Tornado Of 1875
March 20, 1875 a tornado came through middle Ga starting in Lee County
Alabama and ending in Edgefield County, S.C. Numerous lives were lost and
the injuries were many. In Baldwin County 9 people were killed, 60 wounded,
94 houses blown down, and $50,000 worth of property damage was done.
.
Below are articles from the Augusta newspaper and Atlanta newspapers
about Baldwin County. The list of the dead were taken from the Augusta
paper and The Union-Recorder.
Daily Chronicle and Sentinel
March 23, 1875
The Storm in Milledgeville
(Macon Telegraph and Messenger)
" From passengers who arrived from Milledgeville,
by the Central train, we gather a few particulars of the damage done in
that vicinity. The storm seems to have been of the most fearful description.
It passed along the suburbs of the city, traveling a little north of east.
The cloud is represented to have resembled an hour-glass in shape, was
in vertical position, and as luminous as blazing fire. In fact, it so closely
resembled fire that all the alarm bells in the city were rung and the people
turned out, thinking that there was a fire. The storm occurred in the afternoon,
and up to the time of the departure of the train news had been received
of the destruction of fifteen houses; but we were unable to obtain a full
list of them. The residence of Mr. Martin, near Milledgeville, a
new building, was blown away, and one of his children and a colored
child were also killed. The fine residence of Judge Hunter,
between Milledgeville and Midway, was unroofed. The carriage house and
stables of Mr. T.H. Latimer were destroyed. A bale of cotton which
had been packed was blown to pieces. The ties were broken and the cotton
scattered about through the trees. The storm struck a team that was passing
from the Asylum to Milledgeville. The wagon was blown away, the harness
blown off the horses and the horses severely mangled."
Daily Chronicle and Sentinel
March 24, 1875
In Baldwin County
MILLEDGEVILLE, March 20, 3:10 p.m.
"At 1:15 o'clock to-day
a terrible whirlwind passed through the southern suburbs of the city, extending
across the corporation line and embracing an area of about 300 yards in
width in its passage. It twisted homes and trees, and everything in its
course from the face of the earth, then dashing them with fury to the right
and left, or carrying them for hundreds of yards directly up, almost into
the very clouds it seemed, then dashing them away out from the circle of
its influence, the ponderous trees came crashing to the earth. Our reporter
only had time to make an hasty exploration. Just south of the creek bridge
and just within the city limits, a colored man about 21 years of age (an
intelligent and bright mulatto) Richard Gouder, 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 particulars. Houses without number are demolished, as in every other
species of property in the track of the cyclone.- Trees, houses and 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 attracted by the roaring noise,
which sounded like the "rushing of many waters," and mounting a house watched
the whirlwind as it approached through a tremendous forest. It was terribly
grand to see the tremendous pines and massive oaks twisted off and hurled
hither and thither as if they were but straws. The whirlwind seemed at
first to come from the west, but upon approaching 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 McComb estate, and every house but one, on the place, in
ruins. The doctors are being sent for from all over the country. Two
are reported killed on Mr. Jus. Martin's place and every
house in ruins. Others are probably injured on the place. Two are reported
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, through 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, on the Macon and Augusta Railroad. The
cyclone crossed the road from the north side, near Haddock's taking Dr.
Hardeman's place in it's track. Here several houses were blown down,
but no one badly injured. On the place of Mr. Richard Brown the
destruction is terrible. (line unreadable). Here, also three others were
killed- two Negro women and a negro child. One of the former was killed
by a falling house an 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 playing in the yard or in some exposed condition, as it was caught
up by the wind and blown away. Nothing has been heard of since, and it
is possibly many miles away from the spot where it was picked up by the
wind. Found a mile distant, horribly mangled.
Every house of Mr. Brown's place is
destroyed and every person on the place injured. Should be Mr. Brown die
(and we see no hope of his recovery), it will make an aggregate of four
killed on the 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 east 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
to the brain. Many others on both sides of the river are hurt, some seriously
and some but slightly. A great deal poultry has been killed and people
are gathering it up for food. The loss and damage to property, including
the damages consequent upon the loss of fences, will probably amount to
$175,000. In one locality between Midway and town eight houses are total
wrecks. We have not been able to ascertain any individual house, but think
that Mr. Edward Lane, Mrs. Wm. Lane and Mr. Joseph Lane, all belonging
to one family, 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 know to be ten in
number. The wounded will probably reach forty-five in Baldwin County alone.
In crossing the river the wind lifted the water up in a solid mass until
it seemed a perfect wall of water. Chas. Johnson, was hauling a
load of lumber to town, from Scottsboro, and seeing the danger hastily
unhitched the horses.- The wind picked the horses up and dashed them against
the ground, injuring them severely. Charles the driver, sustained a painful
injury - the wagon and lumber were blown away. A goat on the plantation
of Colonel Fair was blown off, as well all the poultry.-- We should
have mentioned that all the houses on this place, save one, were destroyed.
A shingle near Mr. R.N. Lamar's place was hurled 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 extinguished.
The course of the cyclone seems to have been
varied. At first it seems to have come from north of west, crossing the
Macon and August railroad near Haddock'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 a eastward course until it had gotten about
ten miles beyond the river, when it seems to have taken a northeasterly
direction, and in our opinion, recrossed the Macon and Augusta Railroad
between Carr's and Devereux's stations. No train on that road up to this
writing, nor have we any later news from any directions. All the telegraph
lines re down.
SUNDAY, 12:30, a.m.-Two negroes killed at Brown's Crossing and and
many others in Jones and the western portion of this county reported killed."
March 30 1875
The Union Recorder
Mayor Herty received from an unknown person in Atlanta a contribution
for the sufferers of the storm. Thirteen killed in Baldwin county by the
tornado.
James Martin's place (west Baldwin), Robert Harper, Charlie Harper's
place, Robert Trippe's place (Midway) Brown's Crossing at Robert
R Brown's place every house destroyed, everyone injured (Brown's Crossing),
south in city of Milledgeville, McComb place (across river)
List of Victims
1 Mary Johnson
2 Richard Gause/Gouder/Gander (black)
3 George Ann Lewis (black)
4 Laura Wright (black)
5. John Collier (black)
7. Thomas Lester (black)
8 Tom Huson (black) (Charlie Harper's place- Midway)
9. black child at James Martin's place
10. 1 child at Robert Harper's place
11. 1 black woman at R. R. Brown's place
12. 1 black woman at R. R. Brown's place
13. 1 black child blown a mile away at R.R. Brown's place
Wounded:
7 on McComb estate included Mrs. Stapleton
everyone on R. R. Brown's place at Brown's Crossing
Mr. Thos. Johnson, Mrs. Oxford, son and daughter,
and 10 or 12 negroes.
A Miss Berry - daughter of Fitz Berry was at Culverton
and was killed along
with Mrs. Bass and Mrs. Bass's child.
Eileen Babb McAdams copyright 2004
