The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-04-08
TERRIFIC TORNADOES.
Particulars of the Recent Hurricanes I'm
GeOrgla-WhirIwinds Moving at n
Speed of 60 Miles an Hour.-Great De-
structiOn Of Life and Property.

our section, but that in several particulars
they differed materially from any storms
ever before witnessed in Georgia. The
Macon Telegraph, in summing up some OF
the remarkable features of the cyclones,
says that the damage wrought in some
instances was almost incredible in charac-
ter and extent. In Twiggs County, the
destruction on the 10Th was heavy. The
track of the hurricane was not over 75 or
100 yards wide. 1t entered the county
from the west, and, as it approached the
middle, it appeared to separate, and two
divergent cyclones passed on and out of
the county, each doing its own work of
destruction.
But perhaps the most remarkable oc-
currence took place upon the farm of Mr..
John l.. Gilbert, in Ribb County. IA miles
from Macon. The first intimation Mr..
Gilbert had of the approach of storm
was from a negro boy who ran in and
told him that the woods were on fire. On
looking out, he discovered that what the
boy had mistaken for smoke was clouds,
some distance off, which seemed to be as
sem5ling for the onset, These clouds, in
two bodies, reached to the ground, while
the open space between them seemed to
be rooted over with still another cloud
Finally all appeared to blend into one,
and then its terrible march commenced
Emitting sort of roaring or believing
sound, which increased the terror inspired
by its movements, it rolled and swirled
along in its course, crunching and crash
ing through the trees, flinging them about
as if Titans were engaged in furious war
fare. 1t was an awful spectacle, but one
which the spectators had but little time
for contemplating. 1t was moving direct
l tny l. Sc str
impulse of self-preservaliOn.
Thinking the store was the best protec-
ton, it being an unusually substantial
wooden building, Mr.. Gilbert and his
friends rushed in there. Six of them took
hold of the front door and attempted to
close it, but the storm was upon them in
its most terrible fury. The door was
flung open by it, and all the men dashed
upon the floor. and possibly their lives
were thus saved. The storm came upon
the store with crash-not like the sever
est gust of wind the party had ever heard
betore-nOt with the shrek and the howl
of an ordinary tOrnado-but as if some
dreadful weight of matter had been lOOs-
ened from an Overhanging eminence, and
crushed down with the force of an ire
sistible avalanche. An awful shivering
and cracking of timber followed, ss if the
building was being crushed to atoms or
torn into strips. Then came moment of
awful suspense, and the terrified men ex-
pected to be crushed beneath the falling
timbers but not so. The roof was lifted
from the plates and scared away over the
tree-tOps, and was closely followed by the
walls of the building. Only the floor was
left, and that was held down by the weight
of heavy groceries that was upon it.
Every thing else appeared to grow light
as feathers and floated away upon the
wings of the direful tornado. Roof, walls,
shelving, counters, drawers, all went as
so many missiles, whirling and flying
through the air, and hare not since been
found. The walls of the building have
been reported to Mr.. Gilbert as having
been found 2 miles off. A heavy salaman-
der safe was overturned blown open, and
books and papers scattered for miles. One
very valuable book has not yet been re-
covered. A negro returned over 200
nickels which he had found miles off.
These probably dropped from drawer in
its flight over the country. There was a
regular stock of goods in store, and these,
with the exception of the heavy groceries,
were scattered helter-skelter, pell-mell, for
miles. A fOur-ply 10-inch wide belt, so
feet long, was blown half mile across the
L
brought back. The flying roof and walls
of the building moved OFF the tops of the
trees as they went. Two negro men were
blown to distance of 200 yards. The
feet of one of them struck the top of the
chimney of the cook house as he passed
over it. Both were severely but not dam
gerOusly bruised.
IN THE VICINITY OF MILLEDGEvILLE.
-
MILLEDGEvILLE, Ca, March 22.-Our
community was visited on Saturday last,
about l o'clock p. M, with a terrible
scourge. For an hour prior, dark, angry
clouds had been flying rapidly from north
east to southwest, and from north to
southwest, there being two currents, and
as they met the storm burst upon us
with all its fury. We have subsequently,
learned that the storm commenced at or
near HaddOck's Station, NJ. & A. r. R.,
about u miles west of US. Near Had
docks there were three cOlOred persons
killed by falling houses. Moving south
and east, the next we hear of it is at the
residence of Dick Brown. Every house
on the place was blown down, every panel
of rails demolished, and rail carried, no
one knows where. Every buggy, car
riage, and wagon was smashed to pieces
and blown away. Cows. hogs, chickens
and poultry of every description were
mercilessly destroyed, and some three
killed, and others, including Mr.. Brown,
were badly wounded. Next, Mr.. Har-
Per's place was attacked, and not house
or cabin is left. One negro was killed
instantly, and quite a number seriously
wounded.
The next place visited was Mr.. James
4 S<e u,
where his house had heen. Several ne
groes were killed here, but not one of the
whites was hurt.
Between town and the Lunatic Asylum
the storm was furious. A portion of the
roof was torn from the magnificent resi-
dence of Judge d. r. Tucker, Capt. T. H.
Latimer's Outhouses were thrown down,
Dick Causes (col.) house was razed to the
ground, and Gause-a clever mulatto man
was instantly killed. The top of his
head was literally cut off, as if done with
brOadax. The portion cut off has not
yet been found. Mrs. Thos. A. johnson
was fatally injured, dying in a few hours
after; and her husband is now confined to
his bed, being seriously, if not fatally injur-
ed. The farms of Messrs Fair and Caraker
were denuded of all fences. The cyclone
crossed the river just below its mouth of
Fishing Creek. Proceeding eastward, it
struck the houses of r. A. McComb, occu-
pied by G. w. Bird, and ginhouse, screw,
and every out-building were destroyed.
One white lady, Miss Horton, was badly
wounded and will probably die. Pleasant
Ennis place was also destroyed, as to
houses, fences, etc.
1t is certainly known that not less than
twelve persons were killed outright, while
those seriously and otherwise injured can
be counted by the score.
The cyclone was from 100 to 400 yards
wide, funnel-shaped, and had the appear
ance of dense smoke, pitchy black, and
appeared to move at least 60 miles per
hour. Huge pine and oak trees were
snapped like pipe-stems and whirled with
almost lightning rapidity through mid
ether. Timbers, planks, shingles, tree
tops, buggies, wagons, carriages, beds,
pillows, mattresses, and every conceivable
piece of household and kitchen furniture,
were being carried through the air, and
the debris of these thickIy bestrewed the
path of the tornado. Squirrels, rabbits,
and other wild game have been plentifully
picked up in the track of devastation.