The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-04-27
THE GREAT TORNADO.
DErA11ED REPORTS FROM CHESTER.
A Number of Persons Wounded-Mirac.
uIous Escapes-Tho Estimated Loss.

Reporter, OF Tue raFaSeS oi Tic toluauo J.
Chester will be read with especial Interest by
those whose attention has been directed to
The subject by the telegraphic accounts of the
disaster, already printed in The NEWS:
On Thursday afternoon last the most VIC
lent tornado, whlrlwind, or something OF the.
kind, passed over this unfortunate town, leav-
ing destruction and desolation In Its train.
The day had been an unusually mild and balmy
one, scarcely a cloud floating In the sky, until
about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, when a dense
black cloud was seen rising 10 the west. 1t
steadily and rapidly approached, overcasting
the whole heavens with lis midnight pail.
The wind began to blow furionsly, accsm-
panied by vivid flashes Of lightning aud deal
enilg peals of thunder. Suddenly an awful,
omInous roaring was heard In the west, and IN
a few moments the storm had swept past, scat.
tering everything In its path, except the MOST
substantial buildings.
So far as we have been able to learn the de-
s%trucliye fury of the blast was first expert
enced at the plantation OF Mrs. Roden. I'VE
miles to the west of the town. Here all the
houses on the place were totally wrecked.
The saw and grist mill of Elijah D. Walker
were the next buildings 10 feel Its force. They
were both IeyelIed to the ground. From this
point Its track is marked by scattered fences
and uprooted forest trees I'LL it struck the
town on the hill near the cid Male Academy.
The first houses in Its course were The large
-four mill, built of brick, formerly the properly
building occupied by David Jones, colored.
The former OF these It damaged badly, ann tne
latter it entirely demolished burytnG Jones
and his wife in the ruins, but not inJurlne
either of them seriously. Wlping OUT
of existence three or fur small houses oe-
longing to Messrs. Smith d Melton, ana one
beloSnging to Allen Farrar, colored, IL passea
m IN fhe substantial residence Of Mr.. John Q.
MoFadden. All OF his outbnlldings, three IN
nnmber. were demolished. The residence was
too strong to yield to the storm, though Inc
chimneys were carried away, and the hclse
Itself strained and partially unrooted. BE-
tween this point and where 1t crossed the rail-
road track, It destroyed Two small houses qei
longing to F. A. McNlnch, one OF A.: N. NC
NinoD, three of Hon. Samuel McAlily, "
of William Quatelabaum, and one belonging 10
the Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad.
Several of these houses were occupied al the
time, but none Of the occupants had any oones
broken. In some cases they were fastened IN
the ruins and had to be extrlcated. The first
building encountered on crossing the railroad
was The large steam-mtl Of W. R. Robertson.
The brick walls of this building successfully
resisted the storm. It twas, however, unrooteo,
and. ali the wooden additions to the main
building entirely wrecked. The miller. Har-
rison Bailey, hearing the roaring OF lne ap'
preaching storm, attempted to escape irom
Inc building. As soon as he reached ithe
ground. he was caught up by the whirlwlnd
and carried to The distance OF at least o nun
bred Yards, where he was lodged against an
elm tree. He has no recollection, ne says, OF
passing through the air; remembers noining
from the time he jumped out OF the mill I'LL ne
found himself at the tree.
From thIs mint the storm took Its course
along the back street extending from the rail-
road TO the residence Of major g. W. Melton.
TaIs street was built up almost entirely win
small. one story houses, all OF which, WIFI ohe
or two exceptions, went down before the Jury
of the blast. The principal sufferers on thls
street were Mr.. William. Nicholson. estate OF
John K!llian, deceased. John M Ssaa tsrs1
A. q. Davega. Mrs. Baird, William Ross, Mrs.
s. E. Albright, DR.. 8. E. Bratton, and Major
James Pagan. On the premises owned 10y
each of these persons at least one mouse
was entirely destroyed, and IN several IN
stances as many "a four. The next place
In the path ct the destroyer was Tue
handsome residence and grounds OF MAJOR
q. W. Melton, %entendant of the town. The
house being large and substantially built
was very slightly damaged. The chief orna.
ment of the grounds was the ancient forest
trees that surrounded the house. The great
majority of these were either torn out Dy tne
roots or twisted off above the ground. Their
lOSS is EECpdtuulOs 4a0 ~
loss al FIVE thousand dollars. Leaving this
| abode of wealth aud luxury the storm again
bent It's efforts to the destruction OF the 70
of those lily prepared 10 suffer the loss. Inc
dwelling and outbulldIngs Of Mr.. a.. Sledge
were entirely demolished. At the morrison
place, now the property of William Ross, IL
indulged In a perfect carnival of destruction;
dwellings, eight In number, altogether,
were levelled to the ground. Here, too,
the occupants of some of the houses we're
| covered UP in the falling timbers, but mirac-
ulously Escaped with their lives. The
houses of John Lilley, Emellne Morrison,
and Frank Kennedy we're destroyed between
this point and Grassy Run. The total number
of buildings OF all kinds and sizes entirely
destroyed between the point where the storm
| attacked the town aud Grassy Bun was sixty.
TWO; and the damages are varlously estimated
! at from thirty to seventy thousand dollars.
| Four miles from Chester the oulbuildings on
the plantation of Mrs. Polly Gooch were
destroyed. Beyond this point we near or no
| damage except the overturning OF some fences
| and trees. Gentlemen of the highest veracity
assure us that they hnd IN their felde, seven
miles east Of the town, planks measuring
| eight aud ten feet long that were borne there
on the wind.
On Friday afternoon o meeting of the clt:-
| gems of the town, presided over by Rev. l.. Z.
dlulOu, Was uOlU III ~ Soui ohoooSi oN
measures taken to assist the sufferers. We
are glad to say that the committee charged
with the duty Of collecting subscriptions are
meeting with g willing and liberal response
from. those citizens who were 80 fortunate as
TO escape the track of the storm. in addition
to the loss of their houses, The sufferers IN
many cases lost all the Contents OF their
homes. their clothing being whlrled away on
The wings of the wind, and their furniture
being smashed By the falling timbers.
The track within which The destruction lies
Is not more than one hundred and nifty yards
wide, and from the description OF those who
were In the midst Of its fury, we suppose the
storm was not more than q minute In accom-
plIshlng It's work at any one place.
THE STORM IN oCoSEE.
The Courier says: son Thursday last. this
section was visited by o furious wlnd and rain
storm. Timber was blown down In various
directions, and we hear of losses by trees fall
Ing on stock, &c. On Tuesday and Wednes-
day mornings, killing trosts appeared In our
midst"
THE STORM IN ANDERSON.
The Intelligencer says: ga severe storm Of
wind aud rain visited this section on last
Thursday afternoon, although we hear OF no
serious damage resulting therefrom 10 this or
neichborlng counties. Trees were upr0oted,
In s,me instances, and the passenger train
over the Blue Ridge Railroad was hindered
for a short time that evening by the tops OF
trees blown and reaching across the track"
DTur rnrEaD TT TCTE