People's Pilot, Volume 4, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 October 1894 — WORK OF THE WIND. [ARTICLE]

WORK OF THE WIND.

Little Rock, Arbi, Laid Waste by a Cyclone. Great Damage in the Center of the City, at the Penitentiary and at the Insane Asylum—Nine Lives Lost —Many Persons Hurt. HAVOC DOWS SOUTH. Little Rock, Ark., Oct. 3.—A terrible cyclone swept over the business portion of this city at 7:40 Tuesday night, carrying death and destruction in its path. Shortly after dark a heavy storm came from the west, accompanied by vivid flashes of lightning and heavy peals of thunder. The skies suddenly cleared away and the storm was thought to be over, when suddenly a heavy gale from the southwest appeared, and for three minutes the city was in the throes of death and destruction. So far as can be learned nine persons have been killed. A nuifiber are reported injured. At 11 o’clock p. m. a message was received from the insane asylum, 2 miles from the city, and the state penitentiary calling for a corps of physicians and other assistance. It is reliably said a number of patients at the asylum are fatally injured and great damage was done to the buildings. Reports from the penitentiary say six convicts were badly injured by failing timbers, two of whom will die. The wind was terrific in the extreme. Trees, telegraph, telephone and electric light poies were uprooted and carried a distance of 200 yards. The roofs of thirty of the largest buildings in the city were torn off and hurled against buildings on the opposite side of the street, leaving the occupants within to the mercy of the drenching rain, which began to fall in torrents shortly afterwards. :• *

When the cyclone had ceased it was discovered the resident portion of the city had entirely escaped, but Main street to Third, Markhaih from Center to Cumberland, and Second from Center to Cumberland were almost total wrecks. The territory covers the principal business portion of the town. The loss to property alone will amount to at least 31,000,000. Almost every building situated in the district was more or less damaged by wind and water. The damage to the asylum will reach 3100,000; that at the penitentiary 300,000, and the Capitol and Richelieu hotels were badly damaged. Every window in both buildings was either broken to pieces or cracked. The business houses on East Markham and Main from Markham to Third are damaged to great extent The roofs of a majority of these buildings were torn away and stocks of goods entirely ruined. Dr. Jacob T. Ingate, who came here several months ago from Mobile, Ala., to accept a position in the insane asylum, was killed. He is buried beneath the ruins of one of the buildings. John Edwards, with his infant in his arms, was found dead on Second and Rock streets by the police. An aged negro couple was found dead in a room of a roofless cabin in the same locality. Convict Griffin was killed at the penitentiary; Jack Boyd and his child (colored) lost their lives in the Wehrefritz building, and Joseph Holloway perished in the ruins of a bakery.

Representative-elect C. T. Monroe was badly cut on the head and body by falling timbers. Physicians say he will probably die. John Eaton, an employe at the Martin block, the home of Gov. Fishback, received internal injuries, from which effects he will die. A visit was made to the penitentiary at midnight. The office of the main buildings was tprn away and lodged on several frame cottages in the neighborhood, completely demolishing several. A stampede took place among the convicts, but Superintendent McConnell and his assistants soon succeeded iH quieting them down. Fortunately only 125 convicts are inside the walls. The other 450 were taken to Sunnyside plantation some days ago. At the insane asylum was found thq, greatest wreck. The roofs of the main buildings were completely demolished and several wards caved in, completely destroying everything in sight. The male ward is a total wreck. Several insane patients made their escape, but were recaptured. Two men, violently insane, were captured near the Union depot shortly after midnight. It is not known how many inmates are killed or injured, as many are supposed to be buried in the ruins. The loss to the buildings and contents at the asylum will reach 8125,000. This is considered a conservative estimate.

Pawnee, Neb., Oct. 3.— A cyclone struck this locality Monday night. It first touched the farm of John Schuss, near the Kansas line, and unroofed a barn. Then the storm jumped a mile and struck the farmhouse of John Nelson. The Nelson family had gone to bed, and without warning the house was picked up and torn to splinters, Nelson, his wife and five young children being carried 100 yards and dropped in a cornfield. All were hurt, but Nelson managed to gather them together in the darkness and went after help, having to go a mile to the nearest house. One 9-year-old girl had her head orushed by a flying splinter and will die. The others of the family are not fatally hurt, although Mrs. Nelson is terribly wounded about the head and back.