Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-04-25
TERRIBLE STORM.
Large Mississippi Towns Com
pletely wiped out Of Existence.


pletely wiped out of Existence.
New ORLEANS, April 23.-Passen-
gers on the Jackson Railroad, who
learned some of the particulars of the
cyclone which struck Beauregard and
Wesson, Miss, with such terrible eff
feet on Sunday evening, report fear
full state of affairs. The loss of life is
officially reported by mayor Gilbert, of
Wesson, to be 26 at that point and 81
a. Bcauregard, with over hundred
injured more or less severely. Some
fifteen or twenty persons are missing.
No one knows what has become of
them, but is presumed that they are
blown away. An eye witness to the
disaster at Beauregard says that about
3 O'Clock Sunday afternoon rain fell,
accompanied by thunder and lightning,
and this state of things continued for
an hour or so, when the sky assumed a
copperish hue, and presently it became
very dark.
TERRIFIC PHENOMENA.
About $3.50 rumbling sound like
that of heavy freight train in the dis
tancc was heard, proceeding apparant-
ly from the northwest. Gradually
this porteDtous noise increased in in
teDsity. The people became alarmed
at what seemed the subterraneous
meanings of an earthquake. The
thunder roared in the sky like detona-
tions of the heaviest artillery. The
discharges of lightning were almost
continuous, and the course of the
fluid through the atmosphere resem-
bled streams of molten metal. Pre-
ceeded and accompanied by this ter
rife phenomena the tornado burst up
on the little town, sweeping away the
buildings, trees and other objects in
its path as if they were mere toys to
be tossed about and played with at
the pleasure of the storm. A few min
utes the cyclone ragged in the midst of
devoted town, then passed onward,
sweeping to the northeast and leaving
destruction as the dread souvenir of
it's visit to the town of Beauregard.
When the violence of the wind had
somewhat subsidized the people who had
escaped destruction ventured forth to
succor the less fortunate whose dwell
ling had been overthrown. The path
of the tornado was about quarter of
mile in width, embracing the entire
business portion of the town. Along
Main street scarcely building was left
standing in the course of the storm.
Even solid brick structures were COM
pletely demolished About 36 dwell
ling houses and 90 stores were blown
down and the fragments scattered in
all directions. AS speedily as possible
succor was brought to the wounded
and to those who lay under the ruins.
The Jackson Railroad Company's
depot at Beauregard was destroyed
and four box and fiat cars standing on
the track were blown away, fat car
being carried several hundred yards
and broken into fragments.
The operatives employed at Mr..
Edward Richardson's Wesson Mills re-
sided there, and the storm did sad
work among them. Over 70 people
had their limbs broken and over a
dozen were killed outright. Those
who escaped injury busted themselves
in giving aid to the unfortunate, and
trains were sent out from the other
towns on the road with medical and
other assistance. One man who left
his house to take shelter under tree
was knocked almost to pieces by flying
timber. There is not a spot on him
that is rot bruised, and he will proba-
bly, die. An old man has both hands
broken. One boy had the top of his
head taken off. The town was almost
totally demolished, and even the woods
surrounding it were to great extent
swept away 1t is wonder that any
of the inhabitants escaped.