Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1922-03-10
DEATH DEALING TORNADO
Terrible Storm Kills Five and Wounds
Twenty.

! upon WaIrenville, in Horse Creek val
ley, six miles from Aiken, at O'CLOCK
this morning, a tornado wrought death
and terrible destruction. Five persons
were instantly killed, Is to 20 wound
ed, some seriously if not fatally, and
25 houses were wrecked in the path of
the terrific wind. Four of the dead
are children. They are: Fred Hoover,
12: Dollie Mitchum, s; Lucius Wood,
2; Theodore Wood, 2. The fifth death
| was that of Mrs. Dellie Body, 19.
The tornado, according to those who
passed through the terrible experience
lasted for about 80 seconds. In this
short space Of time houses were laid
fat. trees were uprooted, wreckage
was strewn over n wide territory and
instant death was dealt ..'..
The tornado struck first to the
southeast of the mill at Warrenville,
destroying all of the dozen houses in
this row Of the mill village except one.
From here it jumped, striking next at
what is called Stump Row, taking one
house and leaving another practically
untouched. Then, cutting a path
across an open field, it struck with ter
rife force at Stiefeltown, a quarter OF
a mile away destroying four houses at
this place.
Family Under Wreckase.
Henry Woods, a mill operative, was
asleep in his house at Warrenville
with his family. The house was a
total wreck, only the flooring being
left beneath the wreckage. Woods and
his wife were found, the man was
badly hurt, a splinter having been
driven deep into his head. Mrs. Woods
was perhaps fatally injured. The
chimney falling had buried the Woods
baby beneath pile of bricks. ,.' t'
There were many remarkable es-
capes at Stiefeltown. The home of
Frank Stiefel was blown down upon
him, the structure crumbling up like
a pasteboard box caught in q wise Mr..
Stiefel was dug out of the wrecknge
and was found to have been left with
out a scratch. At the same place the
home of Mrs. Beard, postmistress at
Warrenville, was almost totally de-
stroyed. Mrs. Beard was unhurt, es-
Gaping with her entire family.
Relief parties were quickly formed
and physicians summoned from Aiken
and Augusta arrived on the scene be-
fore daybreak. In the early light Of
the. rainy morning the work of res
cuing the injured was begun. A tenn
porary hospital was established on the
second floor Of store opposite the
mill at Warrenville. To the morgue
the dead were carried. Crowds began
to gather and the homeless were given
such aid as possible. Many Of these
have lost all their household effects
and are without food or clothing.
One house. large square structure,
which was in the path Of the tornado,
was left unscratched except for one
side having been blown out as COM
pletely as If the fourth wall had never
been, built. Not thing in the house
was disturbed.
To Aiken Hospital.
The most seriously injured were
brought to the Aiken hospital in am
balances. Some Of these will probably
die. All of the victims were white.
Those in the hospital are: Harry
Munday Mrs Josie Hardy, Mrs. Wood,
Mrs. Clark, who is unconscious; Rufus
Munday, Owen Wood and Mr.. Green.
At Langley the storm did a great
deal of damage, but there was no loss
of life. The Baptist church was un-
rooted and parts of the Langley COM
pany's barn and stables torn up. A
few houses were slightly dislodged.
Hundreds of large trees were unroot-
ed.
Several mules stabbed at Stiefeltown
and belonging to Aiken county were
killed. Dc
The Aiken chapter Of the American
Red Cross has been placed in charge
of the emergency relief work, under
the direction of Miss Agnes Campbell,
Red Cross nurse. and the mill COM
pany Is providing temporary relief for
the sufferers as generously as is pos
sible.
Gov. Robert A. Cooper this after
noon telephoned to Sheriff II. H. How
ard Offering his assistance in any way
that it might be needed. The Aiken
Standard has opened a relief fund
for the tornado sufferers and the re-
sponses are generous. The Aiken del
egation in the general assembly this
afternoon telegraphed c. J. HILL chief
commissioner of Aiken county, that
an appropriation Of $1,000 had been
placed in the Aiken county supply bill
to aid in the relief of the tornado suf-
ferers. This money will be available
Immediately.
The Aiken-Augusta trolley has been
compelled to suspend operation today,
as. there was no electric current, all
wires having been down between
Aiken and Augusta.