The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1890-05-22
The Wake of tho storm In ESIcI<ens
County.

The Wake of tho Storm In PIcIsens
County.
The storm Of wind, rain and hail that
crossed the lower part of this county
on Wednesday afternoon of last week.
tho l4tll inst, was tho most severe storm
OF tho kind ever witnessed by the oldest
inhubitunt.
About 3 o'clock p. m, m angry-look-
ing cloud was seen coming from the
northwest which everyone in it's track
watched with feeling of fear. The
stormod crossed kcOwco river between
the R. q ID. bridge and Lawrence's ford
and struck the farms of Central town
ship. AT this point it's path is about
one and n half miles wide. Then it
showed that tho fears of tho people were
not unfoundcd. Rain fell in bucketfuls
accompanied by hail, tho like of which
had never before been known in
this region, and the wind blow
perfect hurricane. Tho hail
stones were the largest ever seon and fell
i'll great quantities. Although the wind
was perfect tornado it could not be
heard for tho noise Of the falling nail.
Though the trees were falling and small
buildings were being un-roofed and
blown down, boards, plank and fence
rails were flying through the air, no one
was conscious of anything going on but
the hall'Storm. Window-glass were bro
ken, shingles Knocked off, and in some
instances weather. boarding split The
bark was peeled off the trees and limbs,
and leaves covered the ground. There
IL no fruit left in its wake. In most in.
stances the Iruit trees arc rs destitute of
verdurc as in December. In the cotton
fields where few hours before had been
fine prospect for II bountiful crop, after
the storm thero was no sign of either
plant or row, the young plants had been
beaten INTO the ground, and all sign of
the row eifuced. Splendid fields of
wheat were cut dowL and beaten up until
1t looked rs if it had been run through
Il iced chopper and scattered over the
ground, and corn was split into ribbons.
strange pccuiiarity of this storm was
that Mt the same time, directly south and
parallel with it, WAS hurricane travelling
across the country, lcveling fences and
trees without number. It's width was
about halfmile. The damage done by
the hail and wind will be hard to esti
mate. A report from a few of the farms
will only give Il small idea of it, L. Ros.,
Eaton lest almost his entire crop, dam
aged about 500. The north part o.
Commissioner Martins farm was wiped
bare OF crops and vegetation. Mr.. JAS
+. Lays whole large farm waa swept
! clean from stem to stern. lie is dam.
aged over 81 900. On the DIR. Clayton
place east of Central the damage is cstima-
ted ut 5000. i. V, Claytons entire farm
was swept clean. j. Nccly Boggs had
20 acres in cotton and 8 acres of wheat
swept as clean rs Il floor. \. Mat Boggs
Of al
tire loss, besides Is or 20 acres of wheat,
damage, 81 900; his fine peach and apple
orchard was almost ruined. J. i. Gary
and w. II. Chapman, adjoining farms,
wero swept clean. Their loss will
amount to several hundred dollars. Earle
L. Taylor md Tom j., Taylor had each
a large crop which was looking well.
After the storm their fields were barren.
Basil Callahan and NJ. L. OBluo Tom)
Smith were in the track and lost their
crops. Smith place WAS almost washed
away, and the soil is much damaged. In
the Carmel neighborhoou 1t seems rs if
the wind and hail united to ruin the
community. Timber and fences were
prostmtcd. A great number Of the large
stately oaks around the church were
rlown down. Trees that had stood the
storms Of il century were uprnotcd. Mr..
Albert Arial, who has Il fine farm near
the church says he canrut estimate his
loss. He had fifty acres of cotton all in
fine shape, worked over. Now he has
none. The tenants on the Taylor place
are cleaned out, and all will have to be-
gin anew. On the Col. Hamilton place
the fine grove ut tho old homestead was
blown down and the place terribly wash
ed. Capt. Mig Williams and 5. Cherry
McWhOrtcr come next in line, and they
feel as if they were broken up. Such
fine prospect for a good crop few days
ago. Now they have none. The Cooley
brothers were in the track of the storm,
and besides their crop, they had fine
orchard trimmed of fruit and leayes.
Some of the trees are ruined. The
Mossrs. Sheriff, James Brown, Tolbert
and Hamp Bryant, Thomas and Robert
Hinton, on the DR.. Curcton place, Till
man Fcnnell and w. NJ. Hagoous ten
ants are all heavy losers, having their
entire crops to replant, and it is difficult
to find the row where the guano was
placed. THIS is only partial list of the
losers. There is Il large number Of 9th
rrs whose names are not mentioned, that
have been equal sufferers with those
mentioned. Ihe people in the stricken
dlstrlct have gone to work with will to
retrieve their loss IA far as possible.
From either side, their neighbors have
como to their assistance and most of the
farms have been rcplantcd.
If there should be an early frost this
fall there will be little cotton raised by
those who have suffered from tho hail,
and the loss to the farmers will reach
O,00O, or more. The wonder is that
no stock were killed by the storm,
though sCmo were damaged by being
caught out Taken all in all, this is the
worst calamity that has bcfallen tho
county for many day.
Notice.
All officers of the law and ministers
~ L., -l.L.-