Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-11
TORNADO KILLS
g, INJURIES 25
Havoc Wrought at Gardner,
Ca. Over Five Mile
Stretch
40 HOMES DESTROYED
Several Bodies Found in Trces-Scene
of Horror and Comedy Mark De-
strac,ive Work OF Storm

! Oconec, Ga, Feb. IA tornado
| that struck the Gardner settlement,
one nile from here, shortly after
noon yesterday, brought death to
Two white persons and SO negroes
/ and serious injury to five white per-
sors ard a score of negroes.
A stretch of land extending almost
70 Toomsboro, nearly five miles
lang and about ha.f mile wide, is
barren as prairie today, not a
building or tree being left standing.
| The white dead are Benjamin Orr.
| IA years cid, who was decapitated,
and the 3 year old daughter of +.
L. Minor, manager Of Shepherds
..cmm;ssary at the plant Of the
| Cleveland-Occnee Lumber Company.
Eighty-two children and three
teachers we're in school building or
the edge Of the Gardner settlement
when The tornado struck. The build
ing was twisted to pieces and the
rarmcats scattered for miles. Ch.l-
!rcn we're picked up BY the wind and
carried for scme distance. hut il
was announced las. night that on.y
one was seriously bruised. Approx
! matelv 40 houses were blown down
in the Gardner settlement. The
Shepherd Bros. commissary at the
+ d z -lita1f,e.s ria,it- va, ie.=a,sd -
kiral;ng wood. Orr and four ne
r,,oes meetin" death there. Ten feet
away from the comm:ssary the gen
o.al office of the Cleveland-Oconee
Lumber Company was untouched.
The 15-acre plant Of the lumber
company was not seriously dam
aged, although millions Of feet Of
lunbcr were scattered. The tornado
spent its force locally Immediately
beyond the plant of the lumber con-
pany, in the settlement Of 40
houses and four stores. Mes: OF
these residing there were negroes.
In the rear of the houses was an
oren field. extending for nearly
mile frcm the Oconee Railroad Sta
ton to the lumber mill. It was into
this field that men, women and chill.
Grer were carried to their death frcn
their seats at dinner tables.
Coaches were ccmmandeered at
Tennillc, II miles away, and four
doctors and 46 persons were obtain
ed in a relief party and the tram
rushed 20 Occnee.
Dcc:crs found one negro boy with
! board driven into MS forehead. The
youth was alive and it is believed ne
viii 1--we. The body Of , year Cd
negro infant was found at the root
# tree. the top Of which had been
twisted off A negro man and MS
wife were found mere than a nun
ircd wards from their home. lying
SIDE by side in the road, both dead
The bodies cf several small! negroes
were found ir trees out of the pain
cf the tornado, suspended on the
limbs by their clothing. The bodies
ri grown negroes were thrown into
/ Tie field in scmi-circlc and in the
center Of the group was goat. who
stood like statue, too frightened to
move fo- hours after the storm had
passed.
| Six cak trees a!one the railroad
we're snapred eff az different heights
On top cf one cf thesc s.umps. 20
/ feet from the ground, was pillow
! fom the. bed Of one Of the wrecked
homes.
According to residents Of the COM
munitv. the ccuds lowered just as,
! the employees Of the lumber plant
left their work for dinner. The at
r.osphere became extremely hot, and
because cf the darkness in many
homes lamps had been lighted when
the tornado broke.
One person on the outer edge Of
the storm-swep, path, who escaped
injury. declared ne saw string OF
box ears moving toward him. Then,
a. suddenly, he said, the hcx cars
were reversed. and when he looked
again they were once more coming
toward him. These cars were found
/ 10 have oaen blown from the rails.
Chickens that escaped death IN the
path Of the storm were in many IN
stances plitckad CT their feathers.