The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1879-04-24
WALTERBoEo. Friday, April /;
Special Di*patch Nrrs d,d Courier.

| w Ai.TERBOlsO. trlday, April 10.
The effects of the cyclone which visit
ed this town on Wednesday evening are
worse than / anticipated. The appear
ance of the eastern portion Of the town
is simply indcscribable, trees and ruined
houses being massed together in every
direction, and all the streets and land
marks totally oblitcratcd
The following is full list of the
casualties in the town and vicinity:
KILLED.
Mrs. DIR. Geo. NJ. Rivers, Philemon
Sanders and BENZ. Reynolds, white, a
boy aged fourteen named Scott, the wife
of Jackson Grant, and Lydia Ford, col
ored. Total, six.
WOUNDED.
Miss Eliza Youngblood, arm broken !;
Miss Annie Rivers, severely; Mr.. Chas
Farmer; the wife of Geo. Washington,
colored, mortally; Julia Perry, colorcd,
mortally. A number Of others are cut
and bruised, more or less, severely,
Four colored men on a turpentine
plantation in the track of the storm are
missing, and it is reported that the bodies
of two colored children are lying at Il
camp ground eight miles above here.
The houses of DR.. George NJ. Rivers,
State Senator Robert Fishburne, Charles
B. Farmer, Esq, John w. Burbidge,
ESQ.,, DR.. Postell Fishburne, Lucretia
Campbell, Miss Eliza Youngblood, DR..
Charles Witsell, Rev. Mr.. Dunwoodic,
Mrs. Daniel Hutson, Jackson Grant,
Mrs. James Wood. James w. Fraser,
Esq, Israel Banks, John Scott, James
Brown, Daniel Robertson and G. B..
Brock are totally destroyed and are mere
masses of ruins. The residences of Miss
G.. Youngblood, Carnot Bellinger, James
Glover, Clarence Lucas, Rev. l.. Z. Bel
linger, ]. D. Richardson, J. J. Kline and
Mrs. NJ. w. Webb are 50 injured as to
be untenable, and it will be almost i'm
possible to restore any one of them.
This is only a partial list, many other
houses being either destroyed completely
or rendered uninhabitable.
The seven churches of the town, Epis-
copal, Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist,
Methodist, and Baptist and Methodist,
colored, are heaps of rubbish, and the
Academy is in the same condition. No
stores were destroyed. The court house
and Jail are uninjured.
The people are crowded in the few re-
naming dwelling-houses and provisions
are short. Much distress is inevitable
and assistance is greatly needed.
A. B. w.
MIR. ]. W. BTpDIDGE'S ACCOUNT.
Mr.. j. w. Burbidge, an old resident
of WATERFORD, thoroughly acquainted
with every man, woman and child, nook
and corner in Walterboro', sends the fol-
lowing graphic description of the hurri-
cane to his friend Mr.. John 3. Steele, of
this city, with permission 10 publish in
the NeWs and Courier:
Yesterday afternoon, about / o'clock,
our village was struck by Il tornado from
the south southeast, which swept across
the centre of the town, completely de-
molishing many dwellings and every
church in the town. My house is un-
rooted, and the additions and every
building on the lot fiat. was at the
store and heard the storm coming for
about three minutes. Where we were it
was dead calm, until the storm came.
stood by the Office door and saw it all.
am uncertain whether / breathed or
thought, until Clarence Lucas came to
carry me in; then 1 discovered the force
of the storm was spent. They were two
dreadful minutes. When L said to him
the damage is all done, he started with
out hat or cover for his head to look after
his family. l went into the Office, put
on my oil cloth coat, and started across
lots to look after my family.
Imagine my horror, when | got near
enough, to see my home in ruins, and
standing upon the debris were my two
grandchildren screaming for grandma.
When 1 got where they were 1 found our
waiting boy Jimmy working to move
some pieces, and my daughter Mary
crawling out. Immediately after came
the cook. My wife had left home an
hour before the storm to pay q visit in
the country. l have heard they stopped
at school house on the road and are
safe. She was with Mrs. J. D. Edwards.
In front of my house was the Academy
building. 1t is gone. Further south
was DR.. Rivers house, and it is gone and
Mrs. Rivers killed, also Philemon San
ders, who had come TO consult the doctor
about his bride. They were only week
married. Il do not
know how many are killed. The old
store stood the shock, but the big oak is
down, and all the trees around us, save
the two oaks at the north door, and their
tops are twisted of. The wind drove in
one of our north windows, and did some
damage to goods, not much. a corner
of our storehouse next to the market was
knocked off and about fifty bushels of
corn run out OH the ground.
The storm came from the south, blew
straight for about one minute, then
shifted to northwest, and came back with
new fury, striking and bounding here
and there. The trees are piled with their
tops both ways. One tree in front of the
store has its bark peeled clean. Several
are snapped short of, and as far as l
have seen not a pine is standing any
where in the track Of the storm. The
streets are blocked with trees, and the
roads to the east almost impossible.
The destruction commenced about mile
south of tho village, near Henry Neyle's
farm, and came straight for lis. One
hundred trains of steam cars running
over bridges at full speed could not have
created more terrible noise. 1 believe
| was dazed by the approaching horror,
of which somehow gathered an idea. l
said to a young man standing near me,
something terrible is coming; Walter
boro' has never yet experienced what we
shall sec to-day. l saw it, l heard it,
and was powerless. What could do
bat wait the result.
TO add to the horrors last night, a
thunder storm hung over the village and
the most terrible thunder continued the
whole night. To-day we have deluge
of rain, and can do nothing much.
Thunder all around us. 1t will be Il
good time for the charitable people of
| Charleston and elsewhere TO rive relief