Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1892-09-22
DESTRUCTION ....DESOLATION
MARX THE PATH OF THE
NEWBERRY CYCLONE.
Graphic Story of Tuesday Ter
rifle Storm-FearfuI Force of
the Wind-A Similar Storm
in Upper Newberrv.

PROSPERITY, Sept. 14.-To-day
your correspondent visited the
track of yesterdays cyclone, Six
miles south of this place. Relia-
BILE persons living in and near the
path of the storm describe the
condition of the atmosphere as be-
ing exceedingly sultry and humid
and heavily charged with electric
ity just previous to the storm.
While speaking of these unusual
conditions, a very dark cloud of
purple hue, funnel shaped, was
seen approaching at great velocity
from the southwest, which seemed
to be sweeping and licking up the
very earth. Persons near the edge
say that tive motions were plainly
observable-that of the rotary and
that of the whirling motion. The
elements ragged and swayed with
awful grandeur and fearful terror.
The cloud seemed to laugh at the
ease with which it twisted off the
tall pines and stately oaks and
hickory, and lifting them whirling
and spinning high in the air, car
rying them for miles in some in
stances, and then dashing them to
the earth with fearful velocity and
force.
Devastation and desolation mark
the cyclones path, which, fortu-
nately, is not exceeding 300 yards
in width and about ten miles in
length-or at least this is the ex-
tent of our knowledge at present.
Yet in this narrow strip the wreck
is complete. The roaring of the
wind as it accomplished its work
of destruction is described by some
as the noise of many trains NOV
ing at a high rate of speed; by
others (old soldiers) as the noise
of a terrific and continuous heavy
canonading.
During the passage of the storm
centre the elements were In an ex-
traordinary high state Of commo-
tion and excitement, and for miles
on either side the earth trembled
sensibly. The atmosphere was in
a constant state of trembling and
agitation.
Words fail to describe the awful
sublimity and destructive force of
this storm. Nothing approaching
it in terror or destructiveness has
ever occurred in this county. The
oldest people here have never ex-
perienced the like before.
Hundreds of people are visiting
the storm path to-day-some for
curiosity, some for information,
and many to assist those in distress
and need.
The cloud first struck the earth
in an open cotton field on q. W.
plantation, near Smoky
Town. No open cotton is left in
the field, and much Of the green
fruit is twisted and torn from the
stalks.
1t continued it's path to Wash
Dominicks, q well-to-do colored
man. His out-buildings are all
blown away and his dwelling dam
aged. His mules are all more or
less injured and one horse will
die. His corn and cotton crops in
the storm track are completely
ruined.
Passing through the plantations
Of H. P. Dominick and G. M.
Bowers, laying everything waste,
it struck the residence of John
Riddle, a tenant on Mike Bowers's
place. Fortunately Mr.. Riddle
nor any of his family were at
home. His dwelling and every
out-building is razed to the ground.
Not a vestige of clothing, bedding,
furniture or food of any kind re-
mains-all is lost. There are some
strange phenomena on this place
connected with the cyclone. There
is, or rather was, a ten acre cotton
field on this place, very rocky.
These rocks, which are flint, were
driven from either side to the
storm centre, and are piled in a
row as if hauled there for the pur-
pose of making a dam. In this
field and in some other places in
the track are excavations in the
earth, six or eight feet in circum-
ference and two feet deep, made
by the force of the whirling wind.