New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-03-21
RUIN MARKED ITS PATH.
A FURIOUS TORNADO SWEEPS OVER
GEORGIA.
HOUSES SENT FLYING IN ALL DIRECT1ONS-Mll.l,S
AND RAILROAD SHOPS BADLY DAMAGED
NO LOSS OF LIFE. But MANY
NARROW ESCAPES.

NARROW ESCAPES.
Augusta Ga, March 20.-Augusta was Vlsi'eu
al o'clock this morning by the most OBSTRUCTIVE
wndstorm since 1878. The tornado came from
the southwest with but little warning ana III less
than a minute had passed over the Guy ln'o
South Carolina. In its track lay oesuucuoh'
Houses were wiped from their foundations anu
sent in all directions over house-topS tht' were
NOT touched bv the bounding circular wind
Strange TO say, there were no fatalities though
,r many instances roofs were carried away while
tho occupants were left unhurt. The majority Of
tho houses ruined were small one-story ones,
the mart of the city over which the tornado
passed was for the most part inhabited by the
poorer classes OF whites and negroes.
The path OF the storm was about a mile in
length from the first place II struck TO where
IL finally and passed over. The path was in
the shape of an S and the tornado struck about
every quarter OF a mile making four descents
and reboundng but the second per
haps the worst This in Gwynett-st.. be-
tween Eighth and Ninth. The first two houses
blown down We're two small ones on the outskirts
of the city. The tornado then rose and came
down again in Gwynett-st The house Of Willie
Sims the well-known colored jockey, which is
rather pretentious one. the first to suffer
1t was twisted about and the chimncys carried
away doors blown from their hinges and window
sashes forced in. Across the street five small
houses We're SO completely demolished that there
was no trace Of them except few bricks from
the chimneys and foundation posts
square further. at Summer and Eighth stsp
a small house had the entire end taken out leav-
ing the interior exposed Ike a scene in a theatre
Persons in the house at the time eating
breakfast. but they escaped unhurt. Clubhouse,
1 &C.
Three hundred yards further on is the large
-four mill of Miller & CO. Il Is an immense four
story building, covered entire, with sheetiron
While the mill was not hurt by the wind itself, it
proved target for the flying bricks. shingles ana
rafters from the ruineG houses. \ small out
house from quarter Of mile away came sail
ing through the air and struck the side Of the
mill. The force Of the missile shattered the iron
and the little house was driven into the side of
the larger one SCantngs and boards also
pierced the iron sides of the mill until II had the
appearance Of frontier fort after an attack by
Indians. In front of Miller n cos mill an elec-
tric light pole lown down and the wires
crossed with the telephone wires. which ground
ed and struck mule. instantly killing him
Several hundred yards further 10 the northeast
the wind came down and again demolished one
half OF the roundhouse of the Central kallroad ol
Georgia one of the locomotives In the shops at the
time was badly damaged nd the TN rooi OF me
remaining portion Of the building was S4riIigu
Manufacturing Company's building was also torn
away The paint shop OF the Central Railroad
car shops was sprung and thrown badly out or
shape one side of the foundation being blown
away. ,
Across Calhoun-st. from this two small houses
were demolished In FeDwick-st. near the
Southern Railway yard. a house In which hNe
persons were blown away leaving nothing
but the flooring. and YET no one was hurt. In
all about forty houses were badly damaged and
twenty destroyed. The loss s variously esii-
mated but II is conservativey placed AT *3O~l
The great tornado OF 1873 passed over part oi the
territory covered by this one. but did far greater
damage. Perhaps seventy-ive people were rem
dered homeless by this mornings wind.
Columbus. Ga. March pa terrible tornado
and "A tremendous rainstOrm visited this part of
the State at o'clock this morning. The dis
turbance WAS greatest in Girard. Ala. across the
river opposite Columbus. The roof uf "A fertilizer
mandatory was carried off and outhouscs COM
pletey demolished -Four houses were blown
down Fortunately the occupants. who are cot
ton-ractory operatives. were up at the time and
escaped injury No loss Of fc Is reported. but
the damage to property is considerable. All tn"
bridges in Girard were swept away and travel Is
seriously irnpcdcd. In Columbus rain fell for
several hours the heaviest this season. accom-
named by violent wind. and the mill was closed
on account of the great rise in the river.