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THE STORM OF 1883From the: THE BROOKHAVEN LEADER
B.T. HOBBS, EDITOR THURSDAY, MAY 3, 1883
AFTER THE STORM STILL COUNTING THE COST
It is beginning to look as if there will be no end to the record of death and sorrow and destruction begotten of the last storm. We could fill three papers like THE LEADER with matters pertaining to this subject and then there would be much of interest left
untold. WESSON AND BEAUREGARD The following named persons of the Wesson and Beauregard wounded have died from their injuries since our last paper; I. Turnbough, Victoria
Marshall, colored, Mrs. Finch, Wm. Blackburn, a little son of J. T. Gibson, and Mrs. Beard; making a total of 52 deaths at both places to date. There are a number of wounded who are not yet out of danger and who are liable to die at any time. Among these are Miss Mary
Shields; Charles Lane, two miles east of Beauregard; Mrs. Wm. Parker; and Mrs. H. Moody. Mrs. Parker has been removed to McComb City, and gangrene having
set in, she had to undergo a second amputation of her arm. Mrs. Moody's condition is very critical. The editor of THE LEADER called to see her Tuesday afternoon, and in addition
to her dangerous wounds, found her shivering in the clutches of a chill. Her husband, Mr. H. Moody, is improving in body, but serious fears
are entertained that his mind is permanently destroyed, owing to the awful bruises received upon the head. A great many of the wounded at both places have been
removed to neighboring towns, and those remaining have been comfortably provided for by the committees in charge of such work. As if to multiply the afflictions of the wounded, a number have been attacked by measles,
erysipelis or gangrene. To witness the sufferings of some of these people would move the stoniest heart. Too much praise cannot be awarded the physicians of Beauregard and
Wesson, as well as many who have gone there from other places. They have done a self-sacrificing, generous and heroic work. Messrs. Bridewell, Rea and Cotton, of the Relief committee at Beauregard, and their faithful assistants, have done a
grand work for the suffering fellow-citizens--a service for which they should be held in everlasting remembrance. A branch of the
Red Cross Society has been organized at Wesson, with Capt. Oliver as President, and John Mangum as Secretary, which is
doing a like noble work for the relief of the sufferers.
Many of the home and visiting ladies at both places have worked like angels of mercy.
Up to date the case contributions received at Beauregard amount to $2,250 and about the same amount has been received at Wesson. The generous-hearted from every quarter have responded
nobly. When the work is all done and the smoke
and excitement clears away, we hope to present to our readers a full list of the contributions and how distributed.
Careful, competent and reliable men now estimate that $550,000 will not cover the damage at
Beauregard. The assessment of the town, only a few days before the storm shows the value of real estate alone there to have been assessed at $400,000.
The damage in Wesson is computed at $20,000, and $100,000 for the county is regarded at liberal. Some of the businessmen of Beauregard will rebuild, while others willmove away. Much demoralization exists and many can not tell yet what they will
do. Only temporary shanties have been erected yet. We would like to see Beauregard now consolidate with Wesson and thus help to make that town a flourishing little city.
The mills at Wesson have started a force of workmen rebuilding houses destroyed on Peach Orchard Street. MORE ABOUT THE STORM SUFFERERS OF LINCOLN COUNTY On learning that the destruction of the cyclone was very great along its course through this county, a committee of gentlemen composed of Messrs. R. R.
Applewhite, M. W. Nevels, Henry Towns, and Jos. G. Sessions, in order to ascertain the number of those who had been damaged, and who really needed outside
assistance, began last Sunday morning at the Franklin county line and followed the course of the storm to the Copiah line, taking in every place that had been in the
slightest injured. The appended list of names which they have placed at our disposal for publication, shows those whose places were struck by the storm. We first give the names of those whom they found to
NEED IMMEDIATE RELIEF Emanuel Middleton, wife and 4 children; Delilah Smith, and 5 children; A. H. Smith, wife and 6 children; Jas A. Smith, fractured ribs; John P.
East, wife and 5 children; J. J. East, wife and 5 children; Harry Smith and wife; Thos. Batte East, needs but little; Isham Walker, wife and 6 children--he has 2 helpless in
family; Gilbert Smith and wife; Bailey Smith, wife and 2 children; Print Britt, wife and 2 children; Seaborn Smith, wife and 8 children; Jeptha Britt; John H. Case, wife an 6 children; Wiley
Smith, wife and 6 children; Mrs. Ann Britt, a widow who has
6 children and is very needy; A.M.C. Davis, wife and 2 children; J.J. Davis, wife and 4 children; N. C. Barlow, wife and 5 children (Emma Estelle
Barlow Britt was the fourth child and would have been about 3½ years old); Jesse Case, wife and 1 child; L.H. White, wife and 9 children; Fred Wev, and Mr. Belcher. Lewis H. White was very badly
hurt about the head, and the doctors report his mind dangerously affected. The follow- ing list embraces the names of those whose property was injured, but who
CAN GET ALONG WITHOUT ASSISTANCE Ervin Smith, Patterson Case, Stephen Smith, W. R. Smith, Ben Bledsoe (Col.), Allen Lofton, Dan Tucker,
Lewis Lyons, Elesbury Britt, W.J. Callender, Perry R.
Smith, A. C. Arrington, Pleas Smith, Maybury Britt, Elijah
Smith, Marion Case, Hiram Allen, John Ratcliff, Callie Davis, Rev. E. P. Douglass, John Allen, Sr., John Allen, Jr., W. M. Crawford, and W.J. Thompson.
Many of the persons included in the list of the needy are very destitute indeed, having lost
houses, bedding, clothing, provisions and everything which they possessed. It is our understanding--and it seems nothing more than fair that they should receive their pro rata of the funds sent by the benevolent from all quarters to Beaure- gard and Wesson for
distribution among the storm sufferers of these places and the sections contiguous there to. We have no doubt Judge Bridwell, of Beauregard, and the Red Cross Society
of Wesson will take the same view of the case and govern
themselves accordingly. Brookhaven will extend considerable assistance direct, but her ability to help is materially lessened by the fact that many of
our people had already assisted Beauregard and Wesson to the extent of their ability before this additional claim upon their bounty was known. Nevertheless, this is a time
when large charity is demanded, and we hope every one will help these poor people to the utmost extent of his means.
WHAT THE TORNADO DID IN FRANKLIN McCall's Creek, Miss., April 26,1883 To the Editor of THE LEADER:¾ Last Sunday evening the storm passed through this section of country, with all its fury and violence, demolishing everything that lay in its path. As far
as we have learned, nine plantations were injured. On four of these, not a house was left standing; but no one was seriously hurt, except Mr. Ira Byrd and his
daughter. The first place it seems to have struck, was Mr. Manten Lee's. From there it
took a northeasterly direction, passing Mr. Ira Byrd's, Charlie Magee's (colored), Mr. Bab Webb's, Mr. Isaac Ratcliff's, Mr. McIntyre's, Mr.
Porter's, Mr. Roan Byrd's and Mr. Thos. Byrd's. Part of the roof of Mr. M. Lee's house was blown off, and his field strewn with
timber. Mr.Porter, an independent farmer, suffered the greatest loss, as nothing was left standing upon his place, except a few posts. Even the sleepers and
floor were blown up. His small stock of goods was to the four
winds, and ribbon, cotton, etc., decked the neighboring trees. He lost a horse, and after the storm the poultry
was found dead laying around the premises. But strange, amid so much destruction, his family had an almost miraculous escape, as
they were in the house at the time and were blown up into one corner of the room. Mr. Bab Webb and his family were fortunately absent, or they could not have escaped death, as their little
cottage was partly blown down and covered with timber. The storm had the appearance of a cloud of black smoke and came with a roaring, buzzing sound,
accompanied by heavy rain and hail. The uninjured farmers have nobly responded to the call for help, from their unfortunate neighbors. Farming has been at a stand
still this week; every man and boy lending his assistance in rebuilding the fallen houses, and clearing the fields of fallen timber. The houses are about completed,
but many portions of the farms are so covered with heavy
timber, that at this busy season of planting, it will be impossible to clear them. In many places the crops will have to be replanted, and great damage
was done the fences, especially where the rails were not new ones H.A.C.
THE BROOKHAVEN LEADER B.T. HOBBS, EDITOR
THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1883 THE BEAUREGARD AND WESSON DEAD Below we publish a revised and correct list, as near as obtainable, of all persons who were
killed at Beaure- gard and Wesson on the day of storm, and who have died since, from the effects of their wounds; BEAUREGARD Miss Eula Benton;
Master Earnest Bahr; Miss Anna Clossing, of New Orleans; H.F. Carter's infant child, 8 months old; Rev. Theophilus Green (Baptist Minister), Crystal
Springs; Mrs. Huber, formerly Mrs. Shields; Dr. Luther Jones, dentist;
Mrs. Luther Jones; Master Willie Jones; Master Woodford Jones; Mr. Richard Keat- ing, from Wesson; Miss Georgia Mitchell; Mr. Wm. Parker; Maste r Lewis Parker; Tommy Ross;
son of Mr. John W. Ross; Master Milton Story, son of Mr. S. A. Story; Mr. Wm.
Sandifer; Mr. I. Turbough, died at Brook- haven; Miss Irma Terrell; Mr. John S. Terrell; Mrs. Capt. John F. White, George White, son of Capt. Frank
White; James William, son-in-law of W.C. Loving; Mrs. A.
Westerfield, mother of S.P. Bloom; Miss Mary Mikell,
Mrs. John F. White's sister; Miss Mary Shields, daughter of Mrs. Huber; Little Essie Swett, died at Summit after removal. Total, 27; all white.
COLORED DEAD
Caleb Ellis; Joseph Hunt; Jere Smith; Victoria Marshall; child of Freeman Easterling; two children name unknown. Total 7. WESSON
Miss Sallie Ford; Mrs. Sanders (sister of J. T.Gibson); child of Mrs. Wilkinson; a little daughter of Nathan Lofton; two little boys of Edward Allen; Mrs. Causey, and daughter;
Wm. Blackburn and son; child of N. L. Duncan; son of J. T.
Gibson; Samuel Binion; Mrs. Emily Finch, wounded in Beauregard and removed to Wesson; Mrs. Elizabeth Beard. Total-10; all white. THE WOUNDED AT WESSON AND BEAUREGARD Special to the Times-Democrat.
Wesson, May 2 -- Rev. H. F. Johnson, of Brookhaven, has paid out, as agent of the Red Cross here, $200 to sufferers in Lincoln County. The Red Cross today issued
100 rations for one week. Thompson & Co., M. Daniel
& Co., C. A. Ray, L. 0. Bridewell and I. Bloom & Co., will rebuild at Beauregard. The wounded here and at Beauregard are doing well, and no further deaths are expected at Beauregard, except that of Charles Lane. As a last resort
the leg of J.T. Gibson's nephew will be amputated next Thursday, but it is feared this will do no good. Mrs. McMan has her jaws crushed, Erysipelas has set in and she is lying here in a
critical condi- tion, having taken only a few spoons full of liquid nourishment since the 22nd. Mr. Hamilton Mood was reviewing the ruins at Beauregard with his elbow in a sling. The physicians both at home and
abroad had considered his case hopeless, and his indomitable will, iron constitution and great nerve account for his marvelous recovery. His mind is now clear and active, and
he related to the T. D. representative many incidents connected with the cyclone. A buggy was sent down and he was taken home
at once, he having visited the ruins against the earnest remonstrations of his relatives. Mrs. Moody is able
to be up. Mrs. Dr. Pierce, hurt badly on the arm, was taken 20 miles east of Brookhaven today. The three orphans, George Shields and the half-sisters Eddie and Sarah Huber, were taken on the same train to Brookhaven, where Mrs. Whitworth, Dr.
Martin and Mr. Maxwell will take charge of them. The little orphans mentioned above arrived safely Monday afternoon, and were taken charge
of by the benevolent-hearted persons named as their protectors. They could not have fallen into better hands. TWO STORM INCIDENTS Mr. H. Shoafe,
so badly hurt, and taken to Brookhaven, has recovered sufficiently to return here today. This gentleman was blown from Wesson to Beauregard, a distance of one mile ---
Wesson special to New 0rleans Times-Democrat, May lst.
Mr. Simpson--we forget his other name---was taken up by the storm in West Lincoln, carried past Wesson and Beauregard
at the rate of a mile a minute and sloshed down into the middle of Pearl River at Rockport. He then swam down the Pearl to Monticello, and crawled from that place to Brookhaven, reaching
here last Thursday just too late for us to announce his arrival in our last paper. He said that his house had been swept away and carried beyond where he himself was spilt from the laps of the storm and that he was a sufferer and needed help. We
believed him, and he was endorsed by the editor of THE LEADER and several leading citizens of Brookhaven with instructions
to draw on the Times-Democrat's Relief Fund for $100. At last accounts, Mr. Simpson had sufficiently recovered to walk a little, and was still improving.
THE DEATH ROLL THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1883 The
roll of death is still being occasionally called among the storm, victims. Since our last, a little son of Mrs. Sanders, and the nephew of Mr. J.
T. Gibson, at Wesson, and Mr. Charles Lane at Beauregard, have answered the call. This makes the total number of victims 55. Mrs. Wilkinson, a much-respected old lady of
83 years died at Wesson last week of natural decay. The Red Cross and Relief Committees are trying to close their work this week.
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