The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1884-02-28
THE CYCLONE.
Great Destruction of Property by It in
South Carolina.
Plan fations Devastated, Buildings Blown
Down, Trees Twisted 10 Bits, and
Many Lives Lost Iu Its Path.

COLUMBUS, s. c., February 24.-Details
of the destruction wrought by last Tues
days storm in parts of the State distant
from telegraph wires are coming in, and
show that great destruction was wrought,
with much loss of life. One branch of
the cyclone struck "Ninety-six," where
several buildings were blown down and,
Mrs. Powers killed. One of the ruined
houses took fire and young lady was
roasted to death therein. The county of
Newberry suffered for miles throughout
the western portion, the storm leveling
every building in its path. In the county
some eight or ten persons were killed or
fatally injured. The town of Chappells
was completely demolished, and one man
killed. Two of the wounded have since
died. In Chester County there was no loss
of life, but the loss in property has been
estimated at over 500, 900. In the upper
part of Pickens, near the mountains, the
tornado was terrific, sweeping away small
houses, stables, and stock from many PLAN
tations, and household effects, were scat
tered beyond recovery. The county roads
are completely blocked. In Anderson
County thirteen large plantations adjoin-
ing each other were desolated, and Mr..
Brooks was killed. In the Buckhead sec.
tion of Fairfield two negroes were killed
and several whites hurt. Some ten houses
were leveled to the ground, and fire seized
hold of one dwelling, from the ruins of
which lady was rescued before the flames
had reach her. In the neighboring town of
Strothers two young girls were saved from
death by fire, but badly injured.
Reports from Union County show that the
tornado made terrible havoc on many
farms. On Steedman's farm it blew over
every tenant house, injured several ne
groes and strayed stock. 1t blew down
every house on P. P. Hamilton's place,
houses. Like desolation was visited upon
the farms of John Wix, W. T. Jeter and
Elma Jeter. Every soul on these four
large farms is homeless. In Edgefeld
County, for distance of twelve miles, the
plantation orchards and forests are laid in
rains. Forty large farms have been laid
waste. number of persons killed and
many wounded. Forty families have lost
their buildings and household effects. The
most horrible scene was the burial of Miss
Stateworth i'll the ruins of her dwelling
and the roasting of her lifeless
body in the presence of the powerless
family. She was sixteen years of age.
The killing and crippling of horses, mules,
Edgefield is untold, and the number of
people rendered incapable of assisting
themselves is great. When Mr.. Pink
Hawley's house was blown down his infant
child was carried several hundred yards
from the spot, and was not found by the
family, who were all badly hurt, for three
or four hours afterward. A bale of cotton
was blown and dragged over the ground
until the ties were broken and the cotton
scattered to the winds. A store kept by
Messrs. Alton & Stalneeker was entirely
destroyed. Much of their goods were blown
for hundreds of yards and perhaps for
miles over the country. Two young men,
who were in the store, were SO stunned as
to be unconscious, and were covered in the
debris. When a neighbor came an hour
afterward he found that the fire from a
stove had caught the floor and burned it
through, and would have soon reached
where kerosene oil had been overturned.
He was able to put out the fire, get help
and carry the men to Mr.. Clegg's, where
both were restored, but one is still in
critical condition. The hardest and most
elastic swamp oaks and hickories are
snapped and twisted as if they had been
only old field pine. Everything is colored
by the soil. Even the freshly broken
trunks of the trees look as if the turbid wa
ters of some great freshet had surrounded
them, and in many places, although but
little rain fell, the earth is swept bare and
leaves, underbrush, and driftwood are
RATED or lodged against distractions as if
O veritable freshet had swept over the
highest hills. A timber cart and a wagon
loaded with cotton were hurled and broken
hundreds of feet into the woods, and some
of the bales of cotton more than one
hundred yards from each other. Through
out the length and breadth of
the storm in this State the scene of desola-
tion beggars description. House timbers,
furniture and personal effects have been
so mingled and injured as to be unrecog-
nizable and beyond recovery in useful
ness. Physicians and ministers have had
their energies taxed to the utmost in min
iStering to the wounded and dying. The
negroes have been the greatest sufferers in
personal injuries and in the loss of homes,
food, and clothing, and they will suffer
for the want of assistance, as they are 1.-THE
most numerous in need. 1t will be a week
more before all the horrors of last Tuesday
night will be known, and it will be long
time before the money value of property
lost can be estimated. Many towns that es-
capped serious loss by the storm are taking
active measures for the relief of the suffer-
| ers.