The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-15
DEAD BODIES SEEN
 ALONG RAILWAY TRACK
Full Details Are Impossible To Obtain, as the Country Is In Such a Wrecked Condition For
 Many Miles.

ial.) IA special to the Daily Progress from Laurel. Miss. says: This morning at Il o'clock cyclone passed over Jones county, 10 miles west of Laurel, wreck ing the home of Ike Holloway and kill ing his 6-year-old daughter. Holloway and three other children were injured. At Mossville on the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City road, the home of B. F. Moss was destroyed. along with dozen tenement houses occupied by negroes on his farm Three negroes were killed. Practically every building in the little town was wrecked with the exception of the railway station.
 The path of the wind was between 300 and 400 feet wide and everything in the path of the cyclone was swept away. All of the streams are swollen from the heavy rains and it is impossible to- night to secure news from the interior, where it is feared the loss of life may be much heavier than now reported.
 The little village of Service, about eight miles west of Laurel, on the branch of the Gulf and Ship Island, was also wrecked. The town of Soco, three miles from Service. was struck by the cyclone and nearly every building in this village was demolished The first news of the disaster was received in Hattiesburg shortly after ? o'clock this afternoon and came by way of Laurel, where all the wires were down in the direction of the stricken hamlets, so that communication was cut. Travel overland to those points was also prevented by the high water and washed out bridges
 Force Is Terrific.
 The cyclone passed over Mossville soon after noon. It seemed to come from the south, was funnel shaped and apparently travelling at terrific rate of speed.
 The funnel seemed to dip at Mossville, destroying, as stated, every house in the town with the exception of the railroad station, which was left standing with out the least injury.s Everything fas swept clean, the debris even being carried away from the town site. Little of the timbers of the many substantial build ings in the little village was left to tell the story.
 Nothing was known at Laurel of the disaster until the wires to Mossville and points on the Gulf and Ship Island road went down. It was not known there had been cyclone. The first authentic news of the disaster was learned at Laurel when the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City passenger train, which left Laurel about noon returned to the town about 1.30 this afternoon.
 Many Negroes Dead.
 The passengers stated that the track fcrD hot the entire town was wrecked and that the train could proceed no further.
 The passengers said that they noticed the bodies of at least six dead negroes just short distance from the depot and that there were injured people, many of them in a dying condition, scattered over the ground on which had stood the little town of 800 people.
 The train remained at the scene but a few minutes, before returning to Laurel after physicians
 The news spread rapidly at Laurel and several physicians left for the scene on a special train sent out by the railroad company. Among the physicians to go to the scene of the disaster were Drs. Ramsey and Crawford. Dr. Ramsey left for Mossville, while Dr. Crawford left for Service
 It is a known fact that the home of Ike Holloway, six miles out from Laurel, 
 was entirely swept away and one of his children instantly killed. Other mem bers of the family were injured as the house was blown away, but it was im- possible to learn their condition. Accord ing to reports from various points the cyclone was preceded by a heavy down. pour of rain. The rain was not at first unnatural in character. After an hour S heavy rain the conditions seemed to change It grew very dark. This was a warning of what was to come, but the majority of the people paid little attention to the sudden change in the atmospheric conditions, until the down. pour of rain became greater and the wind commenced to blow.
 It was not long before the devasting twister struck the city and rushed on, leaving death in it's wake.
 Appeal For Help.
 From the town of Mossville it swept In a northwestern direction across the country from the Mobile, Jackson and Kansas City road to the Gulf and Ship Island branch line, striking the little towns of Service and Soso. Late this afternoon the people of these two little towns were in great distress. They had sent to the nearest telegraph office and wired for physicians. The injuries re- ceived by many people were of most painful description.
 The wife of w. B. Campbell at Moss vile had part of her face torn away by falling timber. and it was feared she would bleed to death, lacking surgical assistance. It is known that the cyclone did great damage throughout the country but wires are down everywhere, and the particulars will be long time com ing in.