The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1875-03-25


The TRACK OF THE TORNADO. cor
respondent Of the Charleston Hems and
CoStier. writing from Florence, under
date of the a2d. says: i 3 1
Ib trackwas about fiSe miles South.bf
Florence. Below McKcnzios Neil, the
destruction was fearful. Houses, fences
and trees were blown down, and some
lives are reported lost. In the neigh
borhood of Hopewelr Church, 1t WAS
singularly. destructive. On Mrs. Gads-
den Gregg's place, most Of the buildings
were leveled, the fences were blown
away and two of the colorel people are
sreported killed; Dr.. E. Miller,s former
residence was blown down and the large
shade trees around it twisted off or
turned up by the roots. All the other
buildings on DR.. NIiller's place were
blown down. Every house on the plan
t.tion of Il. ". Ross, except the dwell
ing, was blown down, and the DWELLING
q very fine one-waS badly damaged
The gin-house on Maj. II. G. Towards
plantation was blown down. Miles of
fencing have been blown down, some of
them borne away by the tornado. Hun
dreds of large trees have been twisted off
or blown up by tho roots. A gentleman,
who was caught in it and narrowly
escaped with his life, states thnt rails,
plank and branches of trees were borne
through the air in wild confusion ut
height of 100 to 800 feet. The losses
have been very severe, both in destruc-
crops about to be planted. Dr. Miller's,
Mrs. Gregg's and Mr.. Ross losses are
about -, 500 to $4,000 each. 1t will be
impossible for some of the sufferers to
procure the buildings, hands and stock
necessary in making crops. The loss on
this account cannot be estimated, but ns
many of the most valuable plantations
have been visited, this will be a more
ruinous loss than that sustained in the
buildings destroyed. The hurricane
was accompanied by thunder and light
ming, hail and rain. The rain fell in
torrents, and the washing of lands in
many places is serious. The hail varied
from the size of buck-shot to that of
grnpe-shot.
It passed the Northeastern Railroad
seven or. eight miles below Florence. It's
breadth about one mile and q quarter,
three. quarters of milo of its contre de-
veloping its whole force, and demolish-
|
&c. Wherever it passed through the
woods, it either tore tho trees up by their
roots, or twisted them off in such man.
ner that not single one remained stand
ing On the outskirts of the cyclone,
the trees would merely tear up by their
roots and fall with their heads towards
the centre of the moving power. So far
as have heard, but four persons were
killed in this neighborhood, but many
are injured. Itapproaehed with n fearful
loud roar, like continuous claps of thun-
der, and like moving volcano throwing
out lava, which were the limbs of the
trees and the leaves of the woods; and
when it passed clearing, one could see
large pines of eighteen to twenty-four
inches in diameter tumble down like so
many stalks of grain before a reaper.
Oak leaves continued to drop from the
skies for several hours after it had passed.
On Saturday afternoon, about 4 OF clock,
q fearful cloud gathered at the Northwest
Of Orangeburg, and with appalling rnpi-
dity swept towards that place. Hail and
rain fell in great quantities. In some
cases, the hail was larger than goose
egg. The winds rose TO tornado, and
levelled fences, uprooted the largest
trees, and did other damage. The sky
cleared for an hour, when second storm
of still greater fury burst on us, abont .
o'clock. So violent was the wind, that
many were ready to fec from the houses.
In the yard Of S. Glover Esq, eight oaks
were wrung OFF, and the house was moved
about foot. Colonel Frederick's negro
quarters were entirely destroyed. Nine
negroes in house that fell escaped in
jury. The tornado struck the house Of n
family named Bogard, and left ita wreck,
killing a woman and mortally wounding
man and his wife. A subscription was
taken up, by MIR. Boliver, for the relief Of
these unfortunate ones. Bedding has
been found mile and more from the
houses whence it was blown.
Accounts from Marion are to the same
effect. Destruction wherever the cyclone
passed. It went into Horny in the Elliott
settlement, still carrying destruction in
its course. A large number Of houses of
colored people in the course of this dread
full storm were entirely demolished, and
their scanty accommodations destroyed.
Not fragment of NaZnrenc, Baptist
church Of the colorcd people, near tho
plantation of Mr.. e. B. Owens, was left
| to mark its original site. The benches
were carried forty or fifty yards and torn
into splinters. 1t will take 100 hands n
week to clear the public road from Gap
way Church to Buck Swamp, a distance
of about one mile and a quarter. This
tornado entered, passed over and out Of
Horny County, distance Of near forty
miles, in about fifteen minutes. Thou
sands Of property was destroyed, and
many persons have been left homeless
ond IN or1ff