and woman and a negro.
The huge sulphur plant there was
put out of commission temporarily,
but will resume work in a day or
two.
Westlake, across the lake from
Lake Charles, was severely damaged.
No reports of loss OF life from there
had been received, but property loss
will run high.
In Lake Charles negro man was
killed. A white woman Was injured
severely. Probably 200 houses were
blown down and hundreds were Sc
verely damaged.
Railroads into Lake Charles ran
trains on a late schedule. Timber
falling across the tracks caused delay
but no wrecks had been reported.
The wind blew string of box cars
from Homewood ten miles into Lake
Charles, such was its force.
Timber and crop losses will prove
heavier than ever suffered by this
section but no estimate was obtained.
The storm apparently swept an
area about ten miles wide, and Sui
phur and Lake Charles were in the
center OF it, getting the full force of
the hurricane.
The wind attained maximum We
locity Of 12O miles an hour, it was
Daid.
No assistance from the outside
world has been or will be asked, 1t
was announced, citizens rallying to
the call Of the authorities to main
(Continuod On pnGo 81