Brinkley, AR Tornado & Fire - Fire Follows Tornado

Special to the Evening News

St. Louis, March 9 - A terrific tornado swept over Arkansas last night doing immense damage. The entire business section of BRINKLEY was devastated. Thirty people lost their lives and many were hurt. The property loss is estimated at a million dollars. No other towns were struck by the tornado but the farming districts suffered severely

The Evening News, San Jose, CA 9 Mar 1909

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Fire Follows in Wake of Tornado That Sweeps State

Many Killed and Injured in Portion of Arkansas Ravaged by Storm.

Town of BRINKLEY Totally Destroyed

FOREST CITY, ARK - March 9 - Late advice from BRINKLEY indicate that practically the entire town is now a mass of ruins, and that eight persons have been killed and the injured will be numbered by scores.

The fire at 2o'clock this morning is still burning and the reflection can be seen here, a distance of twenty miles,

Every phsyician [sic] of this place, as well as many nurses, were dispatched to BRINKLEY at midnight, and other towns are rushing aid to the stomswept [sic] town.

BRINKELY is a town of 3,000 persons and the junction point of several important railroad systems.

BRINKLEY Wiped Out

MEMPHIS, TENN., March 8 - It is reported that eight persons were killed. Several others seriously injured and practically the entire town of BRINKLEY, ARK., destroyed by a tornado and subsequent fire tonight.

The last advises were that the conflagration was beyond control and that this entire town will probably be destroyed.

The Macon Daily Telegraph, Macon, GA 9 Mar 1909