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Herr . Pensy oH . » Pensylvania, O'Connell, Washington. A member of Vice Presidents were also —— ordee eestaki chair, said apeee enough had been made; it was now time for work. He union—unification “ every society perhaps in the whole world. a eis eabeta yROM PARNELL. follo: telegram was then London, April 26. To James Mooney, Esq., President Irish American Convention, Phil- My presence at the opening of the most representative convention of Irish-American opinion ever assem bled being impossible, owing to the ay of my remaining here to pose U eee modyears bill, which are — aneatly the worst pro visions of the aes act, “ea if , will leave constitutional move mente ‘at the mercy of the Govern ment, and I would ask you to lay my views before the convention. I would fully advise that your platform should be so framed as to enable us to continue to accept help from Amer ica and at the same time avoid afford ing a pretext to the British Govern or entirely suppressing the national movement in Ireland. In this way only can unity of movement ved both in Ireland and America. I have perfect confidence that, by prudence, moderation and iebness, the cause of Ireland will continue to advance; and though per secution rests heavily upon us al l, before many years have , we shall have achieved those great objects for which, through many centuries, our race has struggled. Chances Stewart Parnevi.. Committees were then announced and the convention adjourned to Friday. THE COMMITTEES AT WORK. At 11 o'clock the Committees on Platform and Organization were still in session. ‘The members said their deliberations would not be concluded before 2 o'clock Friday morning, much later. The chief re sult accomplished by the two con ventions so far is the appointment without serious discord of committees to evolve the status and conditions on which all the Irish societies of the continent may unite. The Land Convention of yesterday has not yet definitely adjourned. The results of the committee’s work will «determine whether the committee of seven appointed by the Land League “Convention shall pronounce that ‘edy adjourned sine die or re-con vene it. The Committee on the Organiza *tion elected Michael Boland, of Ken tucky, Chairman. After a protracted debate a sub-committee was appoint ed to draft a constitution or plan to ‘be submitted to the full committee to morrow morning. The sub-commit tee consists of Colonel Michael Bo land, Ky. James Reynolds, Conn.; John O’ Mahony, Tenn.; 8. C. Don nell , Mich., and Co. 4. Smith, Ne- The fact that Col. Boland, member of the Land League Commit tee of Seven, is chairman of the com mittee and sub-committee, is regard ed as indicating the adoption of the ‘Land League policy in the national ization. Col. Boland was of counsel forces the suit against him for libel by Au ean. Devoy is said to an tagonize the dynamite business of Reessa policy. The most important question before the committee to o was the second resolution of printed rammne, to the effect that free trade or Ireland is above all things to be demanded and de a the Fenian Brother Bee a eee held in at the Bowery and Second street. Rosea more than a year ago Brought Lynch to one of these meet ings at which I was present, and I t was introduced to him. Rossa said Lynch was a man, who, like himself, had suffered at the hands of the English Government and who would risk his life for Ireland. I was not myself favorably impressed with Lynch, who appeared to be a rather weak fellow, ough he talked very little, and did not seem over commu nicative about himself. I remember him distinctly, for I met him at two or three other meetings of the Broth erhood, and I think he was present at one meeting in Jersey City. He was a man of about 28 years of age, about five feet nine or ten inches tall, would weigh about one hundred and forty pounds, and had a very dark com plexion. The thing ran on until last winter, I think in January or Febru ary, when a meeting of the Fenian Brotherhood of Jersey City was held in St. John’s Hall, at which about 36 rions were present. O'Donovan George W. Shearman and Patrick Crow were there, and Rossa made a statement of the condition of affairs in Great Britain, and told how the subscriptions were coming in. Before long, he said, we would hear of a startling movement. He then told of their determination to send over six men well equipped for work in England. He said he could vouch for them all in any emergency in which they might find themselves.— Our branch of the Brotherhood then approved of the action of Rossa’s Committee. Among the men present were James Boggs, of Hoboken, who had become disgusted with some ac tion of the Land League, and had left it, and Valentine Becker, of Jersey City. I don’t think Rossa mention ed publicly the names of the men he had selected, though some, if not all of them, were known to the members of our Brotherhood, and they were talked over. CLAN-NA-GAEL FXONERATED. While some members of the Land League were in the Brotherhood, the Land League did not then or thereaf ter approve of the action, but Irish men generally were in favor of driv ing the lion into his den by whatever means necessary, no matter what the names of the organizations to which we belonged, and these were many. Great Britain has been grinding our countrymen under heel, and we felt that any means was justifiable. ‘The Clan-Na-Gael has been mentioned as in favor of the step advocated by Rossa, but really it was not. Its plan of operation was too slow, and seve ral members, myself among the num ber, were driven out of the organiza tion by our desire to do something for our country in our day and genera tion. Lynch was a member of the Clan-Na-Gael, but was badly treated, and I think was expelled; at any rate he left it. “The action of Rossa’s Committee was endorsed, I think, by all the Irish Societies of Jersey City except the Land League. I am satisfied now that the whole thing was a gigantic mistake, which has done permanent injury to the Irish cause, and I, for one am willing to speak right out. Rossa is a good fellow, and has been maligned, but he is not the man to manage work of this kind. His selec tion of men for this work was about as poor as it could have been.” M. B. Holmes, President of the Executive Council of the Internation al Labor League, said to a reporter: “Immediately after the Phenix Park assassination Rossa, Crowe and Cro mien were on at a meeting of the League held in Humboldt Hall, and asked us to adopt resolutions disap proving of Michael Davitt’s denun ciation of the Phenix Park assassi nations. We refused to do so, but denounced the assassinations our selves. These men told us to our faces that they did not care about the nationality of Ireland. They were working for humanity. I have no means of knowing in what societies, or in what manner the advocates of assassination have been working since.”’ ROSSA NOT VERY TALKATIVE. O'Donovan Rossa said tonight that he had not addressed any body of men, small or large, either of the Fenian Brotherhood or any other or ganization in Jersey City for four years. He said he had not told ex- Coroner Burns that McAlpin and De lehanty were about to be sent to Eng land. He refused to say whether or not he and his associates had any thing to do with sending McAlpin and Delehanty abroad, or whether he and Joseph Cromien are members of a Commitee of the Supreme Council of the Irish Revolutionary Brother hood. He said that he had never heard of him before Lynch's arrest. Edward J. Rowe, who is President of the Irish Confederation of Ameri ca, is a broad shouldered County Wexford man, over six feet tall, and about 33 years old. “I am not con nected with the Irish Revolutionary Brotherhood,”” he said, “although I am a believer in the dynamite policy. The Land League having failed ater m an enormous expenditure of money and years incessant agitation to better the condition of Ireland. I think it is about time to try more re volutionary methods. I was not se lected by the Supreme Council to ap oint any of the men arrested in London, knew neither Delehanty nor McAlpin. I am a friend and ad mirer both of O'Donovan Rossa and his principles, and of Joseph Cro mien, who is also a believer in dyna mite. —Cor. of Dispatch. The Vitrace or Beaurecarp Wirep Our—Whitesprean Desolatrion— Many Persons Kitten and Issur- New Orleans, April 23.—A special dispatch from Wesson, Mississippi, says that a frightful cyclone passed over that place and the town of Beau regard, a mile above, about four o’ clock on Sunday afternoon. The wind for three days had been blow ing a gale, and the lowering clouds indicated a storm. Its approach was known for some minutes by deep, rumbling sounds, the windows in the dwellings shaking with violence, and many thought it was an earthquake. Thunder roared and lightning flashed with alarming force and vividness. Fences were torn down and trees up rooted and cast hundreds of yards away. East of the railroad in Wes son the damage was light, but in a portion of Wesson the destruction was great. As soon as the storm had somewhat abated, and the people be gan to look about, loud peals from the church bells rang out. Persons were seen running in all directions toward West Wesson, the rain in the mean time pouring down in torrents. On reaching Peach Orchard street, an indescribable scene was witnessed. This street was lined with a large number of houses in which the opera tives of the Mississippi Mills are do miciled, and here the greatest de struction occurred. People were seen on all sides sobbing, and the groans of the wounded beneath the ruins were perfectly appalling. The dwellings were torn to atoms, and a pine forest just beyond was blown out of existence. The work of removing the dead and extricating the wounded from the ruins was then begun. Calvin Reed, living in the vicinity, died from excitement. The doctors were soon on the scene, and did all in their power to relieve the sufferings of the wounded. The es timated number of killed is twelve. Two or three children are missing. One hundred and fifty to two hun dred dwellings were blown down. The number of people with broken limbs is estimated by the physicians at seventy-five. ‘The wounded were removed as fast as possible to the houses which escaped injury. Seve ral of the dead lay out in the violent rain for more than an hour after the storm. ‘The dead were laid out, and coffins made for them. ‘The citizens are doing all in their power for the wounded, many of whom, it is feared, will die. A special train with physi cians from McComb City, and Brook haven, arrived last evening at 7 O’ clock. Another extra special will be there with additional help from Mag nolia and Summit. Among the kill ed in Wesson are Mrs. Causty and two children of J. E. Gibson, one of whom was found crushed under the chimney. Two persons were so mangled as to be unrecognizable, and several others were killed whose names could not be learned in the con fusion. A little boy was found in the woods several hundred yards away, unhurt. Wesson, except in the lo cality mentioned, suffered little, with the exception of a general destruc tion of fences and trees. The dead will be buried tomorrow. The num ber of killed 18 thirteen, and of those wounded sixty. ‘Twenty-seven dwell ings were destroyed. BEAUREGARD IN RUINS. This place, which had a popula tion of about six hundred inhabitants, is entirely swept away. The de struction of life and property is inde crbable and appalling. Not a house of any character is left standing. Large brick buildings were blown down, frame houses torn to atoms, and trees swept away like straws. Loaded freight cars were lifted from the track, and carried two hundred ards. Trees and the timber from oases were scattered for miles round. The town could not be recognized. One gloomy, ghastly mass of desola tion and destruction marks what was a beautiful, flourishing little village. The killed as far as ascertained are as follows:—Milton Story; Dr. Beat on and wife; Captain Lampkin, wife and child; J. O. Williams; Dr. Lu ther Jones’ entire family of six, their bodies being found three hundred yards from their residence, all near each other, except one child not yet found; Miss Georgia Mitchell; Rev. J. Green, of Crystal Springs; Mr. Keating, of Wesson; Miss Lula Ben son; John Ferrill; Mr. Londefer, his wife cannot be found; Willie White, son of J. F. White, three negroes, names unknown. A party of several mares cards in a box in a cut as . The Bees let were closed over a two story house two hundred yards into the woods. The wounded are as follows: John Ross, mortally; his wife, it is feared, mortally; Morgan Joyner, mortally; Mrs. Westerfield, mortally; Isaac Bloom, seriously; son of M. Daniels (dying); M. Daniels was badly hurt; Mr.Trumbull, visiting from Brook haven, mortally; John Holloway, mortally; his wife had a leg broken; Mr. Wilcox, telegraph operator, both arms broken; R. J. Ferguson and fa mily, ten in number, all fearfully in jured; Dr. Albert G. Pierce, wife and child, mortally; Henry Clay, serious ly; Mr. Levison, seriously; Charles Eldridge, badly; nurse in Samuel Lownder’s family from New Orleans, mortally; Charles Lane, mortally; E. T. Robertson lost both eyes: Miss Ruth Higdon, mortally, both eyes out; Miss Cale, arm broken; Hamilton Moody and wife, badly, the former speechless and cannot live; Miss Jen nie Benton, mortally; Mrs. Benton, seriously. ‘The Mayor and all his family were hurt; not a vestige of their house remains; J. F. White and wife were terribly bruised; L. Dunn, and his wife were mortally hurt; they were found in the furnace of the Va riety Works, two hundred yards from their residence. William Parker, wife and child, mortally; Mrs. Peets, se verely, and Mrs. Polk Ferguson, bad ly. On the 22d of April, 1882, the town of Monticello, six miles South of the track of this storm, was destroyed at exactly the same hour. OTHER TOWNS DEVASTATED. The gale struck the town of West Point, accompanied by torrents of rain, and the largest hail ever seen there; the Court House, Lawyer's row, Central Hotel, Cotton Exchange Office, Olympic Saloon, Henry House, W. A. Bibbs’ store, and Flanagan Hall, were unroofed and materially damaged. A barbershop was partial ly blown down. Fences and trees were prostrated and considerable damage done generally. No lives were Lot. On the Natchez and Columbus rail road the town of Tillman is destroy ed. Several were killed and wound ed. On the Vicksburg Meridian Railroad the town of Lawrence suffer ed terribly. Reports from other places and from the country show that the storm was widespread and de structive. The telegraph lines are blown down for miles. A special from Eastman, Ga., says a cyclone passed over that town early this morning, doing great damage. The house of John Register was blows down, and two children killed. Sam. Havie’s house was demolished and his wife and children badly injured. At Chattanooga, Tenn., much dam age was done by the storm on Sun day night, and reports show it to have been destructive in that region. ADDITIONAL DETAILS. A Red Lick (Miss.) special says: At 11 o’clock yesterday morning a tornado passed about one mile East of this dole, causing some loss of life and great damage to property. ‘The track of the storm was two hundred yards wide. Everything in its track was swept away, dwellings, cabins, trees, fences, cattle, c. On the Ross place, a mile from here, the storm blew down quarters and fences, killing a colored child, and injuring several persons. But one house re mains standing. On the Killings worth plantation a great many cabins were blown down, and much damage done to the crops and fences. In one cabin there were five people, who were left standing unhurt on the floor. Specials report the passage of the cyclone through the lower part of Georgia with destructive results, also very general high winds and heavy rains all over the State; the lightning was continuous and kept the night lit up so that one could react. Fences and dams were washed away with great loss. Many houses were blown down. Albany reports eight killed and about twenty-five wounded. East man reports two killed. ‘The track of the cyclone in Dougherty county is reported a quarter of a mile wide. Special dispatches received at Ma con say that in Southwest Georgia the storm was attended with large loss of life and property. Not less than twenty-five deaths are reported, while the number of the injured can not be estimated. ‘The damage to the railroads and telegraph lines pre vents the accumulation of details..— No estimate can be made of the loss. There are numbers of instances of the entire loss of farm houses, residences, cattle and produce. The dead and wounded are being looked after, and everything done possible. Reports from Virginia show a hea vy rain storm last night, causing a rapid rise in the streams. The Ap pomatox is rising rapidly, and at Carneville is over the banks. All the lowlands are submerged. At Wel don and Garrisburg, N. C., there was a heavy hail storm, the stones lies unusually large. Considerable dam age was done to vegetation, orchard trees, and other property. CYCLONE IN 1OWA. Maines, Iowa, April 23.—A Se + ergi e * follow spur of the Chicago and Northwest ern railway, which strikes off from Manly Junction at Danbury. The Catholic church was wrecked, three houses were blown down, and other minor damages inflicted. No lives were lost so far as known. A special dispatch from ae Harrison county, says that a terrible tornado passed near that place on Sa turday night, carrying away many farm houses and barns, and killing a great quantity of stock.Trees were torn out by the roots, and outbuild ings were carried completely away. Some loss of life is reported, but no particulars are secured yet. The track of the tornado was northward through Mona and Woodbury coun ties. HARROWING DETAILS FROM THE STORM SWEPT SECTIONS. New Orleans, April 24.—As stated by telegraph last night, the damage done by the cyclone or cyclones that swept over Mississippi on Sunday could not be approximated. The Times-Democrat has additional re ports from the track of the tornado to night, and they disclose an appalling loss of life and great destruction of property. Everywhere the cyclone fell upon the people with a rushing, hissing sound, levelling forests, pros trating houses, carrying huge trees hundreds of yards, and spreading death and ruin in its path. At some points the sweep of the devastating wind was not more than three hun dred yards wide; and as al others it was three miles. Where it was com pressed into the smaller space the destruction was the greatest and the most complete. The cyclone first appeared on the Sabine river, near St. Patrice station, on the New Orleans and Texas Rail road. Here it was high in the air, and caused no loss of life and little of property, but showed its power by catching large trees by the branches, and literally pulling them from the ground, ACROSS LOUISIANA. It passed entirely across the State of Louisiana from West to East with out making its destructive presence felt until it approached the Mississip pi river, where it descended to earth again in the Southern part of Con cordia parish, killing a negro woman, wounding several children and de stroying plantation and gin houses. It crossed the river into the State of Mississippi a few miles below Nat chez, doing enormous damage to property, but causing little loss of life in the vicinity of the river. It cross ed the State in a Northeasterly direc tion to Aberdeen. ‘The damage that it wrought in Wesson, Beauregard, Tillman, Starkville, West Point, Co lumbus, and Aberdeen has already been telegraphed to you. At Wesson and Beauregard the dead were buried yesterday and to day, with solemn and impressive ceremo nies. ‘Thus far twenty-nine persons were either killed outright or have died of their injuries at Beauregard, several others are expected to die. Thirteen persons were killed instant ly at Wesson and three fatally injur ed. ‘The wounded at the two places number about 200. NEW POINTS OF SLAUGHTER. Awful as was the calamity at Beau regard and Wesson, the effects of the cyclone was even proportionately more terrible at Georgetown, a little hamlet on the Pearl river, seventeen miles from Wesson. When the cy clone struck the settlement with its frightful roar and destructive force the people, white and black, were in their usual places of worship. At the church attended by the whites an unu sually large congregation had assem bled owing to the fact that it was quarterly meeting. The furious winds dashed in the sides of the building, and threw them on the congregation. The pastor, Rev. B. B. Lewis, had his skull fractured, and is expected to die. Mr. Savage attempted to rush from the building, and was instantly killed by a falling tree.Three or four others were badly hurt, but the re mainder of the congregation were saved from injury almost by a mira cle. Acting apparently by inspira tion, they fell upon their knees in prayer. As the walls fell in the benches of the church upheld the fall ing timbers, and the congregation crawled from under the debris un hurt. The negro church, nearby, succumbed to the force of the wind, and three of the worshippers were killed outright and eight or ten injur ed. All the residences and stores in the village were levelled to the ground. In the house of John Craw ford ten persons were killed—Craw ford, his wife, daughter, son, grand child and servant, Billy Perkins, his wife and child, and a daughter of the widow Ryals. Mrs. Crawford was blown three hundred yards, and the entire family so crushed and mutilat ed as to be hardly recognizable. The children of John Beasley were killed. Mrs. Fowle’s three grown sons and a fongiens were instantly killed.— Mrs. Fowles was carried ‘a distance of 150 yards, and thrown into a tree, and from thence carried by the force of the wind into another tree, sustain ing such external and internal inju ries that she has just died from the effects of the hurts. All of the stock in the track of the cyclone were kill ed, being crushed to death by the fly ing timbers. The sthvouter APPALLING, opposite Georgetown, on the Pearl river, in Simpson county, an, and well-known man, named Bass, was instantly killed, a little ne gro servant escaping with a brokens limb. In Chickasaw county, at Hohen linden, thirty people were killed and the place blotted from existence. The village is remote from the telegraph, and no particulars can be obtained. At Pine Bluff, Clay county, seven teen persons were killed. Both of these points are in that section of the State, covering nearly one-third of its area, which lies between the [hnois Central and Baltimore and Ohio Rail roads.There is neither tel nor railroad communication, and it will be several days before full re ports are received. ‘The startling in formation from Hohenlinden and Pine Bluff, is confirmatory of the fears that the track of the eyelone by this section of the State was everywhere marked by a heavy loss of life. Mayhew, in the Western part of Lowndes county, also felt the full force of the cyclone, much of the set tlement being destroyed. Several negroes were killed and many others wounded. Freemantown, the suburb of Aberdeen, was levelled to the ground. Five were killed and about fifty were wounded. The coun ty jail was converted into a hospital, where the wounded are being kindly cared for. It may safely be assumed that not less 250 people were killed in Mississippi and 500 wounded by the cyclone. Reports already in show 140 killed, and 240 wounded, as fol lows: Beaurgard—29 killed and 06 wounded. Wesson—15 killed and 150 wound ed. Georgetown—26 killed, and 16 wounded. Hohenlinden—30 killed. Pine Bluff—17 killed. Aberdeen—Fifteen killed and 50 wounded. Claiborne county —Two killed and five wounded. Starkville—Two killed and 15 wounded. Mayhew—Six killed and a large number wounded. Caledonia—One killed, and three wounded, and seven killed in a farm house near Wesson. It is impossible to estimate the loss of property. Around Aberdeen the loss is $75,000, and at Wesson and Beauregard it is stated at $325, 000. ‘These isolated facts show that the aggregate loss in the State must have been immense. ‘The work of raising funds for the sufferers is actively progressing in all the cities and towns in this section. A large sum has already been sub scribed in New Orleans, and many supplies forwarded to Wesson and Beauregard. Assistance will be fur nished at other points as soon as ac curate information can be received. Cor. of Dispatch, At 2:30 on the afternoon of April 71st, the citizens of Kittanning were startled by a loud explosion, which shook the whole town. Upon inves tigation it was found that a Tl of cans of Arctic powder had exploded in a car at the depot. Thousands of citizens flocked to the scene and found that the explosion had made sad havoc among the houses within two squares of the scene, hardly leaving a whole pane of glass in any of them. ‘The cars belonging to the accommodation were badly damaged, and also the engine and the station house. Pieces of the wreck were found four or five squares away. Two persons were severely hurt: Walter Diffenbacher had his leg bad ly cut, and the conductor had his head slightly injured. It seems that Wm. Rheem and Wyley Reynolds were practicing shooting, that they shot into the powder and exploded it. The powder was shipped by James McCulloch and consigned either to Brady's Bend or Reyno There were quite a number of mar row escapes, and the damage will be large, but no estimate can be given at present.
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Pittsburgh Catholic
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US
Sat, May 05, 1883
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