Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-21
Alabama, Missis-
sippi and Tennes=
see are Struck. .
HORRIBLE DEATHS
IN STORM TOLD
Heavy Damage Is Re-
.vealed in Reports
Today.

AoAoys
BIRMINGHAM. Ala. April 21-Re-
vised reports today from the tornado
stricken areas OF Mississippi, Alabama
and Tennessee placed the number Of
fatalities resulting from yesterdays
storm at 155, nine less than first re-
ported today. The later reports told
OF hundreds injured, and estimated
the property damage at more than
$4,000, 900
Fifty-four dead were reported from
Marion. Winston and Franklin coun-
ties Alabama: 129 from Jasper Mon
roe, Madison. Lauderdale and Neshoba
counties. Mississippi, and three in
Maury county, Tenn.
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 peo-
PIE whose homes had been destroyed.
communication was still impaired,
out authentic information today was
that the disturbance had wrought
the greatest havoc in the three coun-
ties OF Alabama just north of Bir-
! mingham. The tornado apparently
| struck first at Guin, Ala. and then
zigZagged through northwestern Ala
bama. eastern Mississippi and south
ern Tennessee.
Meridian Hardest Hit.
Meridian, Miss, the heart of a rich
farming district, suffered heaviest with
a known death list of twenty-one HAM
| iIon. Ala. was next with nineteen
known dead. The village of Glen, Al
| corn county, numbered its dead at
| twelve, Aberdeen, ten; Ingomar, six
| Egypt, five; Baker. five, and Bay
| Springs. seven.
! lumber camp near PHILADELPHIA.
| Neshoba county. lost twelve workers
killed and thirty were injured. several
| of whom may die.
In Alabama the rural districts around
| Huntsville, Florens. Sheffield, Gurley
Little Cove and Waco sustained the fun
| force OF the storm. A score Of bodies
have been recovered in this section.
!. Storms Force in Tennessee.
Across the Tennessee line. $50 miles
from Meridian, near wiYere II originated
the storm still had force sufficient to
upset residences and farm buildings.
and to cut swath through forests
| and orchards.
! Reports Of the storm describe the
local destruction as having been con-
fined to path measuring from 100 TO
500 yards wide, within which the cy-
clonic wind. when at it's height, left
nothing but the most solid structures
standing.
Sixteen bodies were brought into
! Hamilton. Ala. and the courthouse was
converted into a hospital to care for
scores of injured who were arriving
throughout the day
Most of the dead brought here were
terribly mangled. In many cases arms
and legs were blown OFF. and several
bodies We're almost unrecoRnizabIe
musicians and surgeons from Guin
winfield. Raleyville. Jasper, Sulligent
and Carbon Hill rushed to the town,
ana medical supplies were called for
Five of Family Killed.
Five members of the Taylor family
We're killed One member Of this fam
lily. young woman, had a large piece
OF lumber driven clear through her
body and child from the same fam
lily was blown over half a mile and
killed.
Mrs. Vivian Thompson was blown
several hundred yards and her neck
was broken. Her husband, who re-
Gently returned from France. where
he served in the Army. was severely
injured. They were married since his
Five children and Mrs. Ida Thornp-
son. a widow. had a miraculous es-
cape from death. They were left at
nome by their mother. who was TAX
ing the teachers examination in
Hamilton. and when the storm came
up they went into the storm cellar.
Inc mouse was swept away, but not
one Of the children was injured
F. NJ Holly. rural mail carrier had
MS auto blown away, but he ESCAPED
unhurt.
Red Cross relief parties were or
ganizsd in Birmingham and other
large cities In this section early to-
day and special trains ordered to carry
doctors. nurses. medicines and foo6
to the hundreds of sufferers.
Huntsville Buryinx Dead.
HUNTSVILLE. Ala. April 21.-Mad-
ison county today is turning it's at
tention to the burial of its dead from
yesterdays tornado and also the be-
ginning of preparations for the re-
building of the devastated districts.
There are twenty-three known dead
fifteen white and eight negroes. IN
this county. with several others 80
seriously injured that they are ex-
pected to die. Between fifty and sew
enty-five persons were injured.
Property damage is estimated at
from half to three-quarters Of a mil
lion dollars in this section.
The Big Cove. killenworth Cove and
Whitesburg neighborhoods were the
worst sufferers near Huntsville.
Conductor Tells Of Scene.
MOBILE, Ala, April 21-A descrip-
ton of the area near Meridian. Miss
given this morning by passengers and
trainmen aboard a Mobile and Ohio
train. which arrived here
more than eight hours late, after mem
bers of the crew had cut a way for the
train through fallen trees and timbers
at many places.
'At Muldon. north OF Meridian. We
gained some idea Of the terrific force
with which the tornado struck. Houses
were stripped down to small pieces Of
wood" declared Conductor H. B. Minis
of the Mobile and Ohio, "and as far as
the eye could see were household goods
and bedclothing hanging on wire fences
and elsewhere.
I'VE pulled into Meridian just after
the storm and witnessed the terrible de-
struction there. The greatest damage
is on the outskirts of the city, where the
passed through a comparatively
narrow strip"
Conductor Minis expressed the
opinion that two great winds passed
through the district north Of Meridian.
as he does not believe the same tornado
hit Meridian and the territory there as
far as Muldon.
Engineer's story.
Engineer J. L. Suits Of the same
train, who was in Meridian at the
time of the tornado. said his wife 4,
awoke him at 10 o'clock because of =
The peculiar weather conditions. II
was in one cyclone" he declared. .anl
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