Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-02-28
THE TERRIBLE STORM.

was the most fearful and devastating of any that
has occurred in South Carolina within the mem
ory of any living person. The effects or the
storm are not confined to a small area, but the
work of destruction was almost simultaneous
in nineteen counties Of this State-extending
| from the extreme west to the extreme south
east-while from either of these directions II
spent it's fury through the adjoining States OF
Georgia and North Carolina, its effects extending
as far north as Danvillc, Va, and south as far as
| Birmingham, Ala.
In this State, the destructivcness OF the storm
was greater in the counties of Chester, Lancaster,
Fairfield Newberry, Edgefeld, Darlington, Lex
ington, Clarendon, Williamsburg, Spartanhurg,
Anderson, Union, Pickens, Abbevllle, Aiken,
I.aurens and Greenvile In this immediate sec
ton, the effects Of the storm were light. Al
though the wind blew fiercely, and rain fell in
torrents, accompanied with some hail. and light
ming flashed wildly and interminably during
the prevalence of the Storm no casualties occur
red, nor was there any damage worthy of note
inflicted upon buildings or other property. At
Rock Hill, the Herald says, 1.-The storm was
very fierce beginning about o'clock and lasting
until near midnight. The wind blew gale and
the rain descended in torrents, accompanied by
| hail" At Black Station, in the western part OF
the county, the effects were more disastrous.
| The storm commenced about dark, a heavy rain
falling, accompanied by strong wind, continu-
GUS thunder and constant lightning. The fury
of the cyclone began at Peeler's Island in Broad
| River demolshing the dwelling house OF James
Peeler and carrying the debris in its course.
This place is owned by w. B. Wilson, Jr., ESD,
of Rock Hill. The outbuildings at John Mar
tins, OH f. j. Blanton's place were blown down,
and the dwelling was partly unroofed. Every
article of furniture in the house was blown out.
The room of Jordan Meacham's dwelling was
lifted up and while held up by the wind a course
of logs was blown off by an under current, when
the roof settled down again on the building,
which is constructed of heavy, hewn logs. His
barn was blown away with all that was in it.
The house of Hannah Fulton was blown down.
The dwelling Of B. G. Gold, was injured, and
some outbuldings on his place were blown
down. The buildings of VIM. Gold and Mrs.
Greene were also injured. No damage of con-
sequence was sustained in the town Of Black S
Station, though in the vicinity Of that place the
destruction of timber was complete in the track
| of the storm, which was from two to three hum
dred yards wide.
| From our exchanges and other sources we
gather the following details Of the terrible rara-
ges of the storm in other parts Of the State:
| CHESTER COUNTY.
| In Chester county, and especially in the town
| of Chester, the destruction of property was Sc
rious a full and graphic account OF which is given
| by our regular correspondent at that place.
| LANCASTER COUNTY.
The tornado swept over Lancaster county
about dark 1t crossed the Catawba River near
| Browns ferry, and swept on in an eastwardly
direction across the county, passing about mile
south Of the town of Lancaster. lts track was
from one to two miles wide. In it's sweep it blew
down almost all the timber, tenants houses, GIN
houses, &c. and unroofed many larger houses.
One colored child on the plantation of VIM Med;
Brown, was killed. The public roads south and
east Of the town Of Lancaster were completely
blocked up, so that vehicles could not pass the
| next morning. a heavy rain was falling in some
| places, ut the same time.
FAIRFIELD COUNTY.
| In Fairfield county, two casualties are report
ed, besides serious destruction OF property.
| The Winnsboro Ne,cs says:
| Upon the plantation Of Mr.. James w. Bank
head, about twenty tenant houses were blown
down, and the roof Of his house was taken OIL,
and an old man residing upon the premises was
killed during the night. Other colored men,
women and children were seriously and some OF
them perhaps fatally injured. Mr.. Bankhead
| himself while in the act of passing from one
house to another, during the storm, was lifted on
the ground and carried distance OF thirty 1ect,
but fortunately sustained no injury by the flight.
| Upon the premises Of Mr.. James +. Kennedy.
| near Ridgeway, a gin-house ana carrlagc-hollse
were blown down, and other damage was done
| in the surrounding country. In the northern
section of the county, the storm was probably
the most violent and terrible known in that por-
ton of the county in years. The dwelling house,
SHOP gin-house and other Out-hOuscs, and four
tenant-building of Dr. IT. G. Douglass were liter
allv blown to the ground, and the Doctors tlni-
| ly miraculously escaped serious injury. A large
number of buildings were also destroyed upon
the plantations of Messrs. J. S. and w. b. Doug
| lass, on the same night. The houses were not
| INIT NJ
| were fired and the fragments utterly destroyed.
| The fire seems to have been carried upon the
| wings of the wind, and an eye witness OF the
| scene states that ut one point twelve dlfterent
fires could be clearly seen. Mrs. Stirling, lady
| about seventy years of age, residing near Wood
wards, was blown out of her house about fifty
yards and instantly killed. Miss Boyd, living
in the same vicinity, was carried away by the
wind into tree, and received serious, perhaps
fatal, injurious. Other injuries are reported
upon the plantation of DIR. Samuel Mobley and
upon adjoining places. The Neps of last Tues
| day saws it may be safely estimated that ten or
| twelve lives were lost in that county, by the
storm, and the property loss in the county Will
range between $4,000 and S75,00o.
| UNION COUNTY.
In its account of the storm in Union county,
| the Times says:
| "On Major Steadman's farm, near Simsville it
blew over the tenant houses, wounded two color
ed men and injured two mules. 1t carried des-
| truction to everything in its way, but details
| of the mischief it did have not reached us yet
| The storm also struck p. p. Hamiltons place,
| close to Major Steedman'S farm, near Broad XIV
cr bridge, and blew down the dwelling, kitchen,
| stables and every tenant-house on the place. 1t
| also blowed down every house on Mr.. John WIN s
place. every house on the lower end of w. II. Je-
| ters place, and every house OH Miss ElmaJeter
place All the occupants of these houses were
without shelter on the day succeeding thestorln.
DARLINGTON COUNTY.
| The storm was very disastrous in sections of
| Darlington county, the town Of Darlington also
suffering severely. The tornado moved from
the southwest and tore a path of $50 yards wide
through the southern part of the town, which,
fortunately, was not thickly peoped. The two
story residence Of Mr.. r. w. Boyd, a prominent
lawyer, was utterly wrecked, not piece OF
| wood two feet square remaining OF the building.
Mr.. Boyd was buried in the debris and was
painfully but not seriously injured. y boy in
| the house stated that big ball Of fire entered
his room and the next moment he found him
self lying on his back in the yard in pud-
die of water \ negro man and woman o.
| cupying an outhouse on the premises were blown
seventy-tive yards and instantly killed. Mrs.
| Bovd and her daughter happened to be spendlr &
the night at the house of her brother, Mr.. T. W.
| Mccall two miles from Florence. This house
was burned before the night was over and its oc-
cupants barely escaped with their lives The
house of a Mr. White was torn to pieces by the
tornado and he and his wife, both very aged
people, were killed. The house of'Mr. Charl es
Edwards was swept completely away, and Mrs.
Edwards sustained such injuries that she is not
expected to live Two negroes living III a slna II
house near the depot were blown away with their
dwelling and have not been found. The rail-
road depot was so badly wrecked that another
will have to be built; steam saw mill, near the
| depot was blown to pieces, and several other
| buildings were injured. Nearly every wooden
| fence in the town was leveed to the ground, ard
| the open fields were covered with debris or all
kinds. The casualties were Killed, SIX; Wount-
| lad CT