The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1904-07-30

A personal inspection of the storm
swept district of Coffee county has
convinced w. w. Waldo, General Fore
man Of The Advertiser typesetting de-
partment, that the reports of the great
destruction done by the hail and wind
of last week have not been exaggera-
lions.
After driving through the storm
stricken territory Mr.. Waldo was per-
suaded that the estimated damage of
$4,000 was not far above the mark
of actual destruction.
II drove through the storm district
last Tuesday" said Mr.. Waldo, who has
just returned from Coffee county.
eight days after the storm. Ice, after
that length of time. was still on the
ground. I would not have believed
that If had not seen 1t. But, there
was the ice, still piled in the rayines
This was in places. however. where
the drifted hail Immediately after the
storm had piled as high as mans
head. saw, too, where five hogs had
been killed by the pelting hail.
THE storm belt was clearly defined.
The storm edges were about five miles
from Enterprise. on the Elba and En-
terprise road. AS we drove along we
could plainly see where the destruc-
tive forces of the remarkable hail
county is unusually good, much better,
should say. than that of Montgom-
cry county. Along the edges of the
storm belt the damage was only slight
A little further in, where the full fury
of the elements had play, practically
all vegetation was destroyed. Mag
nificent fields of cotton were swept out
of existence. The cotton plants were
destroyed down to their roots. Some
nAxt,a 90
vegetation to their trunks. Fruit trees
were destroyed. A heavy wind storm
accompanied the hail. and fruit and
forest trees were torn UP by the
roots.
The hail stones broke all windows,
split shingles and drove holes in the
roofs of houses in the storm belt. In
this belt, fifteen miles long. and Ave
miles wide, damage was done house.
hold effects, only less than that done
crops. Through the openings made by
the wind and hail. the rain poured in.
and the interior of the houses were
drenched. On our ride at every house
we saw clothing and bedding still
hanging out to dry.
1.-THE hail was not of the ordinary
| sort, no more than was the storm of
| the ordinary kind. The hail stones
| were not oval nor were they round and
smooth. The hail was more like bro
ken ice, with sharp and irregular
edges. This fact accounts for much of
| the destruction. These sharp pointed
pieces of ice destroyed whatever they
struck. -
Great restitution exists in the storm
belt. Many of the sufferers were small
tenants, living on rented farms. Their
small crops were the only capital they
had. These men have absolutely moth
ing for their families, no resources for
the present. and no hope for the fu-
ture.
II know of one sufferer who ran a
two mule farm. With his neighbors
he lost his entire crop. To his hacker.
the man who owned his farm. and who
furnished him supplies, this tenant Of
fered his two mules. the only thing he
had left, for permission to move of
and get work somewhere else. The
landlord, fellow sufferer, was lenient.
He accepted the mules in payment of
the tenants Indebtedness and gave
him $40 for a hog in order that he
might begin life anew
The people of that section are do
ing nobly for the sufferers. Wagon
load after wagon load of provisions
have been sent out. but many of these
small tenants are in actual restitution
and must remain so for some time to
come.
mo one will make a mistake in help
ing these people"