Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1875-05-06
THE STORM OF SATURDAY.


raging at Columbia and in that vicinity. The
Union.H Herald describes it as one of the most
destructive hurricanes that ever passed over
that section. At a quarter past o'clock,
large hail stones commenced to fall, and the
storm roared furiously. The red, angry
lightning flashed out from the darkness in
terrible grandeur the trees were bent to the
ground, and every portable thing was flying
before the storm king, after which the hail
changed to rain, and came down in torrents.
The storm came from the west, from which
quarter the wind had blown all day, and trav-
eled nearly due east. The squall lasted
about thirty minutes, during which time the
air was thick with binding dust and sand,
and limbs and leaves of trees wrenched and
revolved in whirling eddies. The extent of
damage to property in Columbia is succinctly
given in the following telegram to the Ne,us
and Courier:
Fortunately no life was lost and no serious
injury reported except in one case. The de-
struction ofproperty vas considerable, but not
ruinous to any one person. Huge trees were
uprooted in every direction and signs, avn
ings. bil.boards, fences and walls blown down.
Many dwellings have been seriously damaged
by the rain which was driven through the
smallest crevice and soaked through the walls,
in some instances causing the plastering to
fall and in others injuring to an extent sufi-
cient to compel replastering. Many houses
narrowly escaped being crushed by falling
trees. The most serious injury was done to
the Presbyterian Church. Its fine steeple
was Frustrated and blown down. This roof
is huge mass of ruins crushed in by the fall
ing timbers The rear wall is sprung and the
ornamental parts of the church badly dam
aged. The steeple evidently fell its full
length along the top of the building and roll
ed off on the south side, where the fence and
wall were broken down. Some portion of the
debris fell into the church.yard, breaking the
tablets which marked the resting places Of
the dead 1t is estimated that it will take ten
Thousand dollars to repair the damage. The
roof ofthe Statehouse was torn off at the west
wing, door blown out, and chimney hurled
to the ground. The cast iron palmetto tree,
in front, was prostrated, and the ornamental
work surrounding it broken down the strong
bolts and hooks which held the tree up were
torn out of their places and Strengthened out.
The tree was divided into three parts. Other
injuries to buildings are reported as follows :
Squer's store and residence, Kinard's resi-
dence, DR.. Woodrow's residence and printing
office Carroll & Spellman's carriage factory,
the Lunatic Asylum, the buildings of the
Fair Grounds, and the Penitentiary. Git was
here that man was seriously hurt in the
back Crawford's warehouse, City Hospital,
unfinished the City Market, Altee's store,
the car shed at the Greenville and Columbia
Railroad, Graham's gin house, DR.. Wallace's
residence, and Geo. Davis residence, near
the race course. Slight damage was also sus-
tanned by Fines restaurant, George Symmer's
store, Col. Dodamead's office, Col. Pearce's
residence, the South Carolina Railroad de-
pot and the Republican Printing Company
office. At Batesburg, on the line of the
Charlotte, Columbia and Augusta Railroad,
buildings were destroyed. The track of the
railroad was washed away near Graniteville,
and hands have been ordered to rebuild it,
The roads leading to Columbia we're blocka-
ded by the rise of small streams and prostra.
ted trees. Trees which have stood the storms
Of half century, and which had grown to i'm.
mense size, were snapped like pipe.stems and
hurled to considerable distance. A colored
man was lifted off his feet and carried thirty
or forty yards. After the storm had passed
that sign which was placed in the heavens af:
ter the subsistence of the flood made beauti-
full appearance and grand sunset, and many
coored rainbows we're hailed with delight.
The Presbyterian congregation held religious
services to-day in the Opera-house. Great re.
gret is felt at the destruction of the beautiful
steeple of the Presbyterian Church and of
Werner's elegant monument to the State and
her noble dead in Mexico.