Randolph County AlArchives News.....1883 Cyclone in Randolph County May 1, 1883
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Linda Ayres http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00031.html#0007674 September 10, 2022, 5:29 pm

The Montgomery Advertiser May 1, 1883
A terrible and disastrous storm passed over a portion of this county about six 
miles west of this place last Sunday night doing immense damage to property, but 
fortunately no lives were lost. There had been quite a gust of wind and some 
rain late in the afternoon of Sunday, but about noon passed over, but about 
night it began lightning in the north, and continued to increase with occasional 
mutterings of thunder, until about 12 o'clock, when the winds and clouds from 
the North and the South, met in the neighborhood of the Messrs, Hodges six miles 
west of this place in such terrific fury that it blew down houses, 
twisted large trees to the ground blowing down fences and everything in its wild 
and devasting course. The house of Mr. William Hodges was leveled to the ground 
and everything he had beds, bedsteds, tables, knives and forks, clothing and 
everything else, was blown away and ruined. The children were dashed from their 
bed upon the floor, and the flooring carried some fifty yards away, with the 
children upon it, and yet none of them were killed, but were badly hurt, livery 
member of the family was badly injured, Mr. H. received serious injuries on his 
head, hip and ankle, so as to disable him from work, probably for the year. 
Every house or Mr. Sherrod Hodges was blown down, leaving him without a shelter. 
So were the houses of Mr. John Kent and Mr. James Hodges. The cotton house and 
shop and out houses of the latter were leveled by the storm The top of nis 
dwelling was blown on to the top of the doors and the shed rooms blown away the 
main dwelling. All these disastrous results occurred in a minute's time There 
was during the night, a terrible tall of rain doing immense damage throughout 
the country. The Mills of Burnes and Harman, gin of Ussery, Shelnutt's mills, 
gin and etc. Pitman's Race, Reeves' mill dam, the bridge over the creek 
at Rock Mills, Sherman's water-wheel and water-house, were washed down and away, 
Also, the bridge on Corn House creek at Mrs. Gray's is gone, the mill of Dobson 
and Knight and also Davis Mill have been washed away. A house was seen floating 
down the river at Louina. 
The mail from this place to West Point was stopped on Monday, and the mail 
carriers from Buffalo had to swim one creek to get here. 
It is true, these were sad and severe disasters, but then they might have been 
worse, for thought all these sad occurrences the all-protecting care of an over-
ruling Providence is seen in that no lives were lost. These unfortunate friends 
need not only the heartiest sympathies of their fellow citizens, but they need 
the material help of the more fortunate people of the country, and without 
making any invidious distinction, no more so than the family of Mr. William 
Hodges who lost alt and beside perhaps is entirely disabled from making a crop 
the present year.

Last night this section of country was visited by the largest freshet and deluge 
of water ever known to its oldest citizens. Persons who have been living here 
ever since the year 1838, say that Wedowee Creek was higher this morning than 
ever before known. The rains commenced falling between ten and eleven o'clock at 
night and continued until after two this morning. The whole heavens seemed to be 
in a state of perfect commotion, thoroughly impregnated with water and 
electricity. 
Moving from southwest to northeast, pouring forth their streams in torrents as 
the clouds moved on in rapid successions, with the most terrific peal after peal 
of thunder, making the earthquake and tremble. The flashes of lightning 
attending the thunder was horrible, producing great damage and loss of property 
Bridges mills and gin houses were completely swept away, thousands of fencings 
and the best lands in cultivation gone. Wedowee creek bridge gone, Corn house 
creek bridge on the Wedowee and Louina Road gone. It is reported that some or 
the little Tallapoosa River bridges are gone, Cosper's mill, at the north of 
Wedowee creek, badly damaged, William Taylor's mill consider ably damaged, lie 
now a large quantity of grain in the mill, which was all lost, also a bale of 
cotton in his house lost. His losses are about five hundred dollars. Rollins' 
mill and gin and Green's mill and gin were
swept away. Mr. C. A. Smith's mill and gin, on Wild Cat creek all lost, valued 
at $2,000. John Smith's mill on the same stream gone.
Widow Gay's mill gone; King's, Clark's, and Overton's mills all lost. 
The saddest and most heart rendering news comes at this moment, 11 o'clock a.m. 
Mr. Jackson arrives in haste from Robert Merrill's mill, near the line of 
Georgia, with intelligence to W. W. Dobson Jr., and William Taylor. Dodsons in-
law of Mr. Merrill, that his son-in-law. Mr. Roop, doing business at Merrill's 
mill this morning at 8 o'clock, himself. wife and three little children, Mr. 
Roop's brother and a little colored girl were swept away by the flood, 
downstream, carrying dwelling house, store house, goods and everything away, 
and at sun up this morning at the leaving of Mr. Jackson nothing had been heard 
of them. Doubtless all were lost. Mr. Dodson and wife, J. B. Merrill and Mrs. 
Traylor brother and sisters to the supposed lost lady left in a very few minutes 
for their father's. Mr. Roop and family were well to do and highly respected. 
The family were her many citizens of this place. 
The news fell like a pall here, and Wedowee made a picture of badness beyond 
description. There were many other losses of less importance.
B. F. Weathers.

The Atlanta Constitution Apr 27, 1883:

Carrollton Georgia: Between twelve and two o'clock in Heard County Georgia on 
Hillabahatchee creek about six miles northwest of Franklin at Merrell's mill 
happened one of the most terrible and distressing calamities that was ever our 
sad task to chronicle. Mr. B. J. Roop. who was living on the property of his 
father in-law Mr. Robert Merrell had for want of a better location for building 
near the mill had erected his dwelling and store house on a little plat of 
ground Just below the mill dam between the race and the creek. Mr. B.J. Roop and 
family consisting of wife and three children one an infant of but a few weeks 
together with a little negro girl acting as nurse made up the number that 
constituted the household. But there was still another on that fatal night to 
meet the fearful doom that lay just before him and that was Mr. Thomas Roop of 
this county who was spending the night with his brother. Away in the small hours 
of the night they were.


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