The New York herald., 1878-02-09
DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.
STORM SWEEPS OVER AUGUSTA, DEMoLIsH-
mo BUILDINGS AND CAUSING SEVERAL

A STORM SWEEPS OVER AUGUSTA, pEMoLIsH-
mo BUILDINGS AND CAUSING SEVERAL
DEATHS.
AUGUSTA. Ca, Feb. s., 1878.
A. alou, seven o'clock night the city visited
with shower OF hail, which was followed by rain
storm accompanied by thunder and lightning. There
va a rumbng and tremor similar to that which
companies light shock OF earthquake. This storm
pas. ed away. but followed by a tornado, which
Redistribution in its path. little after one O'Clock
this morning tornado struck tho city the south
west. near Centre street, about mile from The
Court House. and demolished shapty and buried
negro man In the ruins. Ho finally rescued, but
is badly injured HIS wfo and children had barely
escaped before the disaster came. Continuing IN
northeas eiy direction the storm tore down fences
demolished q wagon yard uprooted trees ana unrcoied
houses.
DAMAGED BUILDINGS.
coiorcd church on the outskirts Of tho city was
completely destroyed. A cotton compress was par
TALLY blown down and the Central Railroad freight
depot com pctely unroofed. A negro tenement house
was next blown down and old man and his
wfs killed, but their children escaped. Nearly the
entire castcrn end OF tho Charlotte, Col umbia and
Augusta Railroad Depot was destroyed. Two hundred
feet OF blown In and the freight buried beneath
tho ruins TIN roofing, fence panels and trunks OF
trees scattered about the streets in the path OF
the Storm. OutnOu6eS wero uItco from thcr iouuu"'
tions brick walls evelled and
stono pillars OF residences twisted and blown from
their places In one case brick building was blown
over upon dwelling, crushing the furniture with the
beds IN which tho family sleeping Every per-
son. however, miraculously escaped save an old LADY,
who was considerably bruised, and whose injuries,
aggravated by fright, may prove fatal.
STEAMER ADRITT.
The steamer Rosa moored at Savannah River wharf,
torn completely away and drifted somc distance
down the river. Two freight on the Carolina road
were blown down en- oankment, and in somc cases
heavily laden trains moved along the track
MARKET HOUSE, DESTROYER.
The tornado did It's work in an incredibly short
time. 1t ricochcted like bounding, twisting ball,
and was about TWO hundred feet wide. Tho lowcr
Market belonging to the city, Is mass Of ruins, aud
was visited by large crowds OF citizens to-day Tho
old clock In tho tower there pcaed Its last chime
ut one O'Clock and in few moments more buried
In the debris Tho market was built in 1929 and was
waited at about $40, Oo0
The total damages by the storm are not however, as
great as first estimated They will amount to little
ovor $4,000 Tho last vestage OF tho hurricane dis
appeared In South Carolina
Reports arc rife OF damage In the neighboripg
county south OF Augusta. Tho weather wus cloudy
and windy all day.
PREVIOUS sroRx.
On Saturday, March 90 1875 this section visited
by terrible tornado which destroyed largo amount
OF property caused the loss of many livos. This
tornado divided above and below Augusta, passing
into Carolina and doing very little damage property
In the city.