The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1885-09-24
nI.ONtN no MN GRoINn.
A STORM PLAYS SAD HAVOC WITH SAM
JONES GREAT TENT.

JONES GREAT TENT
A DAsTARDLY OUTRAGE BY oPPosERs
OF THE PROHIBITION MOVE
MENT.
CARTERsyILLE, Ga, Sept. 21.-Sam
Jones home was the scene of great
excitement. The Great evangelist
was to have closed the great camp
meeting last night. The people Of
Gainesville were awakened early yes
terday morning by u terrible crash,
and the inmates Of Sam Jones house
felt the house tremble and heard the
windows rattle. At the same time a
man at the gospel tent, several hun
dred yards distant saw flash of light
in the direction Of Jones residence,
accompanying the explosion. The
flash seemed like suppressed bolt of
lightning, that appearance Of it hay
ing been caused by the fact that the
explosion was within the walls OF the
house. A crowd gathered, and found
the large stable of Mr. Jones had been
blown up by dynamite. The charred
fuse Of the cartridge was found. No
one was injured, Friday night, in
the course of his sermon, Mr.. Jones
made very severe attack on the men
who are hanking the prohibition law
in Gainesville. Alter Using some
very singing words, DR.. Jones said
Now | have had Ny say to you,
will talk to you and reason with you
concerning what l. I'VE said and the
structures have made on you. But
| you and | can't fight | would al
soon get into II pit with II NANCY bull
dog, and gnaw with him, as to fght
such low down scoundrels as you are
A man who will illicitly sneakingly
perpetuate traffic on q community
that has voted it out, is too mean fol
me to belittle myself by persona
rencounter with him. And it is sup
posed they did the work. Last night
as services were in progress in th,
great tent, which was filled with PEG
pie, a fearful gust of wind, with tor
rents OF rain, burst over its whit
folds. The great ropes snapped Xix
thread, and the tent, witt, al its rig
ging and paraphernalia, ettled dow
like a great bird on its ,st, GOVERN
lamps, pulpit and cong tegration III
der its vast folds. Men, women an
children, who but moment befor
felt as secure from the raging element
as if they were under their own roof
rose to their feet, shreiking and run
ming hither and thither among tn
sea of plank seats. The scene wa
indescribable. The widest confusio
reigned, with terrified children Gins
{. ing to their flying parents, and hat
shawls and other light articles wei
blowing about like chaff and all WEI
swept out into the storm and darl
ness. Two sets of lamps, most
them electric burners, were swel
from their fastenings and burst I'M
one wild glare that illuminated IL
darkness for an instant and then fe
into the mass of dry straw tn
covered every foot Il ground und
the tent. This caui fire, and wou
have consumed all ii the rain had n
drenched every stitch Of canvas th
covered it, Many were unable to G
out till the tent had settled, and TIL,
ripped openings into the tent, throus
L which they escaped into the darknei
9 drenching rain and driving win
|. without.
IS The egress of the people was gre'
10 ~ impeded by the seats and the ia
70 gled ropes. Fortunately, no one,
d far as now known, was seriously
jured, though many we're scratch
and bruised.
On Thursday Rev. Sam Jones W
leave for st. Joseph, Mo, where
p will spend about fifteen days in a gre
o. union tent meeting.