The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-04-21
Tornado Death List
Mounts to $50 NolU
Eastern Mississippi, Northwestern Alabama and
4 Southern Tennessee Visited by Terrific
!. Cyclone Tuesday Afternoon Property
Damage of Millions of Dollars.
Meridian, Miss. Worst Hit, With 81 Dead; Hamilton
q Ala, Had 10 Known Dead - Most Of the Dead
III Terribly Mangled by Brute Winds Force.
M 49, Relief Parties Are Being Organized

Birmingham, Ala. April 2l.-More
than $50 killed, scores injured. and
sz.voO 900 damage TO cattle and crops
over portions of Alabama, Mississippi
and Tennessee yesterday, according to
mDmplete reports received today from
the stricken areas.
Fifty-four dead were reported from
Marion. Winston and Franklin counties
Aiabama; 1923 from Jasper, Monroe,
Madison, Lauderaie and Neshoba coun-
ties, mississippi, and three in Maury
county, Tennessee. -.
Appeals for aid were received here
from many small towns and settle
ments. Red Cross relief parties were
organized and plans made to rush food
and tents to hundreds of people whose
MONIES had been destroyed,
communication was still impaired, but
autnentic information today was that
me disturbance had wrought the great
est havoc in the three counties of Ala
nama just north of Birmingham. The
tornado apparently struck first at Guin,
Ala, and then zigzagged through north
western Alabama, eastern Mississippi
and southern Tennessee,
Meridian, Miss, the heart Of a
versst ssn 'armahns rf.hs district, suffered Sc.
twenty-one.. Hamilton, Ala, was
next with nineteen known dead,
The village of Glen, Alcorn county,
numoerea It's dead at twelve. Aber-
oeen, ten; Ingomar, six; Egypt, five;
~ Baker, i've, and Bay Springs, seven.
"A lumber camp near Philadelphia,
Neshoba county, lost twelve work.
ers Killed and thirty were Injured,
several Of whom may die.
IN Alabama, the rural districts
around Huntsville, Florence, Shelf
lass field, Gurley, Little Cove and Waco,
- Sustained the full force OF the
storm. W
A score OF bodies have been re.
erect OF the storm was not known
early today as wire communication
was stlll Impossible.
Across the Tennessee line, 100
miles from Meridian, near where 1t
originated, the storm still had force
sufrieient to upset residences and
farm, buildings, and to cut a swath
through forests and orchards.
The wide territory covered by the
tornado led to belief that more
than one atmospheric disturbance was
responsible. Records Of similar visita-
nons show that they were confined to
comparatively narrow limits both as to
length and width of territory affected,
500 Yards Wide.
Reports of the storm describe the To-
cal destruction as having been confined
to path measuring IRON 100 to sou
yards wide within which the cyclonic
wind. when at it's height, left nothing
but the most solid structures Sixteen
bodies were brought into Hamilton.
into a hospital TO care for scores of in
jured who were arriving throughout the
morning.
Most Of the dead brought here were
and legs were blown off and several
bodies were aim ost unrecognizable.
Physicians and surgeons from Guin.
Winfield, Haleyyille, Jasper. Sulligent
and Carbon Hill rushed to the town and
medical supplies were called for.
Family OF Five Killed.
Five members of the Taylor family
were killed. One member of this family.
- young woman. had a large piece of
iunsber. driven through her body, and
over half mile and killed. Mrs. Vivian
Thompson was blown several hundred |
yards and her neck was broken. Her
husband who recently returned from
z-yas severely injured. They were mar
fled since his return from abroad.
Five children of Mrs. Ida Thompson, |
a widow, had miraculous escape from |
death. They were left at home by their |
mother. who was taking teachers exami- !
nation in Hamilton. aud when the storm |
came UP they went into the storm |
cellar. The house was swept away. |
but not one OF the children was in |
jured. F. M. Holly, rural mail car |
but he escaped unhurt.
Red Cross relief parties were or
ganized in Birmingham and other large |
cities in this section early today. and |
special trains ordered to carry doctors, |
nurses. medicines and food to the hun |
Creds of sufferers.
Deaths Near Burwood. Il
In Tennessee, were killed near Bur-
wood and 1 in Williamson county.
In a number of these places towns |
and villages were nearly swept away. |
in some cases entire families falling |
victims to the storms. Hundreds of in |
jured today are overtaxing the energies
OF local physicians and nurses and out
side aid is needed.
Quarter Of Million Eoss.
Meridian, Miss. April 21.--Fourteen |
dead, ten Of them white. and seventy |
injured, some of them fatally, is the toll |
taken in Meridian by yesterdays tor
nado. The property damage will run
above a quarter Of million dollars in
this city.
Reports from Bay Springs, about !
thirty miles northwest of here, say nine |
people lost their lives and nine 9TH |
ers were seriously injured. !
q n n - 4 n uvu vr1x wv~~~vsv ~H-