The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1919-03-19
DEATH TOLL IS
REPORTED HEAVY
INPATH CYCLONE,
Twister Sweeps Strip Half Mile Wide
and Does Much Damage At
Grace, Pantherburns, IsOla,
Inverness and MoOrhead.
(From Mondays Daily


A cyclone, sweeping a path half
mile wide and carrying death and de-
struction in it's wake, swept through
the country southwest of Greenwood
yesterday afternoon, killing numbers
of people and damaging property to
the extent of more than a million dol
lars. The greatest destruction was
wrought near Pantherburns, Isola,
Inverness and Moorhead.
Owing to the fact that the tornado,
wrecked telephone and telegraph
wires throughout the vicinity of the
storm, it is impossible to get in touch
with the stricken districts and it is
impossible to ascertain the exact
death toll However, according to
meagre reports, it is believed that at
least dozen persons were killed and
many others were crippled and bruis-
ed.
The storm occurred about I o'clock
in the afternoon and appeared like
roll of smoke travelling close to the
ground and creating a terrible roar.
Residents within several miles of the
stricken district declare that they
could plainly see the cyclone and
could hear it's roar. According to the
spectators the twister swept every
thing in its path and the air was fill
ed with flying timbers and all kinds
of debris.
The cyclone originated above Pan
therburn and took a straight sweep
in a northeasterly direction. The
plantation home of DR.. Johnson at
Pantherburn was wrecked and he was
instantly killed according to reports
reaching this city today. His wife
was visiting in Vicksburg and he was
the only one at home when the tor
nado struck his plantation.
From Fantherburg the twister
swept through the country toward
Isoia, where several negroes are al
segc-, to have been 'siited ara MANY
buildings were wrecked.
The wind storm wrought consider
able damage near Inverness, missing
the town about l 1-2 mile. Five ne
groes were killed on the McInnis and
Robert Baird plantation. Three head
Of mules were also killed and the gin
and all outbuildings were wrecked by
wind.
The property loss was extremely
heavy on the J. l.. Lee plantation
near Inverness. All the buildings on
the plantation were destroyed with
the exception of the residence, which
was outside the path of the storm.
Citizens who returned from Inver-
ness this morning, declare that tele-
phone and telegraph poles are down
and that immense trees were uproot
ed in the section where the storm
was the most severe.
Greenwood Escapes.
Although the heaviest rain to oc-
cur here IN many years, fell in Green
wood yesterday, accompanied by Sc
we're electrical storm and strong wind,
no damage reported. This city was
outside the path of the storm and so
far as could be learned no damage
occurred within the county.
| The rainfall here amounted to $40
inches and was the heaviest fall that
has occurred here in sometime. AT
Shellmound the precipitation amount
ed to six inches which is the largest
fall in the history of the county.
i Railway service on the Southern
and /. C. railways was considerably
crippled by the storm. A wash out
occurred on the l. C. tracks between
Grenada and Memphis and train:
were detoured over the Y. g. M. v
from Greenwood to jackson.
The track was washed out on th'
Southern lines between GREENWOOD
and Carrollton. It was believed, how
ever, that the trains would be abl
to get through this afternoon.