The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-15
TOLL OF LIFE BY
GEORGIA TORNADO
TWO WHITE PERSONS AND
THIRTY NEGROES KILLED
Territory Five Miles Long and One
half Mile Wide Left as Prairie
With Not Building Nor Tree
Left Standing. Great
Property Damage

Oconee, Ga, Feb. lO.-A tornado
that struck the Gardner settlement
one mile from here shortly after, the
noon hour today brought death to
two white persons and nearly thirty
negroes, and serious injury to five
white persons and more than score
of negroes.
A stretch of land extending from
Oconee almost to Toomsboro in Wash
ington county, nearly five miles long
and about one-half mile wide is as
barren as a prairie tonight, not a
building nor tree being left stand
ing.
Among the dead is Benjamin
Franklin Orr, IA year cid youth who
was decapitated. His head had not
been found at late hour tonight.
The only other white person who
; met death in the tornado is the three
year old daughter of E. l.. Minor,
manager of Shepherds commissary
at the plant of the Cleveland-Oconee
Lumber company.
i White persons injured include: L.
L. Thompkins, C. O.. Thompkins, Ed
gar Thompkins, George Lord, Marion
Hodges, Mrs. Harrison, mother OF j.
NJ. Harrison; Tolbert Ennis, Emma
Jolly and Emery Shepherd. The Jolly
girl was hurt at the school house.
! Many Children Escape
| Eighty-two children and three
teachers were in q school building en-
/ the edge, of the Gardner settlement
when the tornado struck. The build
ing was literally twisted to pieces
and the fragments were scattered for
miles around. Children were picked
up by the wind and carried for some
| distance, but it is officially announc-
ed tonight that only one child was
seriously bruised. 2,
I Approximately 40 houses were
blown down in the Gardner settle
ment. The Shepherds brothers COM
! missary at the big lumber plant was
| teduced to kindling wood, Orr and
four negroes meeting death there.
Ten feet away from the commissary
was the general Office Of the Cleve-
| land Oconee Lumber company when
| was untouched by the storm.
The Is acre plant Of the lumber
company, which practically owns the
settlement site of Gardner, was not
seriously damaged by the wind, all
though millions of feet OF lumber
! piled in the yards was scattered.
The tornado spent it's force locally
Immediately beyond the plant OF the
lumber company in the settlement OF
40 houses and four stores. Most OF
the people residing in this section
were negroes the white people Of the
! town residing on higher ground
Short distance away.
These negro houses and stores
faced the tracks of the Savannah de
vision of the Central of Georgia rail-
road. In the rear of the houses was
an open field, extending for nearly
a mile from the Oconee station to the
lumber mill. 1t was into this held
that men. women and children were
carried to their death from their
seats at dinner tables.
Freight Train Helps
Ten minutes alter the tornado
wiped out the Gardner settlement
Central of Georgia local freight
train. running from Savannah to Ma
con. arrived On the scene. W. ..
King of Wadley, conductor in Charge
viewed the bodies scattered about the
ground. The conductor ordered his
locomotive detached from the train
and with his crew fastened to Ten
mile, II miles away, for aid. Coach
es were Communicated from the
Wrightsville and Tennille railroad,
four doctors and 46 persons were OBJ
tained in the relief party. The train
returned to Oconee as speedily as pos
sible.
Chickens that escaped death in the
path of the storm were in many IN
stances plucked of their feathers.
There were many animals killed.
Doctors found one negro boy with
board driven into his head. They re-
moved the board and gave temporary
relief. The youth was alive tonight