The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1872-05-23
Destructive Tornado in Columbia.

Destructive Tornado IN C0lnmDlas
Wednesday night, about half-past 10 O'Clock,
a terrible tornado passed over our city. The
direction from whence it came was North by
North. east Its duration was brief, but even
in those few moments it's devastation was fear.
full. The damage to property was immense,
and time and money will have to be lavishly
used to make repairs. Personal injury was
miraculously confined to a solitary case, as far
as we have been able to ascertain.
The heaviest loss was the damage to the
State House, which seems to be the most prom-
inent object for tornadoes, which pass over
Columbia, to vent their force upon. The storm
struck the Northwest corner with all its fury,
and rolled off the tin roofing on that side, in
two rolls, as though it had been merely tackled
down. One roll was deposited on the other
side of the building, directly to the South
from whence it had been lifted and the other
roll was blown to the Southwest, and landed
near the shed beneath which the stone-cutters
were daily employed. This shed was also
blown down, and the plank scattered in every
direction. The huge timbefs to which the tin
roofing was attached were hoisted from their
places and hurled through the ceiling into the
hall of the House of Representatives below,
where the damage to furniture, such as chairs,
desks, &C., was considerable. This demolition
of legislative conveniences was confined ex-
clusively to the furniture in the Northern por-
ton of the hall. Some FIVE or six desks were
completely ruined, while most of them had the
ornamental edges broken or knocked off. A
large number of chairs were utterly ruined,
while many of them were rendered useless for
the accommodation OF our legislators, the
backs having been knocked off them, thereby
rendering leaning back for short nap out .
of the question The number of desks and
chairs that escaped destruction is remarkable,
considering the size of and the distance from
which the timbers were hurled upon them.
Several of the globes attached to one of the
handsome chandeliers in the House of Repre-
sentatives chamber were broken. The largest
chandelier had been removed some time since /;
but had it been again suspended, as was the
intention, it would have been demolished
The brick, timber, plaster &C., which fell Oh
the floor, did some damage to the carpetihg:
A large beam came down on its end, and went
through the space between the rounds of
chair, and tilted up on the other end, elevating
the chair in as much apparent triumph as
clown would perform q similar feat IN a circus
ring. That portion of two of the chimneys
extending above the roof were snapped of
even with the roof; one of which was laid over
on the tin that was undisturbed, and the other
building-half OH and half of. And, while
writing of this, we would suggest to those who
have the State House in their keeping, that
this piece of chimney is in precarious situa'
ton, and likely to fall at any moment; and as
the public highway through that portion of the
capitol grounds is greatly frequented, it is liza;
BILE to cause serious or fatal accident. The
lar caused by the falling brick, lumber and
other building material, knocked off the stuccd
work on the ceiling above the chandelier in the
Executive Office and did like injury to the
ceiling in an adjoining chamber. 1t is estima-
ted that it will take over $1,000 to repair the
damage to the State House caused by this ten
minutes tornado; The desks that were smash
ed into smithereens were occupied, during the
last session, by Messrs. Mobley, Jamison, Yo-
cum and others: Had these worthless been in
their seats at the time of the tornado, las they
were ever punctual) we can guess where they
would have been this morning; and the storm
may have been the theme of several eulogies,
with denunciations of the descending lumber
as planks FROM the Sinsihnati platform:
The heaviest loss, next to the State House,
was sustained by the brick building owned by
DIR. Neagle, which is situated on Main street,
between Upper and Lumber streets; and was
formerly known as the O'Conneli house: And
it was here, also, that the personal injury was
inflicted, referred to above. The Eastern gable
end of the building was blown in, and the
bricks hurled through the ceiling on to the
floor There are two rooms at this end OF the
building; one of which was used as cooking
apartment and the other as q bed-room: The
latter was occupied by Mr.. Clifford Cooper, who
was in his bed at the time of the accident,
asleep, and the storm hurled large quantity of
prick plaster and laths upon him. His escape
from instant death was truly miraculous as he
lay Immediately beneath the descending de-
bris. He was severely; if not seriously hurt, as
he was struck upon the face head, abdomen:
breast, aud other PORTIONS of his body, by falls
ing bricks. The roof at this end of the build
ing was not injured the brick wall having
been blown completely from beneath it, inward;
ly. The supports to the piazza at the same end
of the house were blown away. The walls of
the entire building are badly sprung, and the
door and window frames have all been sprung
from their proper positions; thus rendering the
house so unsafe that the occupants were desert
ing it yesterday morning ttith al possible ra-
uiaity. Several ladies fed the house at the ap-
proach of the storm, and Mr.. Cooper's family
had recently left the city on visit; thus, prob
ably, avoiding fatal accident
Fences were prostratsd in many, portions OF
the city BY the wind. Trees were blown down
and uprooted in every direction Some were
riven in twain, and branches hurled for long
distances. Among the trees destroyed were
some beautiful sugar-bury and shady oaks,
which had received great attention since the
replanting after the fire Of 1865; and bade fair
to be beautiful ornaments to our streets
We learn that the watchman in the Presby-
terian Church steeple scented the danger from
afar, and deserted his post at the first indica-
ton of the approaching storm. Many little
anecdotes have been told us of the timid, the
excited, and even the brave, both male and
female. Some held their windows, some ran
into the street. others covered up their heads
with pillows, while others crawled under the
bedding and bedsteads. All these will do to
laugh at, now that the danger is past but the
moment of the tornado was truly terrible
Fhenir, 17th inst.