The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1875-04-08
THE SOUTHERN CYCLONE.

Late Details of the Disastrous Tornado in
Georgia-Terrible Events Narrated by
Eye-Witnesses.
[From the Augusta (Ga.) Chronicle.l
Never did the furies do their work
more completely than did this storm
The picture presented as the little rail
way village Of Camak, the intersection of
the Georgia and Macon and Augusta
railroads, was that Of all the rest. Every
home save one, a small store, was blown
down. The residence Of S. D. Myers, a
little beyond the town, was demoli he'd,
and the saw-mill of Mr.. Swain greatly
damaged. Mr.. Swain says that when he
saw the storm coming he ran out of doors
to an open space with his son, and, seiz-
ing stump, fell upon the ground, his
boy catching hold of his leg. The boy
was torn loose and rolled fifty yards off.
He was failed against the earth, but held
his grip. A team of mules was standing
at the depot. Two Of them we're blown
one hundred yards and killed An IL
cident can here be shown of the terrible
force Of the wind. A piece Of ightwood
timber was driven through telegraph
pole. 1t was broken off and remains
there still.
The next residence struck was that of
John L. Stovall, two miles from Thorn
son. Mr.. S. and his wife were both in
it. When It fell Mr.. Stovall was caught
under the logs. One log rested across
his leg, which was crushed, and a plank
across his body. The foot of Mrs. Sto-
vail was crushed, though she was free.
AS soon as she saw the situation of her
husband, she endeavored to walk to him,
but was unable to do SO. She then
crawled to and obtained handsaw, and,
returning to her husband, she had sawed
the plank In two, and was endeavoring
to lift the log when assistance arrived.
When we left the neighborhood yester-
day, Mr.. Stovall was very low, and but
little hopes were entertained of his re-
covery.
The miraculous escapes can be told by
the hundred. Indeed, no one can look
upon the wrecks and ruins and under
stand how any person in them escaped.
At the house Of John W. Morgan we
saw the most perfect and complete de-
struction. Even the floor was split wide
open, and all above except small bit of
a shed room gone. Mrs. Morgan was
standing on the back porch facing the
death-deallng monster approaching with
more rap1dlty than horse ever few around
the course. She only had time to turn
and makeperhaps one step toward main
door. Then midnight blackness, a crash,
roar-it was gone But for 500 yards
In frontlay her just now beautiful resi-
dence, broken, splintered, crushed, with
portions OF roof, tinbers, sash, blinds,
bed-clothing, flying through the air. In
the center of the building were four chill
dren. Not one was killed. One little
girl was blown into a cupboard, and of
all the furniture in the house that was
the onl y piece not broken into kindling
wood? Was not the hand of God even
present in that awful storm?
1t rolled on. The next house struck
was that of James A. Benson. Mr.. B.
was in Columbia county, but his wife
and six little children were at home.
Like all the rest, the house came down,
burying all In one common ruin. To add
to the horror, if anything can be added
that is more horrible, the house took fire 1!
One sweet little babe had Just been
rocked to sleep by it's mother, and was
lying in its cradle. The timbers fell
everywhere except upon that baby's in
nOcent couch. The mother scrambled
forth, and soon had reason to thank God
IN heaven that every child was standing
around her not much hurt.
To convey an idea of the force of the
wind here we will state that in the gin
house was follow-wheel which weighed
400 pounds. It was carried fully half a
mile and landed in field A mule was
blown from the same Clubhouse 200 yards;
negro 100, and his brains dashed out
against tree. Not fence-rail was left
upon the plantation where it originally
lay, not a ground-sill. It belonged to
Maj. A. E. Sturgis, former member of
the Georgia Legislature.
A specimen wreck was that of the
plantation of John E. Smith. It was the
most beautiful home in McDufie county.
The house was double, two stories high,
with an ell. The cyclone struck the
southeast angle, ripped off half the roof,
knocked down the plastering, entered
the room, smashed the partition walls,
seized the entire north side of the whole
edifice, and, holding this in its hand as
trophy, together with the entire con-
tents OF the second story, passed on with
the rapidity OF winged racer.
Mr.. Smith, his wife, and six children
had time to run into the hall below. That
hall was left intact! The family could
scarcely have stood in another portion Of
the whole house without being killed
outright.