Richland beacon., 1875-03-06
A Pickens County HOrrOr-Fear-
full Tornado.
columbus (Miss.) Indcx.]

\-"a~o'/
About dark on the afternoon of the
oath inst, a fearfuls'tornado passed
through portion Of Pickens county,
Ala, thirteen miles east of this city
Its direction was northeast, the width
of its path an average of Ole hundred
and fifty yards; and as it passed with
the roars of a thousand thunders, it
wrenched from their stems the largest
trees Of the forest; and tossed them
abou, like straws Houses were swept
away Us feathers, and a broad lane
was left through forest. field and
plantation. Mr.. Thos. y. Cohen, his
wife and two little children, a son and
daughter, aged five and six years
respectively, had just finished supper,
when the tornado struck the house,
and in an instant not a vestige Of the
dwelling, or of out-houses, or fences
was left. The stables and negro
cabins were whirled away in twink
ling. and their occupants left lying
bewi!dered and terrified in the yard !;
but, strange to say, unhurt. Not so,
however, with Mr.. Cohen and his
family. Mr. Erwin Cheatham, who
had surped with them and was re-
turning to his house, heard the roar
of the tornado and returned. He
found nothing but desolation, and
hastily summoning the neighbors,
torches were lighted and a search
instituted. The mules and negroes
were found as stated, the former
covered with mud and quivering with
fear, and the latter wandering about,
idiotic with terror. After o search of
several hours, Mrs. Cohen was found
some $50 yards from where the house
stood, lying bruised aud dead, with
her dead daughter on one side and
her dying son on the other. The
boys leg was broken in two places,
and besides other injuries, there was
on his brow a terrible cash as if made
by heavy piece Of timber He was
conscious during the next day, but no
hopes of his life were entertained.
After considerable difficulty, Mr.. Co.
hen was at last found about 20 yards
from bis wife, lying in a gulley dead
and covered with debris. His face
was purple and his limbs were crush
ed and shivered in many places.
r
Besides the destruction of his PREM
Uses, the Methodist PARSONAGE and
fences and the places OF VIM. Joiner,
Austin Randall aud the Messrs.
YoungbloOd were blown away.
Nothing is yet known of what ruin
was done beyond Magby creek. but it
is thought to have been extensive.
There is q remarkable fact about
this tornado which should command
the attention of students of natural
phenomena: This is the third lorna
{" which has visited the same section
Of Pickcns county. The first occurred
number Of years ago. and we have
no particulars of it. The second took
place on May 9Th, 1868. ard it, like
this, was terrible. BY it five white
persons, some Of them relatives of
Mr.. Henry, and two negroes lost their
lives. 1t swept away a large amount
of proper ty and took a nortl 'astcrnly
Course, crossing Magby ere K within
few hundred yards of where this
third one crossed. In each case they
were followed by rain and hail 1t
seems, then, that tornadoes, like earth
quakes, frequent only certain portions
of the earth. Of the laws which thus
confine them to particular sections we
know nothing, but it is evident that
they exist.