The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-05-17
TEE TORNADO AND IT'S HAVOC

| O'Clock, terrible tornado passed over
our city. The direction from whence it
came was North by Northeast. It's
duration was brief, but even in those
few moments its devastation was fearful.
The damage to property was immense,
and time and money will have to be
iavishly 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 prominent object for tornadoes,
which pass over Columbia, to vent thoir
force upon. The storm struck the
Northwest corner with all it's 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 nlso blown down, and the plank
scattered IN every direction. The huge
timbers to which the tin roofing was
attached were hoistcd 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 consider
able. This demolition of legislative
convcnicnces was confined exclusively
to the furniture in the Northern portion
of the hall. Some five or elk desks
were completely ruined, while most OF
them had the ornamental lodges broken
or knocked of. 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, con-
sldering the size of and the distance
from which the timbers were hurled
upon them. Several of the globes at
tached to one Of the handsome chande-
liers in the House of Representatives
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,
&o, which fell on the floor, did some
damage to the carpeting. A large beam
came down on it's 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 similar feat
in circas ring. That portion Of two of
the chimneys extending above the roof
were snapped off even with the roof; one
OF which was laid over on the tin that
was nndisturbed, and the other laid on
the edge Of the Western end of the
building-half OH and half off. 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 situation, and likely to
fall at any moment; and as the public
highway through that portion of the
capitol grounds is greatly frequented, it
is liable to cause serious or fatal acci-
dent. The jnr caused by the falling
brick, lumber and other building mate
rial, knocked off the stucco work on the
ceiling above the chandelier in the Exc
cutive Office, and did like injury to the
ceiling in an adjoining chamber. It is
estimated that it will take over So, 900 to
repair the damage to tho State House
caused by this ten minutes tornado.
The desks that were smashed into smi-
thereons were occupied, during the last
session, by Messrs. Mobley, Jamison,
Yocum and others. Had these worthless
been in their seats at the time of the
tornado, las they were ever punctual, J
we can guess where they would have
been this mOrninO. and fha atnrro NOV