The new South-news., 1908-02-08
FIERCE CYCLONE
KILLS TEBLYB
TERRIFIC TORNADO SWEEPS
THE HEART OF MISSISSIPPI.
Poor WomAn's Back Broken-H Houses
Devastated and Families Badly
Hurt. Fourth Visitation os Dcssruc-
tson Within Twsnty Five Years.

.
-
Jackson. Miss.--A cyclone of scrrsf-
,c forcc passed few miles below tis-
xlchurst, the county seat of topian
county and thirty three miles south of
this place Friday afternoon at $3.50
clock. An immense amount Of prop
ertv damage was done. and al least
t~vlsc persons lost their lives
Dwellings, farm houses. saw mills
and cotton gins were destroyed IN
large numbers. and live stock suffered
TO great degree. On several places
nearly every head of stock was killed,
and on some not a one was lcfs
The storm came from the south
west striking the Millsaps place some
twelve miles from lIaElshur.,, where
large cotton gin was destroyed. scN-
cral negroes badly hurt. aal largo
number Of stock killed
I, travelling in nofihcaslcrly direc-
ton. the cyclone. blowing from a
great revolving clond, Illuminated by
a ccnstan, play of lightning crossed
the tracks of the Illinois Central Rail-
road about ,hrer miles south of Haglc-
hurst, and limbs of trees several feet
long. portions of destroyed buildings,
and other evidences of the storm =
power. were scattered from one end of
the lnts~ city TO sh- other during ths
passage of the storm. who~e bowling
winds could be distinctly heard
Near where the railroad was cross
~ lived Mr.. Hen Martin. farmer.
and he, his wife. brother and two chill
dren were instantly killed, a. wrrc
also several negroes. whose namcs il
has been impossible to obtain. E!axlr-
hurst IL the nearest town to the patch
OF the cyclone, messengers we're rish-
ed from along its path to the town
went to the scene of The disaster.
Crossing the railroad. the storm con
timed its work of destruction. Tho
storm here entered thieky settled
and prosperous section. aud the prop
erty damage ii did is. almost incaIcu-
liable. Striking the plantation of Mr..
Bob Middleton, il completely wreck
cd his home catching his family be-
meath thc debris. fatally injurine him
, and breaking the back Of one of tho
/ lady members Of his family. Several
= Of his negro tenants, were injured
! thd one or Two o1hers IN thai locality
4 instantly killed.
4 That nci9hborhood has also called
: for medical help but the extent Of iia
damage cannot be nsccrtained, as .cIc.
a phone communication is absolutely cut
off. Telegraph wires are also down
between herc and Haxlehurst, as they
are on she south Of that place.
0 just below Hsxlehnrst, stood negru
0 house in the path Of the storm, and il
. was completely carried away, with the
four negro children who were ia il
:. at the time, and no trace Of either the
J, house or its occupants have beer
= found.
: This is the fourth cyclone that hA,
u paASed through this section in the pnAl
. twenty-five years, the last one clNiu
q ing about one hundred victims.
: Wssson's Report.
!. A negro who arrived in Wessor
!, about dark brought news Of thc storu
!. and an appeal for aid, three physicisu'
= started in carriages for the stricke'
Z dntriet. According 10 the negro I
message, the dead are:
Fatally injured: Ben Martin, Mr
and Mrs. q. n. Maddox and . ncgsu
name unknown.
= Seriously injured: Bill Alisn.
d Miss Alien, daughter Of Bill Allen
- not fatally.
- For . distance Of twenty miles in
= = northesstsrly direction ths wind tor
= = pathway nearly = mile wide. part
!" or wholly destroying every building i
= this area. Scores Of dead farm an
= imsls Uttered tho storms track. Th
- residence Of Mr.. and Mrs. Maddo
- was blown almost completely off th
= premises and Mrs. Msddox'4 spins
8 column was broken.
"A A negro was found fatally inJsrc
!. in &he debris Of Robert LittIeton
farm house. Tbe cotton gin and stor
Of Ras Matthew we're almost who'll
destroyed.
\. Surrounding towns in The dires
g. path of the storm suffered damaa
n during the cyclones duration.
At Georgetown, buildings pr
blown down and 1t Haxlehurst tw
70 ssw mills were destroyed, many fenes
u and several small buildings We,
blown over.