The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1893-04-01
NO. r..
MISSISSIPPI MATTERS,
WRECK AND Ruin.
The Towns of Kelly and Tunica Visited by
Terrible Cyclone.

struck here this afternoon at $40 o'clock.
Long before the wind hit the town
strange atmospheric conditions were
noticed, and the people were in some
degree prepared for their unwelcome
visitor. First the air grew very dark,
then moaning sound was heard, and
hnaliy greenish cloud was seen rap.
idly approaching from the southwest.
Its path was probably half mile wide,
and everything within its course was
more or less damaged. Several people
in the vicinity were killed. Large
houses were lifted off their foundations,
some OF them were completely shat
tered and their fragments were scat
tered for many yards.
Il. w. Mannon was one of the first to
notice the approach of the storm. He
became impressed with the idea that
there was danger in the air, and turning
to his scholars, of whom there were
about forty, he dismissed them. Hardly
had they left the building before the
wind struck it, and it's fragments were
scattered in every direction. Had he
not seen the danger in time, the loss of
life there would have been considerable.
The wind was very fanciful in its
caprices and spared some houses while
1T obliterated Others. The unfortunate
men, women and children whose houses
were ruined were obliged to seek refuge
a. the homes of other more favored
neigh bors. The force of the wind can
be seen by look at the forest which
lays in its path. Large trees were torn
up by the roots, and others were twisted
in all sorts of shapes. No storm of the
kind has ever visited this part of the
country before, and the people are COM
pletely dazed by their misfortune.
There will be great suffering among
the poor families who lost their prop
erty by the wind. There is not house
In town which is not to degree injured.
Lum Ashley, well-known farmer
who lives not far from here, had, with
his two children, miraculous escape
from death. He saw the storm coming,
and taking child in each arm lay down
IN the middle of the floor just as the
wind hit the house with awful force and
lifted 1t clear from its foundation.
The roof and sides of the building
went flying into the air like some great
bird, and after reaching certain height
scattered in every direction.
While this was transpiring the floor
OF the house remained intact, with Mr..
Ashley and his two children reposing
safely In the center. 1t was lifted from
the ground and travelled through tho
air, landing exactly 1873 yards from
where it started by actual measurements.
When the floor with its precious burden
reached the end of its journey it was
deposited by the capricious wind as
gently on the ground as mother lays
her child into Its bed atnight. Neither
Mr.. Ashley nor his two children suf-
tered the slightest harm.
AT TUNIcA.
TUNIcA, March 23.-About $50 o'clock
this afternoon the sky in the southwest
began to darken inkily, and low,
wailing sound announced storm.
Within few minutes the wind came
along with terrible velocity, and with
swish and whirl that portended
danger. The first hard blow gave way
to the cyclone and houses crushed like
egg-shells. Huge rain-drops fell, and
the scene was a weird one indeed. The
demoniacal, ruthless, vengeful visitor
fingered over and around the town
scarcely two minutes, and yet in that
time he leveled buildings unsparingly,
tossing saloon and church alike to the
ground. Such unusual and unexpected
wrath stunned the people, and the
artillery-like noise of tumbling roofs
paralyzed the mind for moments. A
partial calm, save for the fall of rain,
then came, and the people rushed about
in great excitement. r
In all parts of the town are signs Of
the ruin, and ver5 few houses escaped
without some violence. The damage
will go high into the thousands.
Miscellaneous.
NEwBERGER BROTHERS, cotton BUYERS,
OF Coffeeville and Grenada, failed last
week for $75,0OO,00O. They did large
general merchandise business at Coffee
vile and were partners in houses at
Grenada, Oakland and Clarksdale and
owned controlling interest in the COM
press at Grenada. The decline in cotton
caused the break.
Z. S. BARKER, who lives few miles
from Corinth, was instantly killed last
week by the full load CT shotgun in
his back. He and his step-son, John
Vanhouse, had left home to go to a fish
net On their way the gun was dis
charged in the hands of the step-son,
who claimed that it was accidental, the
hammer knocking against him, but the
correctness of the statement is doubted,
as they did not get along we'll. The
boy is Is years old.
GRENADA is in deep mourning over
the loss of one of her most honored and
beloved citizens. Capt. John Powell,
after long life of useful and noble
charities, entered into rest last week.