Portersville, Alabama Hurricane
October 2, 1893
Reports from Portersville, the popular summer
resort south of Mobile, are to the effect that
the town has suffered terrible destruction
entailing a possible loss of $50,000 or over.
From Joshua Clemmons,
who came up to the city, it is learned that the
Booth
canning factory has been destroyed, the general
merchandise store of
Charles Graham blown away and stock
destroyed.
Mr. D. Bosange,
of Portersville, reports tonight the following
additional losses at Portersville and other
points: The residence of
Mr. Frank P. Andrews
was badly damaged; Portersville public hall was
torn to pieces; the sloop Bride went ashore in
Jerry Hawland’s
field and the Matilda is ashore, but not
damaged; Gulf Coast Oyster Company’s plant is
gone; L. H. Faith’s
residence is a total wreck; the Bayview hotel,
Mrs. J. M. Nolan,
of Meridian, Miss., proprietress,
Charles Graham’s,
Mayor F. S. Parker’s
residences are badly damaged;
Jerry Howard’s
residence is totally demolished except the main
building and one cottage;
Thomas Forbes’s
residence is badly damages. No pecan trees are
left and all the orange trees are uprooted.
John Palston’s
residence was badly damaged and the sloop,
Irene, is jammed under the flooring. Residences
of S. T. Webster, Mrs.
N. S. B. Alexander and
William Clarke,
damaged slightly. James
Crenshaw lost everything except his
main building at St. Julians.
Terrapin
farms, out of 5,000, 4,000 were swept away. The
sloop, Ella Forbes, was washed into
Smees’s field. At Grant’s pass three
buildings were swept away. At little river,
J. M. McLean
lost a cottage and terrapin farm. All the
bridges in the above section are gone except the
Bay and LeBartre bridge.
Eighteen market gardeners and their families
living in the marshes lost everything except the
clothes on their backs and are in destitute
circumstances. Reports received here are to the
effect that thirty lives were lost at Ship
island and 100 in Biloxi and vicinity. The
latest report received from the towns and
communities along the eastern and western shores
of Mobile bay are to the effect that the damage
wrought by the tornado was terrible. The western
shore was exposed to the full fury of the waves
and wind and the whole communities were wiped
out, the inhabitants being about all that is
left.
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA 6
Oct 1893
Transcribed by
Jenni Lanham. Thank you,
Jenni!
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