The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-04-24
Terrific Force of the Wind-A Loaded Freight
Car Carried Through the Air Two
Hundred Yards.
Twenty-Five Additional Deaths Re-
ported from South eastern Georgia.
Damage by the Storm at West Point, Miss,
and Chattanooga, Tenn.-Storm Notes
from Various Sections.
wEsSON AND BEAUREGARD.
Two Mississippi Villages Destroyed and
Many People Killed and Injured.

Two Mississippi Villages Destroyed and
Many People Killed and Injured.
New ORLEANS April 23.-News reached
here of terrible disaster in Copiah county,
Mississippi, about 4:30 o'clock last evening.
Owing 10 lack of telegraphic facilities the
news Is exceedingly meager, but enough is
known to pronounce it one of the worst, if
not the worst calamity that has ever befallen
the country in which it occurred. About
the hour mentioned the people of Wesson,
Miss, from where the report comes, saw a
storm gathering and began preparing for it,
as it was evident there was a great blow
coming. There was the usual dark funnel
shaped cloud that is always seen on such
occasions; but almost before any one could
point it out to his neighbor it was on the
little town of Wesson, and had converted it
into mass of ruins. 1t is said that twenty
five houses were completely blown away or
converted into kindling, and that fifteen
people were killed. The death list includes
many of the leading citizens of the place
Immediately following the report OF the
destruction of Wesson came the report that
Beauregard, only few miles distant, had
suffered similar, or if possible, a worse fate,
fully as many if not more lives being lost
than in Wesson. One report says every
house in Beauregard was wrecked, while
another is that forty buildings were
blown down and thirty people killed and
twice as many uangleu anu manned. AS an
instance of the violence of the elements it is
stated the depot at Beauregard was lifted up
bodily and laid in pile of ruins on the op-
posite side of the railroad track, fully fifty
feet from its original location.
Beauregard is a small town in Copiah coun-
ty, Mississippi, forty-four miles southwest of
Jackson and one mile north OF Wesson. 1t
is located on the line of the New Orleans, st.
Louis and Chicago railroad, and its popula-
ton is about 400 or 500.
Wesson is a somewhat more important
place on the line of the same road, being a
sort of summer resort for the people of Ne W
Orleans. 1t has population of about 1,600,
and large cotton and wooden factory en-
ploying 600 hands.
The following details are the best that can
be obtained now of the frightful affair in
Copiah county, Mississippi. They are sent
by the Times-D Democrats correspondent at
Wesson. While the details are very un-
satisfactory, it will be seen they confirm the
first news SENT at an earlier hour:
A frightful cyclone passed over Wesson
and the town of Beauregard, a mile above,
about o'clock yesterday. The wind the
past three days has been blowing gale and
lowering clouds indicated storm. Its ap-
proach was known some minutes by deep
rumbling sound, windows in dwellings shak-
ing with violence, and many
intelligent people thought it an
earthquake. Thunder roared and the
lightning flashed with alarming force
and vividness, fences were torn down, trees
which had stood the storms of years were up
rooted and cast hundreds of 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 charac-
ter As soon as the storm had somewhat
abated, and the people began to look about,
loud peals Of church bells rang out. People
were seen running in all directions toward
West Wesson. Rain, in the meantime, was
pouring IN torrents. Reaching Peach Or
chard street, an indescribable scene was wit
messed This street was lined with large
number of houses, in which the operatives
of the Mississippi Mills are domiciled, and
here the greatest destruction occurred. Peo-
pie were seen ON all sides sobbing. and the
groans of the wounded beneath the ruins
were perfectly appalling. Dwellings were
torn to atoms. The pine forest just beyond
was blown out of existence.
REMOVING THE DEAD AND WOUNDED.
The work of removing the dead and extri-
eating the wounded from the ruins then be-
gan. Calvin Reed, living in the vicinity,
died from excitement. Drs. Sexton, Rease
and Butler were soon upon the scene and
did all in their power to relieve the suffering
or the wounded. 1 estimate the number
killed at fifteen; two or three children are
missing, and $50 or 200 dwellings blown
down. From some of them escapes were
miraculous. The number of people with
broken limbs is estimated at seventy five.
The wounded were removed as fast as posi-
BILE to houses which escaped injury Several
of the dead lay out in the violent rain more
than an hour after the storm. The dead are