The age-herald., 1899-03-21
Which Swept Through CIeburne
 County TWELVE PERSONS KILLED EdwardSvilIe in Mourning Over
 the Sad Event.
SOME OF THE INJURED WILL DIE
Only Two Members of the Coffee Fam fly Left-The Mutilated Bodies Found Among Stumps-All
 Buried in One Crave

The details of the terrific tornado which passed over the upper part of Cleburne county Saturday night are even more har- rowing than was at first supposed. As there is no night operator at Edwardsville nothing could be gotten from there until Sunday morning, but when the particulars of this direfu disaster began coming into Birmingham, people stopped on the streets to discuss the details of the destruction caused by the mighty wind. The towns Of Edwardsville and Hefin are draped in feeling of sorrow over the many lives lost and the large number of people injured in Saturday nights cyclone.
 The saddest feature of all is the almost total annihilation of the Coffee family. MT. and Mrs. Coffee with eight of their children perished in the storm, Bessie, the 12-year- old daughter, being rescued alive, though it is thought she will die. Morgan, a boy of 16 years, was away at the house of a friend and was saved, and he and the little girl are all that are left of the once large ana honored family.
 At the first streaks of dawn crowds be- gan pouring into Edwardsvile, and all went straightway to the ruins of the Coffee home, where they found some of the neigh bors already taking the mutated bodies from the ruins of the fallen house and ten- derly laying them out preparatory to burial It was thought that the earlier the funeral took place the better, as noth- ing could be gained by waiting. large grave was dug, and they were all laid side by side in the same receptacle. The under. takers were early at work, and ten caskets in, bodies being laid out in the following order, Lewis Coffee, aged 55; Mrs. Coffee, aged 46; Leila, aged 22; James, aged 20; Lula, aged IS; Jacob, aged 13; Devereo, aged &; Dollie, aged 1O Grover, aged 6; John, aged f.
 The Family's Funeral
 As soon as the bodies were taken from the ruins they were carried to the home of D. s. Baber where they were prepared for burial. It was indeed a gruesome sight to sec this large number of dead bodies laid out at one time In a town the size of Ed Wardsville, and the spectacle struck awe Tn the hearts of those who slowly moved around the room. When all were proper ly prepared the remains were taken to the Primitive Baptist church. where the funeral service was held and the last sympathetic words were said over the once beloved family. There were ten wagons, and each one carried coffin, a large crowd following the procession to the church, and thence to the grave It was a sight which will reaching the cemetery the ten caskets were tenderly lowered into the large excavation, which was six feet deep, eight feet long and twenty-five feet wide. Rev. James Hicks, Baptist minister, paid parting tribute to the deceased, and the people slowly returned to their homes to discuss the awful calamity which had befalen their community.
 An unknown woman was also found dead near Heflin The following is a list of those injured in the catastrophe:
 Fatally injured:
 Bessie Coffee, aged 12; one leg broken, n- formally injured and body badly lacerated will die.
 Mrs. Runnells aged 75; will dle.
 Injured:
 Mrs. J. H. Cason, body badly bruised.
 Tommie Runnells, cuts on head.
 Mrs. Andrew Stiepan, bruised.
 Wood Stansel, colored, aged 9, hurt on head.
 Mrs. Stiepan's baby Mary body bruised.
 Lizzie Runnells, hands badly bruised.
 J. H. Cason, hurt about hands.
 Georgia Stansel, colored arms hurt.
 Gainesville Stansel, colored, aged 16, head and spine hurt
 Coleman Stansel, colored, aged 9, arms hurt
 Origin of Cyclone
 As near as can be ascertained by tracking the wreckage left in the wake of the storm, 1t must have started somewhere near Iron City, small town twelve miles west of Edwardsville. The wind commenced to gain in velocity, and it moved rapidly eastward, blowing down trees, fences, small houses