Evening star., 1936-04-06
Eye Witness

Continued From First Page)
the New Holland Mill, Chicopee Mill
and Gainesville Mill.
The City Hall and Court House were
both destroyed.
There are lots of dead people in
the wreckage," Loggins said
200 Receive Treatment.
Mrs. Francis Webb, in charge of
the Emergency Hospital at the Chico
pee NILS, said between $50 and 200
received treatment there this morning.
Eighty of the most critically in
jured were hospitalized in the mill
village.
Loggins said seven of the most
critically injured were taken out Of
pants factory, burned beyond recog-
milton.
The Dixie Hunt Hotel, the city's
largest, was demolished and the fate
of the guests was unknown. Fire,
which ragged in Dixie Hunt block,
did not reach the hotel.
Ruins trapped the citys fire trucks
in the department headquarters, and
the local department was helpless to
assist. except for stringing hose from
the fire department to the two fires.
Gov. Talmadge in Atlanta ordered
three companies of National Guards
men to be sent here.
The Governor offered all the facil-
tiles of the State government to
Gainesville and other sections ravaged
by the tornado. -.
G. C. Reed, manager Of the Gains,
vile Telephone Co., drove to the nearby
town of Buford and reported to At
lanta that there is no way Of telling
how many persons may have lost
their lives. There will be death
toll, and it may be heavy
Reed said two buildings in the
business district we're eenters of fires
and that the local Fire Department,
in the city. hall, was helpless because
it was blocked in by wreckage of
the city hall and other buildings.
Brenau College Escapes.
He said that Brenau College for
Women was not in the path of the
tornado which struck about GAS am,
Eastern standard time. and lasted
about minutes.
He thought also that Riverside Mil
itary Academy, a private school for
boys, escaped.
Gainesville, thriving city OF 1924
population 1880 census), is in North
east Georgia, about SIS miles north
of Atlanta. There are several thou
sand more persons just outside the
city limits, including the population
in the mill village Of the Chicope
Manufacturing Corp. ..-5..
w. M. Brice, Gainesville correspond
ent of the Associated Press and the
Atlanta journal. reported over a rail-
road line that "help-doctors, nurses
and supplies-is needed"
Reed said at Buford:
THE business district of Gains
vile is built around a square. 1t was
wrecked. From a hurried survey,
would say that every building was
damaged. many Of them wrecked.
THE storm blew in about 8:45
am, Eastern standard time. I had
entered my automobile to go to Athens
on business and was just on the edge
of the storm.
Il got out as soon as the blow
was over--in about eight minutes,
would judge-and went to the busi-
ness section where everything was
a shambles.
There is no way Of telling how
many were killed. OF course, I got
away quickly to get help.
Fire Department Blocked.
"The business district has two very
bad fires and our fire department is
blocked in because part of the city
hall was wrecked.
1.-THE storm roared through the
business section-it sounded like a
thousand locomotives.
"Coe part of the Dixie Hunt Hotel
was wrecked and the roof was torn
from another part of that hotel.
"The First Baptist Church was un-
rooted, the court house-we were go
ing to tear it down anyhow-was
wrecked.
THE Pruitt-Barrett Hardware Co.
plant, a four-story building, was lev
eled and the ruins are now burning.
Debris is piled up to 10 feet high
in front of the city hall. and fire de-
partment, in that building, also
| wrecked.
The Harrison n-McEver de-
partment store, two stories high, Is q
complete wreck.
"Newman's department store, also
two stories, was wrecked.
$50 is the Gainesville Midland Rail-
/ way Depot.
Jacobs Motor Co., Studebaker and
Plymouth dealers; Pierce Plumbing
Co., st. Paul's Methodist Church and
other buildings in the downtown area
suffered damage.
IT telephoned our Office in Atlanta
from here (BuforD and they are get
| ting out calls to the Red Cross.
II wish you would put out the
word that Brenau College (famed
school for girls) was not in the path
of the storm. I haven't been out to
Riverside Military Academy, 2 miles