The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-11-23
LATER REPORTS ADD TO
STORMS HORROR.
RUIN and DEVASTATION
Entire Towns Swept Away-Fears
That Worst Yet Remains
to Be Told.

tonight from the storm swept sections
Of Mississippi, Arkansas and Tennes-
see indicate that the loss of life and
damage to property is far greater than
at first reported. The difficulties in
the way of securing information from
the devastated sections are almost in
surmountable. The places affected
are remote and isolated and at best
they are not we'll equipped with
means of communication and the
storm which last evening carried de-
VISITATION across the country at the
same time swept away the wires, SO
that telephone and telegraph wires
alike were put out Of service. De-
%pendence for news has to be placed in
railroad men and travellers coming
from the affected parts. In Missis-
sippi the greatest loss Of life and dam
age to property occurred near Tunica,
Lula and fernando. Reports by car
rier from a point 35 miles from
Tunica says the torIado's devastation
was so great that it will take weeks to
calculate and repair che damage it did.
Five negroes lost their lives on the
Hamlin place. In Tunica the school
house, church and a number of build
ings were totally demolished. More
than SO negroes are missing and it is
feared all Of them have persisted.
Cotton is reported badly damaged.
At fernando a white man was
killed and a negro fatally injured by
flying debris. Numerous saw mills,
several residences and hundreds of
negro cabins were blown away.
At Love Station, J. S. Doney, a
white man, was crushed by flying tim
Der and is expected to die. The storm
passed down Coldwater river, levell-
ing trees and houses in it's path. At
Batesville considerable porperty dam
age was wrought and several persons
were seriously injured but no fatalities
are reported. Several dwelling houses,
a number of outhouses and many miles
of fencing were torn down and scat
tered. The roof Of the Methodist
church was twisted off and blown
some distance from the building.
News of terrible havoc southwest
of Batesville is expected as generally
the houses in that section are not
securely built. At Guys plantation
the residence and Large mill building
Of John D. Guy were torn down and
their ti1nbers hurled some distance.
Miss Guy, who was i'll the residence at
the time, escaped with slight injuries.
A shanty in which two negroes had
taken refuge from the storm was shat
tered and both were killed. The resi-
dence Of John D. Higgins was de-
molished and several others wrecked.
Seven cabins were demolished at
Massey's plantation and three nergoes
were killed. At La Graney four per-
sons were killed and a score or more
seriously injured. The town is rrac-,
tically wrecked and nearly every build
ing gone or damaged.
About / 1900 residences, mainly
those of poor people, were destroyed.
Grange, several buildings were swept
away by the wind. No fatalities are
reported, although many persons were
injured.
The storm visited Arkansas and
wrought much havoc in Monroe and
Lee. counties. Information today was
that the storm came from the south
west and crossed the tracks of the
Arkansas Midland railway, 10 miles
west of Helena, at Whitley's, where
fences. timbers and cabins were blown
away, but no lives were lost in that
neighborhood. At Blackton IN the
Pine City branch Of the Arkansas Mid
land railroad, Miss Robinson was
killed while trying to escape from a
wrecked building, and at Morrow, Lee
county, a child of Professor Richard
son Blount, was killed by flying tim
bers, the Blount home. being blown