The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1921-05-19
FARMER RELATES
STORMS TERRORS
II. p. Elliott Tells of Havoc Wrought
in Horny County Friday
Afternoon

in Horny County Friday
Afternoon.
Marion, May 15-The terrific tor
nado which swept sections of Horny
county Friday afternoon. leaving
death and destruction In it's wake.
was graphically described by r. P
Elliott, farmer living on the plan
tation Of E. M. Meares, apparently
the point of greatest damage.
Il was out in the yard" said Mr..
Elliott, shortly before the tornado
came. am naturally uneasy upon
the approach of a storm and thought
it best to get out and look around a
bit. My wife and two boys were in
the house.
"It grew blacker and blacker un-
til 1t was almost as dark as night,
and soon In the woods across the
field behind the house I heard the
most crashing and shrieking noise
had heard in all my life. was too
terrified at first TO know what was
happening and almost believed judg-
ment day was at hand.
Il ran to the house and shouted to
my wife and children to come out.
we started for the other big open
house. Just at that moment a Ford
car came into sight. The driver
seemed to be trying to outrun the
storm and was racing along at a
high speed.
Races With Storm.
Get out! Get out! 1 shouted un.
|dertaking frantically to wave him
down. At first he paid no attention
to me, probably unable to understand
what 1 said for the noise In the
woods. Then he seemed to under
stand his danger and scarcely wait
ing to stop the machine jumped from
lit.
"By that time the wind was clear
ing the woods. 1t came shrieking
and whlrlfng across the field, n cloud
OF foliage, branches and dirt in its
embrace. My wife and children and
myself were in the big field across the
road by this time. We ran as fast
as we could. hardly knowing where
VIC were going or what we were
doing. We became separated and
tripped and fell.
"The storm was upon us by this
time. The noise was deafening - a
crashing. splintering, rending and
tearing filled the air. Boards and
planks. stove wood. bits of clothing
and all sorts Of things sailed over
head. tried to rise but the violence
of the wind hurled me to the &ound
as If had been fluttering autumn
leaf My wife and children, too,
were down.
II buried my face in the dirt, ex-
pectlng each minute to be the last.
Fol the life of me I couldn't say how
long the storm lasted. NJ anxiety
and fright were such that 1 was un-
able to think. Then the storm passed.
Everything was quiet once more and
the stiffness seemed almost deathly
after the hubbub.
Home Blown Away.
What a sight greeted my eyes as
1 looked around. With the exception
lof the kitchen and dining room, my
home was a complete wreck-literal-
ly twisted into bits. AS looked upon
this heap of deribs, thought Of what
would have happened to my wife and
children If I had been inside.
They were coming toward me-my
wife and two boys-from their bur-
rows in the field and apparently un
injured. This at least was comfort
ing.
THE Ford car had been lifted out
of the road and dropped over in the
field. Part of Mr.. Meare's barn was
gone. An apple tree in the field had
been uprooted. Over in the woods
whence the tornado had come well
defined path could be seen. The tops
Of pine trees had been snapped. oaks
bent and broken and branches strip
ped OF their foliage.
"John Floyd's house just a little
way down the road was shapeless
pile of splintered timber. And from
1t, I realized for the first time, came
piteous cries for help. 1t was Johns
wife. could tell her voice.
"By this time people began to col
'lect. Some Of them came from the
big house and some Of them came
from up the road. We all went to
Mrs. F'loyd's help. Pretty soon an
other woman's voice started up and
somebody said 1t was Mrs. Sam
Jones, sister-in-law to Mrs. Floyd.
Pinned Under Wreckage.
1--WE found that the two women
were pinned under a piece Of the
roof. After while We got them out
They were badly bruised up and
about crazy from fright.
MRS. Floyd began to scream:
Where is my baby! Where is little
Francis! He was on the bed with
u.s. We began to look for her little
four year old adopted son and be-
fore long found him caught under