Huntsville gazette., 1883-04-28
A TERRIBLE CYCLONE,

Wesson, Miss, Blown to Pieces and Beau
regard, an Adjoining Village. Conn
pletely Destroyed-Two Hundred Dwell
fngs Demolished by the wind--A Number
OF Lives Lost-An Appalling Scene
Weather in other Localities.
New ORLEANS, LA, April %
A Wesson Miss, special says: A frightful
/ cyclone passed over Wesson and the town of
Beauregard, q mile above, about four O clock
this afternoon. The wind for the past three
days has been blowing gale, and lowering
clouds indicated a storm. Its approach was
known some minutes before it struck by deep
/ rumbilng sounds, windows in dwellings shak-
Y ing With violence, and many intelligent people
| thought 1t an earthquake. The thunder
roared, the lightning flashed with alarming
1orce and vividness. Fences were torn down,
and trees which had stood the storms of wears
were uprooted and cast hundred yards
away. East of the railroad, in Wesson. the
damage was light but in the western portion
OF the town the destruction was awful in its
character. AS soon as the storm had some
what abated, and people began to look about,
loud peals of church bells rang out. People
were seen running in all directions toward
West Wesson. The rain in the meantime
was pouring down in torrents. Reaching
Peach Orchard street indescrbable scene
was witnessed. This street is lined with
large number of houses in which the opera
tives of the Mississippi Mills are domiciled,
and here the greatest destruction occurred.
People were seen on all sides sobbing and the
groans of the wounded beneath the ruins were
perfectly appalling.
DWELLINGS WE'RE TORN TO ATOMS.
pine forest just beyond was blown out of
TInt orb ~,
and extricating the wounded from the ruins
then began. .,.
Calvin Reed, living i'll the vicinity, died from
excitement
Drs. Sexton, Reese and Bntlerwere soon up
on the scene and did all in their power to re-
lieve the suffering of the wounded. Up to this
hour estimate the number of killed at thir-
teen. Two or three children are missing. One
hundred and fifty or two hundred dwellings
! were blown down. From some of them the
escapes were miraculous. The number of
people with broken limbs is estimated by
physicians at Seventy-five The wounded were
\ removed as fast as possible to houses which
escaped injury. Several of the dead lay out in
the violent rain for more than an hour after
the storm.
THE DEAD
are now all laid out and coffins are being made
/ for them. The mills will not run tomorrow
Captain Oliver, manager, now in New Orleans
has been telegraphed for. He win be up to-
night. Citizens are doing all in their power
for the wounded, many Of whom, it is feared,
will die A special train with physicians from
McConb City auu Brookhayen arrived here at
seven this evening, and DIR. Bowen tonight.
An extra special train will be here with adj
ditiOnal help from Magnolia and Summit.
Some of these physicians will go to Beaure
gard. where the destruction to life and prop
erty is simply indescribable Among the
killed in Wesson are:
Mrs Causty and two children.
Several children of J. 7. Gibson, one of
whom was found crushed under a chimney.
Two persons were so mangled as to be unre-
cognizable, and several others whose names
could not be obtained in the confusion.
A little boy was found in the woods several
hundred yards away, unhurt.
Our town, except in the locality mentioned,
suffered little, except the general destruction
of fences and trees. The dead will be buried
tomorrow.
Beauregard was visited this evening. 1t is
only mile above here, and lay in the direct
path Of the cyclone. The scene is absolutely
appalling; Beauregard is no more. 1t is, in
truth mass of ruins. 1t is with difficulty that
one can ride through it, so thickly are trees
of any character standing in the place. The
dead, dying and wounded have been brought
here. The two brick stores of Thompson g.
Co. and NJ. Daniel g. Co., the largest in the
place. were swept away. Timbers are scat
tered for miles around, even out in the coun-
try, two and half miles. Dwellings, were
swept away. List of the dead and wounded:
John Ross, mortally.
Young Milton Story, killed.
James Morgan, mortally, and Isaac Bloom,
seriously.
NJ. NJ. Daniels, badly injured.
Mr. Quinnbun, of Brookhaven, fatally.
Captain Lampkin, wife and child, all dead.
George Holliway, mortally wounded.
Mrs. Holliway, leg broken.
The depot swept away and not sign of
it now remains
Mr. Wilcox, both arms broken.
A. J. Ferguson and family, including ten
persons dangerously wounded.
Mr. Charles Lane, mortally
DIR. Albert G.. Pierce and child, mortally,
their house fell on them.
D. Williams, killed.