Fort Mill times. [volume] (Fort Mill, S.C.) 1892-current, 1900-11-28
ARP in A CYCLONE.
Bill Goes to Mississippi To Deliver
Lectures.
RIPLEY ONE OF THE PLACES
Just AS He Was About To Speak
Storm Strikes Place and Audience
Is Terror Stricken

Blue Mountain, Miss.-Some good
people called me over here and came.
My wife said l had better go, for the
winter was at hand and the family
needed clothes and she was obliged to
play old Santa Claus. as usual, and
provide some Christmas gifts for the
children and grandchildren. That Is
good part of her life and happiness
pleasing the children. She never
asks for anything for herself. She
don't have to. The girls tell me what
she needs and | surprise her with it
If / have the money, and IL l haven't
l strain my credit and get it anyhow.
Professor Lowrey called me here to
talk to his college girls, for he is a
noted educator and mas 260 girls out
here in the woods and is building up
an institution that is the prioe OF
Forth Mississippi. He got four other
towns to join him in the call and so
| lectured in Tupelo last Monday
night to large audience in large
house and found warm welcome 1t
Is wonderful how these old towns are
looming UP and taking on new life.
Twelve years ago | was in Tupelo and
I thought 1t was pretty dead. / had
only about 100 people out to hear me
then. and this time there were near
400. Prosperity has done it, Ten cent
cotton and a cotton mill has done it:
Mckinley had nothing to do with it,
Last night | was UTied for Ripley
a nice old court house town not far
away. The evening betoRened Il storm
and by night the lightning was flash
Ing necessarily all around the horizon
and the thunder peale>. heavily Coun.
try people became alarmed and hur
ried home. for everything seemed
ominous OF coming trouble There
seemed to he something in the ele-
ments that was brooding over us, and
sure enough there was. The court
room was about half full OF people
who had dared to venture out to hear
me. Suddenly the storm came with
fearful fury. There was an awful roar
ing sound from the southeast that was
like the sound OF many waters 1t
hushed the audience into soiemn
silence. I did not ,ake the platform.
but waited. In few minutes some
wild, excited messengers came rushing
up the stairs and called for lne doc
tors and other help, for the cyclone
had come and torn up everything in
the suburbs and killed men and wo-
men and children. The night was in
tensely dark. but the men rushed to
the rescue in haste and the lecture
programme was broken UP in twink
ling. Everybody hurried to their
homes or to the scene OF the disaster
What an awful thing is a cyclonei
What n merciless thing 1t Is, How
quickly 1t comes and as quickly goes,
leaving swift destruction in it's track.
HaHppily it gives no warning, for tho
terror and apprehension would be
worse than death. This morning we
rejoiced to learn that nobody was
killed. though many were badly woun-
ded. Some houses were wrecked and
blown away and many were unroofed
and some We're set on fire. One man
was lifted up and carried away and
thrown to the ground in the woods,
with only few bruises. How strange
that so few people are killed by a
cyclone. 1t seems provideptlal and
this morning the question discussed at
the breakfast table was whether God
or the devil was the author OF these
terrible visitations One said that the
spirit OF evil was still on the earth and
was ever contending against ,e spirit
OF good and this spirit brought fam
Inc. pestilcnce, fires, storms and all
disasters. Another saiu that all these
things came from natural causes. and
that neither God nor the devil had any
agency in them. Another quoted from
Job where the Lord delivered him
over to Satan, who was going to and
fro upon bhe earth and walking UP
and down in it. He anlicted job aw-
fully but was not allowed to take his
life Another quoted from the Saviour's
words when He said: Think you
that those upon whom the tower OF
Sloan fell were wicked above all peo.
Pile? | tell you nay, but unless ye re-
pent ye shall perish" Professor John
Fiske. very great and learned man.
has written little book called The
Mystery OF Evil" | have read 1T
twice and found but little comfort OF
philosophy in 1t. His argument is that
evil Is OF divine creation and designed
to illustrate and exalt the good. That
but for sickness we would not ap-
preciate or enjoy good health. But for
an occasional famine we would not en-
joy the blessing OF abundant food. and
but for sin we would not enjoy heaven.
His book leaves you just where 1T
found you. and the mystery is still un-
explained. We know that God loves !
His creatures. and that is enough. Not
a sparrow falls to the ground withoue
His notice. and He did not wish TO de-
stroy Ninnevah where there were
100000 people and much cattle. And
much cattle" That was always a
very significant expression to me-
Well, | had to come here from
Ripley by private conveyance. We had
good team, but the road was fear
full. for it had rained nearly all night.
Mr.. Pitner. an old Georgian, had the