The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-08-25
CYCLONE Sweeps GREENVILLE
NEGRO KILLED AND WHITE MAN
INJURED IN STORM.
Probably Fifty OF Moro Houses
Wrecked by Wind and Much DAM
age Co Trees and Crops.

Greenville, Aug. 20.--A small cy-
clone visited Greenville this afternoon.
leaving one man dead. so or more
houses wrecked or damaged. scores of
trees uprooted. wires down and doing
other damage of more or less con-
sequence.
The wind kept to a path about 100
yards wide. Its velocity was terrific
and for several minutes after the
storm, leaves and other refuse settled
slowly to the earth.
sam Williams. negro man. was
killed when his house, below Camper
down mill. was wrecked. This was an
eight room structure. The wind scat
tered II as II the dwelling were made
OF pasteboard. At least six other
houses In this section were blown from
their pillars. several OF them being
completely wrecked. A white man
named Hollingsworth was slightly In
jured when the laundry wagon In
which he was riding was blown from
east North street and torn to pieces.
Several other persons received minor
injuries.
The storm. which struck the city
near the College Place depot then
dipped again near vardry mills and
finally struck back OF the Boyce Lawn
section. broke suddenly. About s
o'clock an ugly cloud appeared and
darkness. almost as IL night had fall
en-, spread over the city. Then there
appeared glowing streak OF light
about tho borders OF the thick gloom,
followed by wild whirlings OF the
cloud. Papers. leaves, pieces OF tin
and other trash were seen whirllng
over the city. Some Of the finest shade
trees which Greenville boasts soon
went down before the rush of the
winds. A heavy rain accompanied by
several sharp flashes OF lightning add
I'd to the grotesque scene reminding
one OF the storm in David Copper
held.' All the lights of the city went
out
Two hundred telephones were dis
abled- Business during the late after
noon was demoralized. Hundreds Of
curious persons crowded to the dis
tricts whore the wind had wrought
its chief damage. Automobiles ran
hurriedly over the streets to ascer-
tain the damage done.
Several houses narrowly escaped
destruction when giant oaks fell near
them. A part OF the roof OF the Var
dry mill. on Reedy river. was torn
of. The Markiey dwelling. one of
the Oldest In the city. was severely
damaged and many of the beautiful
trees In the Markley lawn were blown
down.
The roof OF the Hunter Wilson lum-
Der yard Office was picked up and
carried over several handsome resi-
dences and finally dropped In the front
lawn OF home about 100 yards away.
A portion OF a roof taken from a store
on North Street was lodged In a tree
nearby. A porch to the residence OF
ID. Il. McCuen on North street was
demolished. Mary wires carrying
poles went down In a mass of en-
tangled wires.
Several horses were killed by the
live wires strewn about the streets.
The campus OF Furman university
was badly damaged. A number of
fragments OF houses were left on the
campus. while some score OF trees are
reported uprootcd. Fences, outhouses
and other light structures I'm the path
OF the wind were destroyed utterly.
Several manufacturing plants lost
their motors for the time being
through lightning bolts. The Ameri-
can Machine and Manufacturing conf
pany will be forced to close tempo
rarily. because OF the damage done
to us machinery.
AT 10 o'clock tonight the telephone
company stated that 200 telephones
were out OF commission while the
Southern Public Utilities company re-
ported that the light and feed wires
had been but temporarily repaired.
The system will require thorough rem
ovation. The city was in darkness
until nearly O'Clock tonight.
The cloud approached from the
southwest and the centre OF the storm
travelled through the southeastern sec
tion of the city. Reports from outly-
Ing districts have not been received.
FLOOD CLAIMS rxxII W, x-t.ur,..o