Georgia Historic Newspapers

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•Mi kack to tka by ray of anada in
tka lac* of two-thinl* of a wcoinl Iu order
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to bare all of the afferent cdfcce* thorotifchlv
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ft. JTxar 1y a potable too aeaetf tpft>
Jt Hu. r—jatr*.l for tb# tnuiui.m oT tlie
tod !hr.t*- 1 nf lum* of wire
TI- i*m do*. “I'rofeibitian jirohibil ?"
i— j„_. —a u-raJ nfgmvely in M*-**-
rha—;t by IS* rpprapl of the li* which had
■loud oo th • rtaiui# book* for "even yci>.
That the Twt#m wa mi enure fuiorc from the
tkrwt vi* iJt&i 1 led even br the Mrongfil
total atKinence Whiekydid not flow
a* ftaatv in Bos-ton j*erhap ae it doe in f’hila
•trifdua or Sew York, hoi tt* jwocnreinent wae
aa wt matter. The enMibalin which in
reate*t t.w it. enfirce*nent deveU>pel into an j
nti|w>|wilar
and a banten njam the lav paver* The repeal
of the law wa*. therefore dictated for a variety
of men*. IMI Ihe leaot of which wa* a moral
•me. And ihu* Maine become* entillo-1
to the d>tln*tMMl of beniy the only Hiate in
the I'mon in which -free rum ' i* not lenoil
lod The esaraple of Maea'hn*ett ha* im
portance for Penneylvania.
We do not know whether the ambition M the
l*teenleiit ha* reached the alkaline state so
delicately referred to by Senator Conk ling, but
it 4* certain that eveu in n* ashes will survive
the wiwited tires again*! t'harles Sumner. Tlie
other day the l*restdent heanl that a pension
agent in Massachuseti*. who hail written a
beautiful "Life of Oraut." vras now engaged
on a life of Sunnier. Abont the same time the
Senators from Maseaehuaette asked the same
agency for Mr (kw h. Th • President made
the change with cheerful amiability, observing
that l>r Plieips could now employ his leisure
in finishing hi* life of Sumner." Lincoln once
.aid. “I have no time to waste in quarrels.”
Sumner said the first commandment for Pres
idents wa*. Thou shall not quarrel." Gen-
Grant evidently differs from Lincoln s idea*
of the expediency, and from Sumner’s of the
morality of quarreling.
It is generally suppaaed that packages amt
letters can lie transmitted from place to place
tbrought pneumatic tubes with extraordinary
rapidity in something less than a' the rate of a
mile in one minute That not even a high
rate of speed can be attained is showu by the
operation of the pneumatic tubes now used in
London, where they have a line for carrying
lug* packages and mail bags, and a large
uamber of small tubes for sending telegraph
messages The messages are placed in car
riers which are driven thrngh the tubes by *"■
air-pressure produced by six air-pumps wor’.ed
bv three fifty-horse engines. Bnt whet- the
length of the tube is only one mile, tin tesi
through time made is not better than three
minutes, aud in longer tubes tlie speed is pro
portionately slower. It has been *ound that
tubes made of lead work much better than
iron tubes, a* the interior of the fead remains
smooth.
The banishment of leper* is rigorously car
ried out in the Sandwich Islands. There was a
recent official search for persons affected with
tho incurable nakly. many having been se
creted by their relatives. Hundreds were
fouud and put into a vessa for transportation !
to the leper village, to be kept there until they ;
die. Their families gathered ou the beach and |
eipressed their grief in bud lameutations. A
talented half breed, called Bill Ragsdale, has
long held a high place in the regard of Sand
wich Islanders. He is au orator of great natu
ral power, a leader in the district of Hilo, and
a man of notoriously bad morals. He discov
ered that he was ieprons. although the indica
tions were so slight that he hafl escaped official
notice, and at once gave himself up to the au
thorities. A procession of natives, singing
aud carrying flowers, escorted him to the ves
sel which was to take him aud the others to
their living graves. He mad# a speech to the
assembly, urging submission to the measures
for eradicating leprosy by banishment, and ex
pressing his hatred of missionaries.
The Hou. George F. Hoar, member of Con
gres from Massachusetts, makes, through the
Boston Advertiser, a forcible appeal to the
alumni of tho New England colleges to take
the lead in getting up a fund to rebuild the
old Virginia College of William aud Mary. The
college buildings were first destroyed by fire in
1859, bnt ont of the ample funds of the insti
tution were promptly rebuilt. They were
again destroyed by fire in 1862. while in pos
session of a body of stragglers from the Fed
oral army. The Senate of the Forty-second
Congress failed to pass the bill appropriating
#68,000 for rebuilding this ancient institution,
and Mr. Hoar now appeals to Boston and
Harvard to take ihe lead in a movement for
rebuilding it by pnvate subscription. The
New York Times says “it is unqAstionably
true that no better proof could be afforded
that ’the bitterness of the late war is over’
than such a movement, and, once started, it
jaay safely be assumed that New York would
not be found unwilling to do her part in an act
it once so graceful and so just.”
THIWOBk OF THE SESSION.
A taw designed to lessen the number
of private bills which consume the time
of the member* and the money of the
tas payer* at every session of the Legis
lator*- i* one altering the method by
which name* are changed. Heretofore
peraun* who were dissatisfied with their
patronymics or found it profitable to
discard them have been compelled to
I obtain the permiasion of the Ueneal Ai
•vtnbip Now those who from eupho
j nicai or pecuniary motives desire a
change will have to applj to the Judge
ai the Superior Court in the county of
their residence.
A noelevta for the formation of a good
; libAry i* given in the act reducing the
compensation of the Clerk of the Su
preme Coart. 1 n*tea.l of receiving costs
ta each case earned op, as has formerly
been the practice, he is given a salary of
four thousand dollars per anntnn, pro
vided hi* costs amount to so much. If
his cost* come to more than this sum
the overplus ts to be expended under
the direction of the Judges ia the pur
chase of books for the State Library.
It ts believed that this law will enable j
I the Coart to purchase each year at least
tweoty-five handled dollars worth of j
books. This expended
will make in the of s few rears s :
hands me addition to a deserving and
hitherto much neglect**! institution.
The law requiring all the decisions of
the tiupremc Court for one year to be '
published in one volume and allowing
the Judges to omit the publication in I
fall of such cases as they ruay think
proper will give general satisfaction to
the profession. The reports Accumulate j
so rap.div that it takes a good deal of :
money to purchase them, and young ,
lawyer* especially find the tax onerous.
The work of compiling aDd preparing ,
for publication the agricultural statistics
has been transferred from the office of
the Comptroller-tieneral to the Depart
ment of Agriculture, where it properly
belong*. These statistics, if faithfully
collected and carefully arranged, can be
made of great value to the people, and
we hope to see the vytem adopted per
severed in and perfected.
The homestead law, with its excessive
exemption* of real and personal prop
erty, has for some time been considered
a most serious obstacle to the restoration
of credit to the planters of Georgia.
An act amending the Constitution so as
to reduce the exemptions to ODe-third of
the present amount has been passed by
the requisite majority; but before it can
become a law it will have to receive a
two-thirds vote in the Legislature of
IST”, and then lie ratified by a vote of
the people. In the meantime, and for
the pnrpose of affording temporary re
lief, the Legislature has passed ail act
to enable parties ''to waive aud renounce
th homestead and exemptions provided
ly law” in favor of debts contracted in
the purchase of plantation and house
hold supplies. The objection to this
law is that it is partial, aud that per
haps the Courts will not hold it good.
The Constitution of 18t8, in granting
this homestead and exemption of per
sonalty, aud the acts passed in pursu
ance of that instrument, seem to vest the
property set apart in the wife and
family, aud it is questionable whether
the Courts will permit a man to waive
the rights of minor children, together
with his own rights. Of course we do
not presume to set up a legal opinion in
opposition to the views of the distin
guished lawyers who ait' members of *he
present General AmJilily. We only
suggest tiiit t.V* *. '* f ’ , 'r v .
f , .je*-iflF of this law,(ana that Legis
latures sometimes pass acts which the
Conrts declare unconstitutional.
The “Treasury Troubles,” as they are
called, ami the report that one hundred
aud fifty thousand dollars of past due j
State bonds had been twice paid, caused |
the Legislature to pass au act which is |
designed to prevent the possibility of 1
mistakes of tins character in the future, j
All persons holding obligations of the
State which matured prior to the first |
day of January, 1872, are required to I
present the same for registration to the
Treasurer on or before the first day of
August of the present year. A fail
ure to comply with this act shall
cause the bonds unpresented to be
considered pritna facie to have been
paid, aud to have been illegally or
fraudulently re-issued and negotiated.
The Treasurer is required to keep a book
iu which to register these bonds, and
the persons presenting them for payment
must prove continuous ownership for
the past five years by the oath of each
bona fide holder through whose hands
the bonds have passed, showing from
whom they were bought; to whom sold,
and giving the number of the bond,
date of issue, when due, denomination,
time, amount, by whom presented, when
presented, character of issue, the reason
for having delayed presentation so
long after maturity, and such other in
formation as will enable the General As
sembly fully to identify the same. Af- j
ter August Ist, 1875, the registry of the j
bonds must be presented to the Gover
nor. ned that official is to direct the pay
ment of such bonds as appear entitled
to recognition. The act is to be pub
lished in two papers of Atlanta and two
of New York, so that the bondholders
may be put upon notice. This law will
y*it the holders of past due Georgia
oouds to a good ileal of trouble and an
noyance, but some legislation was neces
sary in order to prevent the State from
beiug plundered, and we do not see that
any better plau could have been adopted
than the one sketched above.
Iu anticipation, it would seem, of a
failure to dispose of the Macon and
Brunswick Railroad at a price which
will save the State from loss on its en-
dorsement of the bonds of that ill-fated
company, an act was passed authorizing
the Governor to buy in any road which
is beiug sold under the State’s mortgage
when he thinks it will be sacrificed or j
sold for less than its value. When such
purchase is made, the road is to be
place I in the hands of three directors, i
who are authorized to operate, or, with
the consent of the Governor, to lease or
sell the same.
A soldier, who served faithfully in the
Confederate army during the war, and in
the service lost two eyes or two limbs,
aud who owns less than one thousand
dollars of property, is entitled to a pen
sion of one hundred dollars per annual,
which shall be levied as a special tax by
the Ordinary or Judge of the County
Court, upon sufficient proof of these
facts being made to that official.
The burning of gin houses has become
so common of late in Georgia that some
: legislation was demanded, with a view
of cheekiug, if possible, the commis
sion of this crime. Whenever the Gov
ernor receives reliable information that
any gin house has been burned down,
or set on fire, it is made his duty to
| issue a proclamation, offering a reward
of not less than five hundred dollars for
I the apprehension of the incendiary, with
; sufficient proof to convict.
-
i The Governor, it is announced by the
; Atlanta Herald, has appointed Dr.
| James F. Bozeman to assist Col. John
Jones iu the management of the State’s
| finances; and as an assistant Col. Jones
S is perfectly willing to accept the services
jof Dr. Bozeman. So everything seems
I to be entirely satisfactory to everybody.
THE TORNADO.
What a Special Correspondent of the !
Chronicle and Sentinel Saw’ aud
Heard of the Terrible Tornado of
Saturday—A Trip to the Scene of
Disaster—Scenes and Incidents.
As telegraphed you from Thomson
last night, there seems to have been two
distinct cyclones, at least after they
passed Milledgeville. After that point
was passed they ran like two well match- i
ed race horses, the southern going al
most due east from west and the north
ern from west to a little north of east.
The Upper, or Northern One.
It entered Georgia from Lee county,
Alabama. The first county it struck
was Harris, lying immediately on the
Chattahoochee river. It then passed
through the following counties: After
leaving Harris, Talbot, Upson, Monroe,
Jones, Baldwin, Hancock, Warren, Mc-
Duffie, Columbia, aud from thence passed
into Edgefield county, Sout h Carolina. If
the reader will take a rule and lay it
upon a map of Georgia, selecting any
two given points touched by the cyclone,
he will see that it traveled in a line as
straight as a cannon ball or a crow would
fly. The rnle will point west through
Alabama. Mississippi, Louisiana north
of New Orleans, aud run into the Gulf
of Mexico between that city aud Gal
veston. All the hurricanes and cyclones
which pass over Georgia are bred iu that
Gulf.
What It Looked Like.
The writer conversed with fifty people
of Hancock, Warreu and M<*Dnffiecoun
xne most: l rue ill gent among them agreed i
that it was cylindrical in shape, ran im- i
mediately along the ground, was half a |
mile wide at the base, and half a mile (
high. In the distance, and when ap
proaching, it looked like a vast column I
of black smoke arising from a pine for- ;
est on fire. As it approached it was
dimly illuminated with a phosphorescent j
light, whilst in it, as one man graphi- j
callv said, “ there appeared to be a j
million matches just struck.” These '
lights were from the electricity.— 1
The horizon and skv were everywhere
overcast with other dense clouds. From ,
these the storm cloud stood out as :
boldly as any well drawu picture from
its background. It was not accompa
nied by thunder. It traveled all of
seventy miles per hour. This was as
certained by comparing the Ante it pass- j
ed through any given points apart. The j
roaring, appalling noise it produced ;
was by the same causes that the noise i
of cannon balls are whilst flying;
through the air. It was not more than
three hours passing over the entire ;
State of Georgia.
The Details.
Extracts from the Macon Telegraph j
describe its track up to the plantation
of S. D. Massey, in Hancock county, a j
few miles north of Sparta. From that i
point it came on and crossed the Ogee
chee river, two and a half miles above i
the village of Mayfield, aud entered j
Warren county. The details of the de- j
struction were published yesterday j
morning as far as we eoitld get them.
Over the Ogeeehee.
The first plantation it struck on the j
; east side of the Ogeeehee is known as 1
the Linn place. Every house upon it was
; blown down, but no one hurt. The
j next plantation struck and ruined was i
' that of Mrs. Virginia Hubert, the moth
ier of Dr li. W. Hubert. Here the
work of demolition was simply com
plote, and three negroes killed. Two of
the dead were blown from their houses,
and found three hundred yards in a field,
terribly mangled.
The Destruction of Elam Church.
From the Bev. J. W. Ellington, the
pastor, we obtained a description of the
| destruction of this little Warreu county
I Church, and the awful scene* which oe
j curred inside and around it, and give it
| nearly in his own words. He said be
! tween fifty and sixty persons had as
; sembled there on Saturday, and at the
moment the -storm struck the build
ing they were all inside of it. The
sermon had been preached and the
last hymn sung, when the congrega
tion were about to consider some mat
i tors relating to tho' church. Brother
■tones had m. de a motion, and wie-n
abont
'rear, lie stepped to a window and .
looking in the direction of the noise i
saw the black cloud coming. Those of j
the congregation who had vehicles ran j
to them and seizing their cushions !
made back to the house. Mr. E. said i
the cloud approached iu the shape of a j
barrel end foremost, revolving with ]
electric velocity, and extending from the j
very ground to a height li of apparently j
half a mile. The church was at the !
foot of a gentle hill, and surrounded by j
a dense pine grove. In the twinkling of 1
au eye the trees were cracking and j
crushing to the earth. On it came j
towards the doomed and humble little i
house of God, and with a sound, or the j
commingling of a thousand sounds,
which made the bravest man turn pale.
Iu an instant more the house was lifted
from its foundations with the entire
congregation, raised into the air and
then hurled against the ground, a mass
of indefinable logs, boards, doors, win
dows aud sixty people.
Tlie Killed aud Wounded.
Those not hurt or only slightly
wounded at once scrambled from be
neath the rubbish and set to work ex
tricating others who were under the logs
nnabie to rise. Mrs. Lewis Joues’ neck
was broken and her body mashed to a
jelly. Tlie total wounded foot up ;
twenty-four in number. A list was !
published of. them yesterday morning, j
He described the color of the cloud very i
much like the rest; of inky blackness, il- j
luminated by a lurid light, Several
horses belonging to the congregation |
were killed where hitched, a great j
many wounded, and a great main’ bug- I
gies aud horses broken to piece*.
The Destruction of Camak.
Never did the Furies do their work ;
more completely than did this storm. |
The picture presented at the little rail
way village of Camak, the intersection j
of the Georgia aud Macon and Augusta |
Railroads was that of all the rest.. Every |
house save one small store was blown
down, and comprised the following |
property; The residence of Wm. Mays j
(who owned the town) nearly destroyed. |
All the furniture on the tipper floor!
blown away. A. J. Mays' grocery and !
dry goods store, rear portion blown ofC
and front left standing and Wm. Mays’
office. Tlie Camak Hotel, ke'pt by Mrs.
Wright. Not one piece of timber of the j
hotel was left standing upon another, j
No one was iu it at the time save the j
landlady and her family. They escaped
with,oniy severe bruises, although not j
one piece of timber was left upon au- j
other. Most of the furniture aud bed
clothing were carried away. The next j
house in line aud destroyed was that of
W. H. Toy. This completed all the ;
houses iu the town except the depot
and the railroad and telegraph office,
near the track, which were totally wreck
ed. The residence of S. D. Mays, a j
little beyond the town, was demolished, i
and the saw mill of Mr. Swain greatly ;
. damaged. Mr. Swam says when he saw
the storm coming he ran out of doors to
| an open space with his son, and, seizing
a stump, fell upon the ground, his boy
1 catching hold of his leg. The boy was
! torn loose and rolled fifty yards off. He
was flailed against the earth, but held
| his grip. A team of mules was stand
; ing at the depot. Two of them were
! blown one hundred yards and killed.
1 An incident can here be shown of the
| terrible force of the wind. A piece of
I lightwood timber was driven through a
; cedar telegraph pole. It was broken off
and remains there still.
Other Places Destroyed.
I The track of the storm has been traced
! from Camak to the Savannah river and
! published yesterday morning. Follow
! ing its track from Camak, we found the
houses upon the plantations of Messrs.
| Ivy and Bacon destroyed, but no one se
! riously wounded.
A Heroic Woman.
The next residence struck was that of
John T. Stovall, two miles from Thom
son. Mr. S. and his wife were both in
| it. When it fell Mr. Stovall was canght
; under the logs. One log rested across
I his leg, which was crushed, aud a plank
across his body. The foot of Mrs. Sto
vall was crushed, though she was free.
I As soon as she saw the situation of her
I husband she endeavored to walk to him.
i but was unable to do so. She then
j crawled to and obtained a hand-saw,
j and, returning to her husband, she had
j sawed the plank in two and was endea
voring to lift the log when assistance ar
j rived. When we left the neighborhood
j yesterday Mr. Stovall was very low, and
; but little hopes were entertained of his
j recovery.
Miraculous Escapes.
I The miraculous escapes can be told by
AUGUSTA, GA.. WEDNESDAY MORNING, MARCH 31, 1875.
the hundred. Indeed, no one can look
upon the wrecks and ruins and under
stand how any person in them escaped.
At the bouse of John W. Morgan we
saw the most perfect and complete de
struction. Even the floor was split wide
open, and all above except a small bit
of a shed room gone. Mrs. Morgan was
standing on the back porch facing the ;
death-dealing monster approaching with
more rapidity than horse ever flew
around the course. She only had time
to turn aud make perhaps one step to
wards a main door. Then midnight
blackness, a crash, a r oar —it was
gone ! But for live hundred yards in
front lay her just now beautiful resi
dence, broken, splintered, crushed, with
portions of roof, timbers, sash, blinds,
bed clothing, flying through the air. In
the center of the building were four
children. Not one was killed ! One lit
tle girl was blown into a cupboard, and
of all the furniture in the house that
was the only piece not broken into kind
ling wood ! Was not the hand of God
even present in that awful storm ?
It rolled on. The next house struck
was that of James A. Benson. Mr. B.
was in Columbia county, but his wife
and six little children were at home.
Like all the rest the house came down,
burying all in one common ruin. To
add to the horror, if anything can be
added that is more horrible, the house j
took Sre ! One sweet little babe had j
just been rocked to sleep by its mother, I
and was lying in its cradle. The tim- j
bers fell everywhere except upon that !
baby’s innocent couch. The mother i
scrambled forth, and 800n j
clj'lfil was !-,landing around her not much I
hurt.
The Force.
To convey an idea of the force of the
wind here we will state that in the gin
house was a follow wheel which weighed
four hundred pounds. It was carried
fully half a mile aud landed in a field.
A mule was blown from the same gin
house two hundred yards. A negro one
hundred and his brains dashed out
against a tree. Not a fence rail was left
upon this plantation where it originally
lay, not a ground sill. It belonged to
Maj. A. E. Sturgis, a former member of
the Georgia Legislature.
A Specimen Wreck
Was that of the plantation of John E.
Smith. It was the most beautiful borne
iu McDuffie county. The house was
double, two stories high, with an ell.
Tlie cyclone struck the southeast am>le,
ripped ott' half the roof, knocked
down the plastering, entered the
room, smashed the partition walls,
seized the entire north side of the whole
edifice and holding this iu its band aa a
trophy,together with the entire contents
of the second story, passed on with the
rapidity of n winged racer.
Mr. Smith, his wife aud six cpil Iren |
had time to run into the hall below, j
That, hall was left intact! The family
could scarcely have stood in another j
portion of the whole house without be- I
j iug killed outright. What was the ■
; cause of this ?
On to the River.
Here wo will leave this cyclone. It ’
i from this point swept through Colnm- !
1 bia county, dealing death and destruc- j
fion in it is wake, crossed the Savannah |
| river and bulged through the Carolinas. j
I From its course it must have run into
i the ocean near Pamlico Sound, on the I
i coast of North Carolina.
| Tiie Clyc’one Which Swept Through j
Glascock County.
! The writer will now return, and take
i up as far as possible another aud evi
i dentiv a distinct cyclone. Beyond the
Ogeeehee river nothing definite could be
heard from it. It came from due vest
and traveled due east. This would
throw its western track a little south of
Milledgeville.
Crossing the Ogeeehee.
It crossed the Ogeeehee at the Lazen
bv plantation, fifteen miles south of
Mayfield. All accounts are agreed that
each one crossed that stream between
twelve ami one o’clock Saturday after
noon. The second, or more southern,
cyclone was the exact counterpart of the
other. Thu game black cloud, tbepfiosy
phorns, .the electric sparks . A*°, Wliw
.‘l’’ 7'!,*4 -i
sand shells flying over a bombarded j
city. On a bee line these cyclones
were fifteen miles apart. Each ran as
straight as an arrow. Each governed by
some great law as yet little understood.
The following plantations were visited
and destroyed, either wholly or in part,
in a line running due east of the La
zenby place on the Ogeeehee, as report
ed by Ben j. Ivey, the Sheriff of Glas
cock county: B. B. Kitchens, who was
mortally wounded, and his wife, child
and wife’s brother, a Mr. Brooks, in
stantly killed. The family when they
saw it approaching all ran under the
house, where the above persons were
crushed to death. The oext heard of it 1
was at Friendship Church, which was j
demolished. A white lady near In' took !
refuge in the church and was killed, j
Her name was not remembered. The
church was iu a dense forest, which was !
leveled with the ground. Then the !
house of James Chalker was mentioned i
but. w here located was not stated. His 1
daughter was instantly killed and child!
mortally wounded. Then came the;
house of Wm. MeNeal, which was liter- j
ally destroyed. Next the plantation of j
Vincent Davis, who with two negroes j
were killed, and many members of the |
family wounded. The wreck of this |
plantation was thorough. Next, Ezekial
Matthews, whose wife and a young lady j
were killed. The young lady had just i
entered the yard and made all effort to j
gain tlie house. She failed to reach ]
the house, was caught up by the j
cloud and dashed against the ground j
and killed. It passed a few miles below j
Gibson, the county site of Glascock, and j
entered Jefferson county at Mount Mo- ;
riah camp gronud, which was demolish- |
ed. We heard of the plantations of a .
: great many others being destroyed, but 1
their names were not remembered.
It was now approaching the lower j
edge of Richmond county, which itvisit
! ed a few moments afterwards and its
| visitation described yesterday morning
Iby Mr. Walker. It then crossed the
Savannah river, ten or twelve miles be
| low Augusta, and went to Beech Island,
| South Carolina.
The Dead of Glascock County.
Up to yesterday twenty-five persons
! were buried in Glascock county. Eight
; of these were buried at Gibson and
j Friendship Church. If all reports be
j true the loss of life in Glascock was far I
; greater any other county. It j
| has neither telegraph or railroad, and it
was almost impossible to get straight
j stories.
The Suffering.
The people all along the route are
| destitute ot everything. They have not ]
! a change of clothing, and nothing to
| eat save what is given them. Not a
! shelter, not even a tent. The writer
: saw many families huddled around fires
| in the roads, with not even a chair to
I sit down upon. They were in ntter de
| spair. If ever the ministering Angel of
Mercy had occasion to relieve the wants
humanity, here is the opportunity.
Incidents of the Storm,
At Mr. Morgan’s place, in McDuffie
county, a piece of a window shutter was
blown one quarter of a mile and driven
with such force in a tree that it could
not be drawn.
Mr. Morgan had Sl5O in money in his
house, part in gold coin, which was
blown away, but about half of it after
wards found.
The face of every person who came in
actual contact with the clona was black
ened. Various persons tried to account
for this. They said it was impossible
for enough soot to be gathered along the
track to do this, and are of the opinion
that it was in the nature of its original
elements.
On Sunday people aiong the edges of
the cyclones gathered at each plantation,
and on that and the following day work
ed with a will erecting temporary shel
ters, putting up fences and whatever
else was immediately necessary.
There was no moisture in the storm
cloud, bnt dry, excessive and almost suf
focating heat.
As in the northern, soon after the
southern cyclone passed a great rain
storm rushed to its track. Hailstones
were said to have fallen quite as large as
a hen egg.
The arm of Mr. Skipper, who was
wounded at Camak and taken to War
renton, was amputated yesterday.
The negro, William Wilburn, wound
ed at Camak, died yesterday.
A large tree fell across Piney Woods
Church, pinned the building to the
ground, and thus saved it.
Mr. Baxter’s plantation, near Sparta,
was demolished. It was rented to
Messrs. Mitchell and Carpenter. When
Mr. Mitchell saw the storm coming he
gathered a child, ran into the yard and
lav fiat ou the ground with it.*
J. R. King, who lives near White
Plains, nine miles on a straight line
from the tradj., picked up in his yard a
pair of little baby drawers Stld a pillow
case.
The house of Mrs. Watson, in McDuf
fie county, was in the direct centre of
the track. The storm approached with- 1
in one hundred yards, destroying every
tree in its wake. There it jumped over
her house and came again to the earth
twenty-five steps the other r ~te aud re
commenced it* wojk of demolition. It
is said that at tins house an old negro
woman when she saw it coming prostra
ted herself and said, “ Lord, Thy will
be done.”
The Storm of April 4, 1804. j
On the 4th day of April, 1804, now
lucking but a-few days of seventy-one !
years, a groat storm like this came np |
from the direction of Dooly county I
and passed through Hancock, Warr. n j
and Richmond, crossing the Savannah
15 miles above Augusta. There are a
few people now living who remember it,
and plenty who have been told by their
parents of it. It was described iu the
Augusta Chronicle. AH accounts are
agreed that ji, was illuminated bv the
same strange light as the one Saturday.
Nobody was killed by it.
THE TORNADO IN RICHMOND.
Letter Hon. Walker.
’ 'ifo ujl^ , 'nold a pen, j
a sense of duly < ovt°\p M impels me to !
refer tiriefiy vo’ tie G hurricane
which passed 'ovet this |
(Saturday) jtbout 3 o’clock, j
Such a scene I have never witnessed aud j
trust iu Heaven no oilier ever may.
A Graphic picture of the Storm. j
The cloud first appeared in a north- j
westerly direction and gradually moved
south to a point where it must have met
some opposing force. My attention was
attracted by a dull, heavy roaring at
apparently some two or three miles in a j
westerly direction, which induced the I
expectation of a severe storm. I had j
but expressed this when the torus :lo was
upon us. It spVnt its greatest fury in
about three minutes, my dwelling being
about the centre, and the breadth of the
main column not exceeding 400 yards.
Th seuses were utterly ue-iujened and ap
palled. There was it crash, a roar, the
mingling of a huudred terrific and un
known sounds; the window glass, shat
tered by the mere force of the wind, were
thrown across tlie rooms with force
enough to penetrate he flesh; the shut- I
ters were wrenched from thtir hinges, j
Of five hundred noble oaks that had I
withstood the storms of a century not a I
half dozen were left standing, and of
that host of oaks that surrounded
my dwelling but a solitary one stands
sentinel over the graves of its brethren.
Au addition to my main dwelling yield
j ed to the shock, but the main body
! stood firm, tbdligh with some ghastly
! wounds. Two buildings for servants,
j store house, smoke house, carriage
; house, my well, every bouse within the
j enclosure, was swept awajg -in house,
! stables, barn, all fell before this remorse
j less demon. All that I have left is a
j damaged dwelling.
Its Terrible Results.
But. worse than this even is tho fact
j that of over thirty poor white and color
| ed people, of the very best class for hou
! esty, thrift and industry, not one, man,
woman or child, has this night a pluce
t i lay his head. Every house, dwelling,
! crib, stable, hen house, is level with the
; earth. The little comforts gathered by
| years of labor—furniture, crockery, bed
j and body clothing, meal and meat, carts
| and wagons and forage —were broken
into splinters, and scattered to the four
' winds of Heaven. Miles on miles of
1 fencing are down to the bottom rail. It
i is a consolation that amid all this accu
mulation of horrors no life was lost. It
was Saturday, and as they were gen
| erally through with corn planting, they
■ had taken a half holiday, and were on a
visit, with their lunh uid horses to
| their neighbors. Thr ftere wounded,
j and a number of .escapes
: could be related. M-VWfeman Buck,
Jj.’: -f
iy, lost was rei.ufly
wounded, and had a riously if not
i fatally injured. f
Help Needeft.
I should have left this statement,
Messrs. Editors,to otheA if L had not had
some higher motive than to furnish news.
In sixty years J have asked no man in
Augusta for a cent for charity, nor have
1 ever received a cent; but no mock sen
timent shall prevent my saying that I
wus never asked and did" not respond,
and I now unhesitatingly call upon your
citizens to help these poor people, and
to do it liberally. Five hundred dol
lars would give them the bare necessa
ries. They want some money, and,
most of all, they need some common
furniture, crockery, bacon, corn, cloth,
a half dozen common trunks, with locks!
There is uot an article that u white man
or woman or child can spare that will
not be a God send to them. These peo
ple make a hundred bales of cotton, and
every cent is spent in Augusta. Can you
induce a r< porter or .some kiud-lleait<.j
person to come and spy out their condi
tion? To any one interested in the ar
cana of nature it is well worth a visit
here. If auy contributions are made,
will you be kind enough to take charge
of such ? A notification to me at Me- j
Beau will insuro their being sent for
and fairly distributed, and, if necessary,
every cent and every article will be ac
counted for to the donors by attested
vouchers.
If Anything is Done. It Should be Done
Promptly
It is the busiest sinspn of the year.
But, Messrs. Editors, "f~' have ' said
enough, and even this with a greater
sense of humiliation than I care to ac
knowledge. My own material loss, aside
from the destruction of the handsomest
residence in the State, is not less than
§2,500. This I shall bear <wfth the best
fortitude I can command. My plea is
for the destitute whites and blacks. I
write in great haste and ■ under great
mental and physical sufleriug. Re
spectfully yours, A. C. Walker,
March 20, 1875.
THE TORNADO IN COLUMBIA.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel:
I have just returned from App T ing, [
Ga., where I went to attend the March :
session of the Superior Court, and while j
there Witnessed for myself some of the!
terrible results of the cyclone that pass
ed through that section of Columbia j
county last Saturday, Reports hereto- |
fore received rather underestimated !
than overestimated the loss.of life and !
property, as is usually the lease. In and j
around Appliug fr.r-, a pio !
perty was immense. Many houses were !
completely demolished and swiitered for j
hundreds of yards in \
Other buildings were more or less dam-1
aged and but few eseaped injury owing j
possibly to their strength of build and;
peculiar situation. I fonndjarge pieces j
of timber, weighing as *6uch as 2UO
pounds, torn from buildings and hurled |
300 and 400 yards off by the storm. The j
severity of the tornado, however, can be !
better understood when you witness the j
manner in which it dealt with the large j
forest oaks and pines, tearing and split- !
ing them into innumerable fragments |
and hurling them in every direction. I !
saw many pine sapplings” entirely strip-I
ped of their bark and smaller limbs,
from top to bottom.
Mr. Kelly, the proprietor of the ho
tel, was a great sufferer, having had his
barns, stables, gin houses, &e., on his
different places entirely destroyed, and
with them several head of stock and
quite an amount of" cult, fodder, &c.
This gentleman had two sons, one about
sixteen and the other fourteen years
old, who were caught in the storm while
out hunting in an open field. The
elder had his arm broken, and both
were most frightfully bruised all over
the storm, to use their own words,
“pitching them up and down like feath
ers.” Their bruises were caused prin
cipally by the rocks and pebbles hurled
against them. From their account it
really was miraculous that they were
not killed. The duration of the storm
was only about two minutes. It was
quite common to see men going about
with their arms in slings and others
limping from injuries sustained.
I am told that from Thomson,through
McDuffie and Columbia counties to the
Savannah river, all along the pathway
of the cyclone is marked by a general
destruction of trees, fences and build
ings ; in most instances, everything be
ing entirely swept away. The loss of
life was also great. On one place as
many as seven persons were killed out
right. The hotel at Appling had some
four or five in it, who were badly in
jured, some, it is feared, mortally. The
March term of the Oonrt was adjourned
withont transacting any business until
the next regular session in September,
on account of the suffering and sorrow
ing in the land.
Expressions of sympathy are heard
upon all sides for those who have been
thus fearfully dealt with by Providence,
and while such expressions are calcula
ted to comfort, yet in this in
stance sympathy, without material
aid, will be of little beuetit.
Many of the sufferers are in destitute
circumstances, being honseless aud
homeless, and others again being in
actual want of ford and raiment. They
can only re'y upon the charity of others.
May Augusta respond liberally to these
unfortunate ones.
Hastily, &<•■., J. P. V.
Around Columbus.
[Special to the Herald 1
Cot.fiißCS, Ga., March 22.—Storms
occurred Saturday between 11 and 12
o’clock. There appeared to be four
whirlwinds, or tornadoes, one near
Whiteville, in .Harris county; another
from Harris county into Meriwether; j
another near Hamilton, and another ;
from Harris through Talbot. The two
first created immense havoc to property, |
but no lives were lost; the one near i
Hamilton killed three children of H. W. j
Pitts, and badly wounded two others, i
one having both legs, both arms and a ]
thigh broken, and injured Pitts and his |
wife. The latter is bereft of reason from I
grief. Everv house, in its course, tor
.... om- _ i, a if mile
ill width, was levelled, trees blown uown
and curried hundreds of feet, and fences
scattered everywhere; furniture, cloth
ing, stock, etc., all gone, and the people
suffering on account, of the destruction
of food. The fourth was most destruc
tive, for, twenty miles iu leugth and
half a mile in width, its path is marked
by ruin and devastation. The little vil
lage of Mount Airy, in Harris county,
was totally destroyed; not a house stand
ing. The wife and five children—four
grown, three of which were young ladies
—of Capt. J. H. Kennon were killed
and their bodies blown from fifty to one
hundred yards, aud Captain Kention
was hurt in the shoulder. Two of his sons
were saved, being absent from home.
Mr. Hunt was injured iu the spine, Wm.
McGhee had two ribs broken, and goods
and clothing scattered all around; Maj.
John H. Walton escaped narrowly, his
residence being demolished ; teacher
Clark and wife are mortally wounded,
and their child had au arm fractured;
Rev. J. B. McGhee had his jaw brokeu,
and was injured internally; his daughter
and son injured; Tom Neal was hurt and
his house utterly blown away. Baugh
ville, Talbot county, was completely de
molished. Elisha Culpepper was killed,
his wife and daughter-in-law was se
riously wounded, and Mrs. Burdell had
both legs broken. Among others badly
hurt are Mrs. Miller B. Phillips, Mrs.
Bradshaw and son, a daughter of Prof.
Chaplin, and a son of Capt. C. Calhoun,
in all ten whites and sixteen negroes
killed and five churches demolished,
six stores and four school houses de
stroyed. Total loss over one hun
dred thousand dollars. Columbus has
voted four thousand dollars to the suf
ferers. Hamilton and Talbotton es
caped by a mile and a half. Direction
of the storm was northeast. A gentle
man came in on the Southwestern train
this morning for six coffins for one fami
ly—that of Capt. John Kennon, his wife,
three daughters, and two sons.
Iu Baldwin County.
[Every Saturday, Extra.)
Milledgetillk, March 20, 3:10, p. m.
—At 1:15 o’clock to-day a terrible whirl
wind passed through the southern su
burbs of the citv, extending across the
corporation line aud embracing an area
of about 300 yards in width in its pas
sage. It twisted houses and trees, and
everything in its course from the face of
the earth, dashing them with fury to the
right and left, or carrying them for hun
dreds of yards directly up, almost into
the very clouds it seemed, then dashing
them away out from the circle of its in
fluence. the ponderous trees e >.me crush
ing to the earth. Our reporter had only
time to make a hastv exploration Just
| south eh the creek bridge and jnrt witfi-
I in th.e.Ci*!L limits, a tailored mak abo'ut
2* vein" of age (an intelligent auirbrigtit
mulatto) Richard Gonder, was instantly
killed. More than half of his head is
gone; no one knows how or where—
mashed off we suppose and blown away.
Mrs. Thomas Johnson, a white lady of
about 40, is so badly hurt that she will
probably die. Quite a number in the
same locality are injured more or less,
though we cannot now go into particu
lars. Houses without number are de
molished, as is every other species of
property in the track of the cyclone.—
Trees, houses anil wagons were carried
for hundreds of yards through the air,
and wherever the wind passed through
woods it has cut a fearful road.
The writer, with many others, was at
tracted by the roaring noise, which
sounded like the “rushing of many wa
ters,” and mounting a,house watched
the whirlwind as it approached through
a tremendous forest. It was terribly
graud to see the tremendous pines aud
massive oaks twisted off and hurled
hither and thither as if they were but
straws. The whirlwind seemed at first
to come Hum m.o but upon ap
proaching town made a bow,passing just
south of the city and crossing the river
not far below the mouth of Fishing
creek. About an hour after the storm,
hail as large as a guinea egg fell with
great rapidity for about two minutes.
Nothing like the occurrences of this day
has ever been witnessed in this section.
Seven are wounded on the plantation
belonging to the McComb estate, and
every house but one, on the place, in
ruins. The doctors are being sent for
from over the country. Two are report
ed killed on Mr. Jas. Martin’s place and
every house in ruins. Others are prob
ably injured on the place. Two are re
ported killed on the road between town
and the Lunatic Asylum. Others are so
badly wounded that they will probably
die.
11 o’clock, p. m.—The news that we
continue to gather from the track of the
great cyclone is even more distressing
than was first anticipated. The great
whirlwind seems to have been violent
on both sides of the river, though by the
time it reached the east bank thereof it
had evidently lost much of its fury. We
have information from as far west as
Haddock’s Station, ou the Macon and
Augusta Railroad. The cyclone crossed
the road from the north side, near Had
dock’s, taking Dr. Hardeman’s place in
its track. Here several houses were
blown down, but no one badly injured.
On the place of Mr, Richard Brown the
destruction was terrible. Mr. Brown’s
skull is fractured and he is lying insen
sible and will probably die. Here, also,
three others were killed—two negro wo
men and a negro child. Ore of the for
mer was killed by a failing bouse and
the other was caught up by the wind,
carried for some distance to a forest and.
hurled against ’a tree. The negro child
was probably iu the yard or in some ex
posed position, as it was caught up by
the wind and blown away. Nothing has
been heard of it since, and it is possibly
many miles away from the spot where it
was picked up by the wir-d. Found a
mile distant, horribly mangled.
Every house on Mr. Brown’s place is
destroyed and every person on the place
injured. Should Mr. Brown die (and
we see no hope of his recovery), it will
make an aggregate of four killed on this
farm. On the plantation of Mr. Charlie
Harper several are reported killed,
among them old Tom Huson (col.),
whom many of the white citizens will
remember, he having been known to
many of them. On the Midway place of
Mr. Robert Trippe a negro child was
killed. In this locality the wind
did great damage. On the east
side of the river the damage is also very
great. Many plantations are almost
completely ruined. Houses, chimneys,
fences and forests have been leveled
wherever the wind passed. As far as we
can learn no one has been killed on the
cast side of the river, though a Mrs.
Stapleton, on the McComb place, had
her scalp severely lacerated and her life
is seriously endangered from concussion
of the brain. Many others on both sides
of the river are hurt, some seriously and
some but slightly. A great deal of
poultry has been killed and people are
gathering it up for food. The loss and
damage to property, including the dam
ages consequent upon the loss offences,
will probably amount to 8175,000. In
one locality between Midway and town
eight houses are total wrecks. We have
not been able to ascertain any indi
vidual losses, but think that Mr. Ed
ward Lane, Mrs. Wm. Lane and Mr.
Joseph Lane, all belonging to one fami
ly, have suffered most. Each of them
owned a dwelling, two of which were
completely demolished and the other is
almost a total wreck.
The killed and dying are known to be
ten in number. The wounded will prob
ably reach forty-five in Baldwin county
alone. In crossing the river the wind
lifted the water up iu a solid mass until
it seemed a perfect wall of water. Chas. !
Johnson, a man employed by Colouel.
Johnson, was hauling a load of lumber
to town, from Seotshoro, and seeing the
danger hastily unhitched the horses.—
The wind picket! the horses up and
dashed them against the ground, injur
ing them quite severely. Charles, the
driver, sustained a painful injury—the
wagon and lumber were blown away. A
goat on the plantation of Colouel Fair
was blown off, as was all the poultry.—
We should have mentioned that all the
houses on this place, save one, were de
stroyed. A shingle near Mr. R. N. La
mar’s place was hnrled with such fury
against an oak tree that its sharp end
penetrated the solid wood for one or
two inches. Mrs. Lane’s house caught ;
fire twice after the blow, but was ex
tinguished.
The course of the cyclone seems to
have varied. At first it seems to have
come from north of west, crossing the
Macon and Augusta railroad near Had
dock’s Station. It then traveled east
until getting nearly to town, when it
made a bow and passed around the city.
It then continued on its eastward course
until it had gotten about ten miles be
yond the river, when it seems to have
taken a northeasterly direction, and. in
i our opinion, recrossed tho Macon aud
Augusta Railroad between Carr’s aud
j Devreaux’s stations. No train ou that
i road up to this "siting, nor have we any
: w- ntno(.., m iiny All the
J telegraph linvs are dow/i.
Sunday, 12:30, a, m.—Two negroes
killed at Brown’s Crossing and n any
others in Jones aud the western portion
of this county reported killed.
Letter from Judge William Gibson.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel :
I herewith hand you a communication
from one of Columbia’s most estimable
citizens. It is, however, impossible to
describe the devastation, destruction
and ruin. I desire to add that many
good families must and will suffer un
] less substantial, material aid is furuish
i ed, and I hope onr city authorities will
not hesitate to subscribe at least twenty
or thirty thousand dollars iu aid of the
great distress and suffering that must
and will exist in Hancock, Warren, Mc-
Duffie aud Columbia aud adjoining
counties. Contributions from distant
friends may be safely sent to tho Ordi
naries of the respective comities.
Wm. Gibson.
Letter front lion. H. R. Casey.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel:
It is my painful duty to chronicle one
of tho most dreadful and destructive
tornadoes that has ever oocurred in this
country. I have read of such things,
but I had hoped I never would be an
eye witness to such a scene—a cyclone
that has left death aud desolation* in its
track. A truthful picture is beyoud mv
pen to describe. Even what I shall
write may appear incredible. But “see
ing is beiieving.” Ho who “rides upon
the whirlwind and directs the storm”
has visited Columbia county in his
auger, and a tract of country reaching
from the McDuffie line on the west to
the Savannah river on the east is laid in
ruins. I shall confine my report of this
terrible visitation to its effects along
this line so far as heard from. We see
its effect first at the Morris place, near
the McDuffie line. There it blew down
and demolished every house, killing an
infant child. Onward it swept through
that extensive plateau of pine forest,
felling the timber in its track. At Mrs.
Dorsey’s the fine dwelling was torn
into atoms, and Mrs. Dorsey, the
mother of our worthy fellow-citizen and
faithful tax receiver, Capt. Geo. Dorsey,
was buried in the ruins, and when found
was a corpse. Every house on the place,
I learn, was destroyed. George Gray’s
place was the next in its track. Mr.
Gray has beeu for many years the Su
perior Court Clerk and County Treas
urer. His wife was very seriously hurt
iu the fall of the dwelling, but it is
hoped that she will recover from her
wounds. Every house here is in ruins,
i It next struck Dr. Hamilton’s “Kiokee
| Place,’’demolishing many of the houses,
j but I believe no oi/e was irijiireii there
|in person. It next struck the Appling
■ Academy,<feiakii*g a Aunplete wiyeok -of
it. This building has just beeu
thoroughly repaired, and a flourishing
school under the supervision jof the
accomplished teacher, Divine. M.
Thomas, was in progress. Fortunately
it was Saturday else teacher and
scholars would have been within this
terrible wreck. The Methodist Church,
anew and neat building, was blown from
its foundation, partly unroofed and oven
the brick pillars were taken up and be
came the sport of the wind. The rec
tor’s house, now occupied by a widow
lady who supports her children by
needle work, was partly demolished;
one of the beds was fired, the clothing
of the family carried away, but this
mother and group of little ones saw the
storm pass from them without any fur
ther damage. The three buildings were
situated in a beautiful grove, but this
too presents to the eye “ a wide waste
of ruin laid.”
The old “Hunt Place,” now belonging
to some colored people, was also in line
with the last buildings, and was very
seriously injured, most of the buildings
Jcnr,, t, n t no ono hurt.
The next scene of horror was the premi
ses of the talented and useful citizen
Dr. B. B. Bailey. His residence was a
large two and a half story building,
with a brick basement. With him lived
Mrs. Lucy Malone, her two daughters
and two sons, and a maiden sister, Miss
Margaret Bailey. The Doctor was pro
fessionally absent at the time of this ter
rible calamity. The two Miss Malones
and a brother were at a neighbor’s house.
Mrs. Malone was taken from under the
debris seriously injured in the right
lung, Miss Maggie Bailey by her side a
corpse, while the remaining son extri
cated himself from the ruins uninjured.
The shop, kitchen, stable, barn and all
the outbuildings, together with the
large old oaks, and the beautiful shrub
bery of the flower garden, were all de
stroyed. As far as the eye oan reach in
an easterly direction may be seen the
splintered fragments of these buildings.
I do not exaggerate when I say one may
walk over acres of ground in front of
this place by stepping from one piece to
another of the wreck—buildings literal
ly torn into atoms. A queer spectacle
is here to be seen. In front of this
place is an old field dotted with small pine
saplings that looked on yesterday morn
green and flourishing, to-day they stand
not a leaf to be seen, entirely denuded
of the bark, and around their roots are
entwined the fodder from the bam as
it was being swept around in this furious
tornado. The next place is the old A.
M. Crawford place, now owned by Mr.
James Kelly. The chimneys of the
dwelling were all blown down, and every
other house on the place destroyed. In
' the village Mr. Kelley’s hotel was slight
ly injtiipj Hlb stables and barn blown
down. His bnggy '„aa lifted up in the !
iiir find blown distance nway and |
came to the ground with one of the !
axles broken. The old female academy,
now used by Mr. Kelley as tenants’
house, was completely wrecked, and a
negro man injured and* his child killed.
The gable end roof of the Court House
was lifted from its place, borne intact
through the air and struck the large
shade tree in front of thehotel, uprooted
that and all came to the gronnd a wreck
of matter and a crush of timbers. The
old Baptist Church, I believe the oldest
one in the State, is a wreck, and a plank
hnrled therefrom shot like a shell
through Mr. Harden’s store. Another
one struck Mr. Wm. Benton’s horse that
was hitched near by this store, killing
him so dead that there was not even a
life struggle. The old Masonic Hall, now
the Freedmen’s Church, was entirely
destroyed. But little damage was done
to Mr. Elias Bailey’s place, so also
Judge Shields and Mr. Harden’s.—
The jail weathered the storm, and was
used by some of our affrighed citizens
as a refuge in the hour of danger. Find
ing the small shade trees in front of the
store, to which they clung during the
first storm in order to keep on terra
ftrma, of doubtless utility, when the
second portend was seen coming, there
was a general stampede for the rear of
the jail. Passing from the village, the
next place the storm king assailed was
the homeof A. M. Crawford. His dwell
ing was in part injured, inflicting slight
wounds on two of his children. All the
outhouses were destroyed. The Collins’
place, now owned by Mr. Kelly, was the
next place visited, but little injury here
to the main dwelling, but every other
house on the place was blown down.
The next is the Shoe Shop place, owned
by Mr. Wm. B. Lamkin. Here the
destruction was but slight to the main
building, but all the outhouses were
destroyed. No report from the Knox
place or Mr. Benson’s, but we learn the
gin house on Mr. Julian Lamkin’s place
was destroyed. Mr. Walton’s residence, I
we hear, was badly injured, ad
many of the outhouses .smashed, j
fonr negroes killed and several wound
ed. The old A. P Robertson plaee, now
owned by Mr. Wm. Walton, suffered,
we bear, very seriously—injured the
dwelling, destroyed most, if not all, of
the outhouses. Here the storm king
took leave of our Statean Jerossed the Sa
vannah river. What was further done
ontiio war path “this deponent kuowetb
not.” And now, Messrs. Editors, to east
a backward glance over this pathway of
dessolation we see a wreck which we !
veutnre to say was never before Been, j
eveu by the "oldest inhabitant." It is j
said that, not a gin house is to-day j
standing in this pathway of ruin. But I
♦ his is not all. There comes another epi
sode iu this dreadful tragedy: six small 1
boys were out hunting. Edmund Kelly,
one of them, seeing the storm coming, I
with great calmues* and forethought got
out of resell of a clump of trees that was
near by, and laid down ou the ground,
hoping to escape the storm, but not ho,
he was taken npin the air, he says, borne i
a distance of 150 yards and fell between 1
two logs, breaking his arm midway be- ;
tween tho shoulder and elbow. The
other five boys were more or less injured. I
As they came into the vilfcge they pre- ;
sented a queer spectacle. Their faces !
were all disfigured with the pollings of
sand and gravel aud occasional gashes;
as batliy marked as are small pox
paiAonts—a sad sequel to a rabbit hunt.
And now t (> conclude this sad and im
perfect pietioro While I would not wish
to discriminate bci,s oe n thosA mauv un
fortunate shffej-ers, there is one calamity •
that comes home to me with peculiar and
painful interest. The home of Dr. Bailey
now in ruins was once my home— there
I lived aud there is the birth phee of
several of my children. There, 00, I
saw closed in death the eyes of hei who
was mother to those children; and
when that sad event happened lfelt
that could be no longer a home tome
and mine. I bade farewell to it tud
removed to my present one, then lut
partially complete. But then I had m
other charge to attend to. I could nit
forget the many friends who had lookel
to me for help in the hour of sickness.
It became my duty iu dissolving my
connection with this people to see to it
that in my successor they would find
one equally worthy with myself. My
attention was directed to Dr. Bailey, a
rising young man “and to the manner
born.” I felt from my knowledge of
him as a nran and as a physician he
would give general satisfaction. This!
was in 1859. I sold to Dr. Bailey. It
has been to me a peculiar pleasure to
know that the Doctor has filled all the
requirements of the occasion. He is a
wise, skillful and attentive minister to
the sick. The field of his professional
labors was once occupied by the writer
of this humble tribute to Ins worth, and
to the memory of those who have fallen
in this wreck. It is familiar ground to
me. And this is my apology for this
seeming partiality. Dr. Bailey’s case is
a peculiar one. 117; who know him in
timately can well appreciate this terri
ble, crushing calamity. For the past
eighteen or twenty years he has given
his exclusive time, talent and devotion
to the 'practice of his profession, and
such has beeu that devotion to his peo
ple, professionally, that to-day he is
regarded, if notin'a spiritual sense, at
least in a professional one, the “ Good
Samaritan.” He has been indulgent
with his patrons to a remarkable de
gree. Within the past few years, find
ing that lie had substantial proof that
his friends were acting upon tlie idea
that “ the laborer was worthy of
his*hire,” lie began to make some in
vestments. But he did not go beyond a
reasonable, expectation of his ability to
meet his obligations. He was meeting
these obligations as they matured with
promptness, and was happy in the
thought that he was not only providing
for himself, but that other members of
his family were the happy sharers of
his home and its comforts. But,
alas ! while indulging in these
honest, praiseworthy and reason
able expectations, this dreadful
visitation of an all-wise Providence has
come upon him with peculiar and forcible
impress In a conversation with him
to-day ko spoke, feelingly of ;iis affairs,
and, sa: he, “ While my peeurl'aiy losses
have beVn great, 1 feel that il. life and
1 Health ♦ite spaaed io<, 1. ruayv recover
these losses ; but ah, who can restore
1° nte, "ny household, my dear lost sis
ter." He could not conclude the thought,
his eyes gave vent to the feelings of that
heart that could not find utterance from
the lips. She was a dear sister to him.
But she is now in that “ Spirit Land ”
where there is no “ wreck of matter aud
crush of worlds,” but where all is calm,
serene and happy. Miss Maggie Bailey
was in her thirty-sixth year, and for the
past fifteen to twenty years a bright and
shining member of the Methodist Epis
copal.Clnirch. One of the last acts of
her life was in the discharge of a plea
sant duty. In her satchel were found
her Bible, Hymn Book, Catechism nht.es
for the next day’s Sabbath school. She
lived and died iu the fai*b, and while
she has left many friends to mourn her
loss and sudden'death, she, wilh fljrs.
Dorsey, are today around the “Big
White Throne” reaping tlie reward of a
life well spent on earth.
H. R. Oasey.
Waveklt Hall, Columbia County.
MEETING OFCITIiUSNS AT THOM
SON.
Thomson, Ga., March 22, 1875.
At a meeting of citizens called at the
Firemen’s Hall, Mr. John E. Benton was
unanimously called to the Chair, and
It. H. Pearce requested to act as Secre
tary. At the request of the Chair, Paul
C. Hudson, Esq., stated that the object
of the meeting was to secure concert of
action in rendering assistance to the
sufferers by the recent tornado. On
motion, a committee of nine (to which
the Chairman of tho meeting was after
wards added) was appointed to ascertain
the extent and nature of injuries to per
son and property within the county, and
to solicit contributions and direct the
appropriation of the same to the imme
diate assistance and relief of the suffer
ers. The Town Council of Thomson
was requested to contribute funds from
the town treasury for this purpose.
After providing for a more extended
call the meeting adjourned to meet
at the Court House, at 3, p. m., 23d.
March 23, 1875.
The meeting was called to order at
the time appointed. A letter from
Messrs. W. H. Howard & Sons, of Au
gusta, giving notice of a shipment of
supplies contributed by them, was read.
The committee appointed yesterday re
ported as follows; Hub-committe re
port, §94 50 cash; §IBSO provisions, and
82 o 0 subscribed. The Treasurer re
ports 8100 from Town Council ; 50
pounds of flour, 1 shoulder bacon from
J- Benton; 1 side bacon from Jesse
Johnson; 195 pounds of bacon, 2j bar
rels flour, 5 bushels meal, 40 pounds of
sugar, 20 pounds coffee, 02 pounds rice,
from W. H. Howard & Sons (the re
mainder of their contribution was sent
to Columbia county). The cash sub
scription was raised during the meeting
to 8210, which amount was turned over
to Jas. B. Neal, Treasurer.
The committee report losses and inju
ries as follows: S. P. Huchiugson, eight
in family, 20 bushels of corn and 150
lbs of bacon saved; houses and all fur
niture destroyed; clothing in bad condi
tion. Solon Young, four in family, lias
but little clothing left, provisions lost,
beds and furniture destroyed. Richard
Dougherty saved 5 bushels of ’corn and
100 lbs. of bacon; all else lost, except
some bed clothes. Solon Reese has
corn and meat to supply him; elothiug,
household and kitchen furniture des
troyed. Six negroes—Foster, John,
Frank, and two children, and Henry—
lost everything. John E. Smith’s place
greatly damaged, but not aa entire
wreck; two colored children killed, seve
ral wounded, all colored. Turner Wat
son badly injured; negroes lost nearly
all their clothing and bed clothing, ex
cept Jack, Jim and Fayette. A. B.
Thrasher’s place, George O’Tyson ten
ant, complete wreck; no one hurt; labor
needed most. James B. Neal’s place, W.
G. Bross, tenant, two houses blown
away :half of com lost,fifty bushels saved.
William Benson lost everything. A. E.
Sturgis’ place, James A. Benson, ten
ant, household and kitchen all gone,
except bedding. Willis Drane, colored,
everything gone. Simon Shaw, colored,
lost about half he had. Anderson
Shields, colored, lost half (these were
with Jas. A. Benson). A. E. Sturgis
lost gin house, barn, stables, four negro
houses, one mule. J. W. Morgan, com
plete wreck, nothing saved, all houses
down except barn, which is badly dam
aged, one child seriously injured, cook
expected to die. Daniel Showers, col
ored, lost all he had. Bob Tindall, col
ored, also. Jno. Reeves, barn and out
houses blown down. Thomas Register,
dwelling and property destroyed. Cap
tain J. T. Stovall, at Mrs. J. M. Lazen
M Mil ■!
•’! .i a • . . •
!h>u.-lim!,| fill i, t■. ii . i
Stovall's ’ i.'g was I :. iki-n. and
it.jur.-4 r i-,-.
Stovall received painful injiiro-.-:.
A. J. Simons’ plantation
one house Mown down, dwelling iH
injured. J. J. Toole, at .T. T. StovalM
place, fenees all down and two negro'
houses demolished. Warren Laxenbv
(colored), same putce, house and most
of “his furniture and provisions gone.
Thos. Lazenby (colored), same place, iu
same condition. Brad. Wilson (colored),
nt Mrs. N. C ; Bacon's, total wreck, all
lost. Mrs. N. ('. B .con lost a girt house
and three cabins. W. H. Ivey's dwelling
destroyed, about one-half of his provis
ions saved. Jake Williams (colored), at
same place, ill similar condition. Saiu
Williams and Bill Iv -y (both colored),
at S. Ivey’s place, sutiered similar loss.
Seaborn Ivey lost gin house aud seven
cabins.
The report of the committee was re
ceived, aud, ou motion, the following
were added to it, to-wit: B. A. Willing
ham, John H. Scott, J. J. Morris, .las.
Norris and J. L. Neal—being one from
each district in the county—who were
requested to solicit and receive contribu
tions to the relief lund.
Tho following resolution was unani
mously adopted by arising vote;
Resolved , That the thanks of the citi
zens of McDuffie county are due and arc
hereby tendered to Messrs. W. H. How
ard & Sons, o. ; Ga.. for their
very generous (Viutributiou of provisions
• for the relief -If the sufferers of this
oounty; and to Superintendent S. K.
Johnson, of the Georgia Railroad, for
forwarding the same free of freight.
The following was also adopted;
Whereas, There are many of our
citizens along the track of the recent
terrible tornado that visited our ooTiuty
left in entirely destitute circumstances,
their houses and nil their substance hav
ing been swept away or destroyed, and
some of them suffering for the necessi
ties of lile; aud whereas, wc believe the
voice of humanity as well as neighborly
duty demand that we contribute to then
relief, and endeavor to ameliorate their
condition, as far as our ability extends,
and that, too, without delay; and where
as, for that purpose, at our meetiug eu
yesterday, we appointed a comniittre,
consisting of E. A. Shields, President;
?. C. Hudson, Esq., Secretary; Jones
1. Neal, Treasurer; R. H! Bush, A. J.
Adkins, D. B. Johnson, J. 11. t 3asey,
Etq., J nines L. Hardaway and John I£.
Benton to get up a relief fund for the
aid of the sufferers;
Resolved, That we request said com
mittee to make solicitations to the
Mayors and Councils of Augusta, At
lanta and other cities of the State, and
through them to the citizens who have
always been ready to respond to the
cries o' the needy ami suffering, even to
those it distunt sections of the country,
to come to our aid aud contribute some
thing fo- the speedy relief of .hose un
fortunate families which have been ren
dered homeless and destitute, and who
are now, vithout the assistance of good
and charitable citizens, uterly unable
to provide for their immediate wants, or
to make a crop for their uniutenance an
other year.
Resolved, That said committee bo re
quested to forward a covy of these reso
lutions to the Mayors ot said cities, anil
to receive any and all contributions that
may bo sent.’
On motion, the Secretary was request
ed to furnish the proceedings of this
meetiug t,o the Me))utile Journal , and
to the Chronicle and Sentinel and
Constitutionalist, of Augusta, for pub
lication. Adjourned.
John E. Benton, President.
R. 11. Pearce, Secretary.
*Capt. Stovall lias Hince died.
Organized Assistance.
Editors Chronicle and Sentinel:
The terrible accounts from the recent
tornadoes that- have passed through our
State are most appalling. Help must luj
given to the sufferers. Every
humanity and religion calls
every man and woman in the
once to help these stricken mitv^^L^,
| lieals are m:i/lc to cities and tow
cause of accessibility, but that and
j exempt us who live in the country OMki
I ffaeize in
each county do the same, and let’s ail ol
us determine to show our sympathy bv
something more substantial than there
words. >s w
Burke county.
MONTGOMERY.
The Florida Mystics—lndiana Editors.
Montoomery, Ala., March 24.
grand celebration of the Mystics of Pen
sacola, Florida, will be held on Easter
Monday evening. Extensive prepara
tions have beeu made, and a large num
ber of people are expected tf> visit tlio
ancient city of the Gulf on tho occasion.
A cordial welcome is offered to all.
A party of Indiana editors, forty-odd
in number, reached here this morning
from Now Orleans. They left at 4, p.
m., for Eufaula, where they take a boat
down the Chattahoochee and go to Tal
lahassee, and from thence to Jackson
ville. Ou their return they go through
Bavannali, Atlanta and Chattanooga.
Extra Session of the Louisiana Legis
lature.
r New Orleans, March 24.—Governor
Kellogg to-night issued a call for au
extra session of the Legislature, to meet
iu New Orleans Wednesday, April 14;h,
to carry out the adjustment. The sub
jects for legislation arc limited by tho
call to six, viz: First, adjustment of
political difficulties; second, revenues of
the State, and modp of collection and
disbursement; third, amending of the
funding hill so as to change the consti
tution of the Funding Board and pre
vent funding of illegal obligations;
fourth, the financial condition and gov
ernment of New Orleans; fifth, relief of
commerce of New Orleans from exces
sive port charges and fees; sixth, by re
quest of a delegation of merchants to
incorporate a board of trade.
General A. S. Badger has been ap
pointed fiscal agent of the Board of Po
lice Commissioners.
The Weather North.
Washington, March 24.—A warm
snow is falling here and generally North.
Apprehensions of floods and gorges are
general throughout the North, the late
severe weather having massed the ice
and the present snow iu many localities
is melting as it falls here and elsewhere.
The drifting assures a general flood.
Twenty thousand people who subsist
from the lumber trade will probably
lose all they have.
Doble, the famous horse artist, has
lately brought his wonderful horse
Occident from Ban Francisco to tho
Last to prepare for the Spring meetings,
which commence about the first of May.
The car in which Occident made the
journey is described as being especially
designed for the ease and comfort of
race horses. Stalls padded with Brus
sels carpet, beds for the horses to lie in
wire screens for the windows to keep the
sparks from his eyes, n heater to keep
him warm, a refrigerator to keep him
cool, hot water for his feet, a boudoir
with frescosed walls and ceilings for his
keeper, chairs, lounges, laee curtains
mirrors, silver lamps and a side-board
of fine wines for his guests and admirers.
Bo much for a hore. Meanwhile the
1 mrse car drivers receive their two dollars
a day for seventeen hours work, are
allowed ten minutes for meals and live
hours for sleep, and receive their dis
charge when their strength is g„ne
which with this sort of treatment is not
likely to survive a few months service.
Those who fancy they have sounded
the depths of woman’s love with the
plumb-line of sentimental novels should
ponder over the true story of Mary Ann
Dowling, au orphan, of Williamsburg,
New York. The object of Mary’s adora
tion was an individual about twenty-two
years old, who rejoiced in the romantic
title of James Dolan, alias Franlev, and
who is described as an uncouth and
burly man, with beetle brows and a
permanent scowl. But that Mary
thought none the less of him on these
accounts is proved by the fact that she
rode all the way from New York to t-lie
Sing Sing State Prison, where the gentle
Janies was confined for felony for a term
of years, to marry him. The ceremony
was • performed by Chaplain Canfield.
The happy bridegroom returned to his
cell and the bride to New York, there to
await, through the long, long years, the
liberation of the man to whom she was
so strangely united.
The Covington Star suggests that
Hon. John B. Gordon be requested to
address the citizens of that place on
Memorial Day.