Marion County GaArchives News.....Cyclone Hits Buena Vista - March 1901 March 29 1901 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Carla Miles http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00010.html#0002476 January 22, 2005, 3:00 pm The Marion County Patriot The Marion County Patriot, No. 13 March 29, 1901 Page Three The Mad Wind Leaves Death and Destruction in Its Wake More Than Fifty Houses Razed to the Ground and Timbers Scattered Far and Wide Two Dead and a Great Many Are More or Less Injured Our People Inaugurate a Systematic Plan of Relief For the Sufferers A fearful and destructive cyclone passed through the southern suburbs of Buena Vista Monday afternoon at 4 o’clock traveling from the southwest to the northeast. The destruction in its wake was fearful to behold and beyond the descriptive power of the pen. As a result of the storm many houses are razed to the ground, two are dead, one seriously injured and many more or less injured from flying timbers and falling debris. The wind blew like a gale all day Monday from the southwest with a very high temperature, and about 3:30 o’clock in the afternoon there was a lull, the wind having almost entirely ceased blowing. Soon a dark cloud was seen forming in the northwest and one in the southeast with vivid and continuous lightning. Many watched the approach of the cloud from the southwest and various were the descriptions of its appearance, though none could define its funnel shape though it was evidently a twister judging from results. Some compared it with the black rolling smoke from a locomotive and that it was near the earth. Many view the approach of the cyclone from the square, but they had not long to wait or form opinions as the funnel shaped demon of death and destruction soon burst upon our people in all its mad and devastating fury. A hundred roaring trains passing would not have produced more commotion than it did as it passed a few hundred yards south of the square. Our people knew that something terrible was going on but at the moment could not tell how far away it was or to what extent the damage, and waited with great anxiety to learn the result which was soon known in all its horror. While this devastation was going on on the south side, a fearful wind was sweeping the main part of town and rushing in to fill the vacuum caused by the cyclone. No great damage was done however, except blowing down weak fences and a few trees. WORK OF THE STORM We first hear of the cyclone at the homes of N.B. Butt and J.B. Duke a few miles southwest of town. All the outhouses on these places, except the barn on the Butt place, were blown down and the residences badly damaged. Nearly all the plastering on Mr. Butt’s home was torn off by being twisted and wrenched by the wind. The outhouses on J.W. McCrary’s Johnson place were blown down and everything was swept from the old Jim Parker place owned by McCrary. Old man Ike Hughey who lived at this place was slightly hurt. A tenant house on Mrs. Steeds place blew down in which were seven negro occupants and no one was hurt. Next it struck the Clemens Duke place, tearing down all the outhouses and unroofing the dwelling. The most devastation portion of the storm path, on account of the loss of lives, was at the Harrell and Woodall residences and two negro houses just beyond the Harrell residence. These four buildings appeared to be in the storm path and were scattered to the winds for a hundred yards or more. It even blew the mattresses to pieces and the cotton from them was wrapped and tangled about every twig and limb of the trees and shrubbery. The destruction here was awful and it seems miraculous that more were not killed or seriously injured. Mrs. J.D. Harrell had her left thigh broken and otherwise seriously injured. Her seven-months-old babe was killed, its head being crushed with a falling brick. Mr. Lee Croxton was the first to visit this home after the wind passed and an awful sight presented itself. He found Mrs. Harrell with the dying babe clasped to her bosom under a heap of timber and brick near the fireplace. He succeeded in getting them out but the babe died in a few minutes afterwards. The furniture was broken and scattered about for some distance around the place. Just across the road was the residence of the Misses Woodall and it was also totally destroyed. They were found under the wreck by Mr. Bethune and gotten out, both of whom were badly hurt. It was miraculous that they escape being killed. Friends came to the rescue and saved all the household effects that escaped being torn up by the wind. Just beyond the Harrell residence were two negro houses demolished. In one of thoses houses, the house of Fannin Rushin, a child of Ike Rushin was found dead. It is thought, however, that this child died from fright and not from injuries received. The Bethune residence, which was but a few yards from the Woodall home, was only partially wrecked as it was on the edge of the cyclone path. One corner of the house nearest the Woodall house was torn away and other damage done by the wind and rain. The house of Luke Frazier, Jerry Harvey and a tenant house on Dr. Jefferson’s place, occupied by Josephine Sampson, all colored, were totally wrecked, but no one as far as we could learn, was hurt. Jerry Harvey had a mule killed. The house of Ike Rushin, colored, in the same neighborhood was totally wrecked and one child killed. The house occupied by Jack Jackson on the Clements place was destroyed and one of the occupants had an arm broken and several others injured. The house on the Wallace place, occupied by Jim Powell, colored, was partially destroyed and the old man himself pretty badly bruised. The houses of Lina Oliver, Ben and John Hart and Jesse Wilchar, all colored, were totally destroyed and some partially wrecked. The house of Alex Sampson, colored, was totally destroyed and the wife of Sam Flowers hurt. Two houses belonging to Dr. Hair, occupied by Nancy Sampson and Berta Freeman, colored, were total wrecks but no one hurt. The old home of Munro Harris was partially destroyed. The house of Joe Hickey, colored, was totally destroyed. A house belonging to George Walton and occupied by Homer Jackson, colored, was wrecked. A house belonging to Captain Sheppard near the railroad, and occupied by Nancy Hickey and an old negro woman, was thrown from its pillars and partially destroyed. The occupant ran out and Nancy Hickey was blown a hundred yards and lodged in a wire fence down on the swamp. The house of Amanda Jackson, colored, was partially destroyed. The unfinished frame building of Noah Smith, colored, near the depot was a wreck. The house of Mark Gibson, colored, was partially destroyed. The house of Ike Williams, colored, was totally wrecked and his wife received severe injuries. The next house was that of Dan Rutherford, colored, and it was a complete wreck but no one hurt. The veranda of Mr. C.B. Roberts across the street from the last named house was blown off and his fences down. No damage was done at the home of Mr. W.M. Williams except blowing down fences and shade trees. Mr. T.L. Rogers gin house was blow down and one chimny cap of his residence. A large number of the beautiful oaks in the grove in front of his home were blown away. A tenant house on the Williams place a little farther down the road was partially destroyed. The house of Viney McCrary, colored, was partially destroyed. A tenant house on Mr. Rogers place occupied by Elbert Calhoun, colored, had the top blown off. The Henry Sampson house, occupied by John Flowers, colored, was totally destroyed. The house of Will Right, colored, was totally destroyed and his wife hurt. The house of Wash Gallaway, colored, was totally destroyed. Ellen Butt’s home was partially destroyed. A house owned by Ike Adams and occupied by Green Arnold and his mother was totally destroyed. The old woman was taken out of the wreck afterwards with slight injuries. The house of Vay Joiner, colored, was totally wrecked. Parts of his house were scattered a hundred yards in every direction. The house of Wheeler and Meridy Sampson was a total wreck and Omie Sampson was hurt. The house of Tom Bradley, colored, was a total wreck and badly scattered over a wide area. The house of Jasper Parks, occupied by Allen Denson, colored, was partially destroyed. The houses on Alf Able’s place one of which was occupied by Alex Sampson, was totally destroyed. Collins Harvey, colored, was hurt on the head at this house and a boy named Reuben Rylander was blow a hundred yards. A large box used for mixing fertilizers was blown away and has never been found. All the barns and outhouses on Dr. Weaver’s farm were blown away and some of the outhouses on the Walton place down on the creek where Lester Hally resides were blown down. Crossing Uchee creek the first place the cyclone struck was the farm where old man Mose Terry, colored, lives and all homes blown down. Wash Denson, colored, had all his houses blown away. Wash Terry, colored, on Moon place, had all houses swept away and one woman had leg broken and arm dislocated. Ben Hobbs, colored, who lives on the Jim Perry place, had all houses blown down and his horse’s leg broken. The place where Reuben Terry lives all the houses are down except the dwelling. At the Bennett Stewart mill place all houses are down except the mill house and dwelling. Four cows are killed here. At the Billie Wilson place, where John King lives, all houses are down. One of the most peculiar features of the cyclone was blowing a part of the west bound train off the track just after emerging from the Burkhalter cut a mile east of town. Four coal cars, the baggage car and the tender of the engine were blown from the track. Conductor Sapp was hurt in the hip., the baggage master received a wound on the head that made him unconscious until the next day. Wick Wall who was in the baggage car was bruised about the head and the engineer received cut on the head from a flying piece of timber from an adjacent wrecked house. Had the train been a minute earlier or a minute later, or if it had stopped in the cut, it would have been safe. The trace was not clear until Wednesday afternoon. Hundreds of people were going all day Tuesday to view the destruction caused by the wind. Immediately following the cyclone was a downpour of rain, and after a cessation of half n hour it set in again and rained even harder than before. In fact it appeared like a water spout and did great damage by washing hands. RELIEF MOVEMENT STARTED At a meeting of citizens at the courthouse at 3 o’clock p.m. the work of relief was begun and committees appointed to solicit contributions for the relief of the sufferers. Col. J.H. Lowe was made chairman and Sim Blue secretary. On motion a soliciting committee was appointed to act with a similar committee from the city council to solicit and this committee is composed of Messrs. W.D. Crawford, H.D. Passmore, W.L. Guy, Mrs. R.L. McMichael, Mrs. W.Z. Burt and Mrs. J.W. Roberts. On motion the mayor requested to make a general appeal for aid. One motion another committee of colored people was appointed to solicit aid among the colored people of the town, who were the greatest sufferers. This committee is composed of Alf Able, Reuben McCrary, Ben Smith, Emma Harvey, Ada Broan and Blannie Butt. The city council appropriated $100 and it is believed the county will also make an appropriation for the sufferers of the storm. Many needed immediate relief in the way of food and clothing, and the city appropriation and the first collection of the committee was used for supplying immediate needs. Later contributions will be used for the purpose of building material to be used in rebuilding their homes. This work by our people is charity of a kind that is indeed charity. The Marion County Patriot, No. 14 April 5, 1901 Page Three The Colored People Act To whom it may concern: This is to certify that a citizens meeting of colored people was called at the courthouse Saturday to form a community to co-operate with the committee appointed by our worthy mayor to solicit for the suffering. Our object is to solicit aid from afar for those who are in distress and in a suffering condition from the effect of the cyclone. Owing to the fact that the members of this committee being well known and having great influence in different parts of the state and in different states, thought that they could do some good. After seeing the charitable acts and deep sympathy existing and being expressed among the white people for their race and for the colored race, we felt that we ought to do something for ourselves. We trust that our demands may meet the approval of everybody. Rev. E.S. Hicks Rev. E.S. Steward M.B. 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