Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1921-02-11
Entire Settlement
Laid Barren Waste;
Children G Carried
From Dinner Table
To Horrible Death
[RepubIican a. p. Leased Wirel


OCONEE, Ga, Feb. ia tornado
that struck the Gardner settlement, one
mile from here shortly after noon to-
day. brought death to two white per-
sons and nearly 80 negroes, and serious
injury of five white persons and more
than a score of negroes
Territory extending almost to Toomx-
boro, nearly five miles long and about
half mile wide is barren, not a buiid-
ing or tree standing.
Among the dead is Benjamin Orr, IL
who was decapitated. The other white
person who met death was the three
year old daughter of e. L. Minor. man
ager of SHEPHERDS commissary at the
plant of the Cleveland Oconee Lumber
company.
Eighty-two children and three teach
ers were in a school building near the
Gardner settlement when the tornado
struck.
The building was twisted to pieces
and the fragments scattered for miles
Children were picked up by the wind
and carried for some distance but It
was announced only one was seriously
| injured. Approximately 40 houses were
blown down in the settlement The
Shepperd brothers commisSary at the
big lumber plant was reduced to kind
ling wood Orr and, four negroes met
death there. Ten feet away the general
toffice of the lumber company was un-
/ touched
The Is acre plant of the company
was not seriously damaged although
millions of feet of lumber were scat
4 tered
Negro houses and stores faced the
tracks of the Savannah division of the
Central of Georgia railroad. In the
rear of the houses field. extending
nearly a mile from the Oconee station
4 TO the lumber mill inf
field that men, women, and children
were carried to their death from their
dinner tables
4 Ten minutes after the tornado had
wiped out the Gardener settlement a
Central of Georgia local freight train
arrived. The conductor Immediately
ordered the locomotive detached and
with the crew FASTENED to Tennille, /
miles away for aid. Coaches were COM
mandeered and relief train sent back.
Il Doctors found one negro boy with "A
board driven into his forehead. They
removed the board and gave temporary
aid.
|; 1t is believed the youth will live. The
body of a three-year- -old negro infant
was found at the roots of a tree, the
top of which had been twisted off. The
Z child's head had been crushed in, lav-
ing been carried head foremost against
the tree. One negroes body was cut in
; two.
negro man and his wife were found
! more than a hundred yards from their
home, lying side by side on the road
dead
The bodies of several small negroes
; We're found in trees out of the path
!. of the tornado, suspended by their
clothing
The bodies of grown negroes were
thrown into the field in a semi-circle
; and in the center was a goat. toe
: frightened to move for hours.
: On top of a stump, 30 feet from tht
e ground, was pillow.
+ According to residents, the clouds
lowered just as the employees of the
lumber plant left their work for din =
ner The atmosphere became ex
tremely hot and because of the dark
e ness many lamps had been lighted
: When the tornado broke.
: One person on the outer edge OF tht
| storm path, who escaped injury, de
+ clared he saw box cars moving towart
him. Then as suddenly, he said. the
box cars were reversed and when ht
t looked again they were again comfns
. toward him. The cars were found Il
! have been blown from the rails.
n Chickens that had escaped deatf
8 were in many instances plucked o.
their feathers. There were many ami.
/ mails killed.
4 The tornado developed during a per
II iod of heavy rains. rivers are a
flood stage.