Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-04-21
MANY TOWNS HIT
BY FATAL STORM
Striking First in Mississippi,
Hurricane Moves Rapidly
to Alabama.
PROPERTY LOSS MILLIONS
Tennessee Also Feels Power Of
Wind, Many Houses Being
Wrecked.
PROPERTY LOSS MILLIONS.
rnv A,,oe,,,.6 p-o..,

fBy Associated PrcssI
BIRMINGHAM ALA. April 20--A
death list which tonight stood Mt
more than 14O and a property loss
of many millions OF dollars was the
toll OF 4 series of toruadoes which
today swept n score of towns, VII
lagos and isolated farms in Eastern
Mississippi. Northwestern Alabama
and the southern counties of Tenncs-
see.
communication with many of tho
stricken districts was difficult, but
fragmentary reports agreed that the
tornado swept down with deadly sud-
denness. obliterating everything thnr
lay I'm its path. IN at least one case
that OF Rose Hill. Miss.-practicaliy
( tho entire town Is believed to have
been destroyed. and In several In
stances all members OF u family were
reported TO have been caught in the
debris OF it's home.
Hits Bay Spring First.
Striking first apparently in Jasper
County. near Bay Spring. Miss, about
10 o'clock this morning, the storm
swept a narrow path across there
tnainder OF the state, carrying de-
Siruction TO IA dozen or more COM
muntties. About the same time 'er-
tects OF the same. or similar dis &
turbancc, were reported from coun-
ties in the northwestern corner of
Alabama, the extreme force of the
wind being expended after the Ten s
j nnssec line was rcnched. in Williams
son and hiaury Counties 81
Meridian. Miss, the heart OF a richi
farming district suffered heaviest,
according to late reports, with a
known death list of twenty-one. The
villnge Of Glen. AlcOrn County. mum.
bered Its dead mt 12; Aberdeen. 10: In
gonar. G: Egypt. s; Baker. o. and BRy
spring, jnspcr County, T. a lumber
camp near Philadelphia. Neshoba
County. lost twelve workers killed
and thirty were wounded, several of.
, whom may die.
Alnbnma Hard Ht
In Alabama. the rural districts
around Sheffield, Ciurley Iittlo Cove
and Waco. sustained the full force or
the storm. and with some sections
SIN cut or n score OF bodies have
been recovered
sixteen known dead, scores injured.
many so seriously that others will
die, and property loss estimated ae
hundreds of thousands OF dollars rS
the toll OF the tornado in Marion
County. Alabama
| into Hamilton. Alabama, during ther
afternoon and the courthouse b,a
been converted into a temporarv boat
pital.
All or the telephone wires into the
stricken section were down, so that
the only communication with tha
scene was such as WAS brought backS
by those making the trip. .--~'4
bodies Budly Nnnr,.a
| Most of the dead brought TO Hamil.
ton were terribly msngled. Arms
and legs in many cases had been
blown cOmpletely OFF.
1t is Impossible tonight 10 n,o
pare LIST of the injured. as tbcir
neishbors and friends are caring for /
them in the best way they can n
is known. however, that the numbe,
or injured is many times that
OF the number dead
Across the Tennessee line 1snsS
miles from blasted Meridian. near
where It originated, the storm stifl
mad force sufficient to upset resi-
dences' and farm buildings. and to
cut swath through forests and
orchards. Only three deaths are
known TO have occurred in the State.
however. ~
Uecord RninfnlI.
terrific hail and rain storm brok a
over the city at 7 O'clock tonight.
breaking in skylights, foodinr
streets and doing considerable dam
age. Rain to the amount OF 40 or.
an inch fell in three minutes. which
is record for this section. a brick
wall Of building recently rsutted
by fire, and which was being reiA
paired, fell In during the storm. So
far as could he learned tonight there ..
were no fatalities in this section.
The wide territory covered by the
tornado led to 4 belief tonight that
more than ono atmospheric distur-
bance was responsible. Records of
similar vtsltations show that they :
were confined to comparatively mar
row limits, both as to length and
width OF territory affected. Prac-
tically all reports OF today's storm
describe the local destruction as \;
having been confined to path meas
uring from 100 to 500 yards wide.
within which the cyclonic wind. when Z,
at It's height. left nothing hut the ~
most solid structures standing. esgt
Casualty List High.
Total lists as complete tonight
give the following casualties in the
stricken areas: Mississippi--Bn Bay
Spring, Jasper County. a. Aberdeen.S
Monroe County. 81; Amory., Monroe "
Continued on Second F3ga,l