Cherokee County GaArchives News.....Terrible Storm February 19, 1884 ************************************************ 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: Meredith Clapper http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00012.html#0002801 November 20, 2017, 10:15 pm The Cherokee Advance 21 Feb 1884 P 3 February 19, 1884 Tuesday evening about 4 1/2 oclock (sic) Marion Cline came hurriedly to town in quest of "all the doctors" saying that a Cyclone had just passed over the northern portion of the county and several were killed and others wounded. It so happened that not one of our doctors were in town but he was promised that they would be sent as soon as they came. Dr. W. L. Coleman soon came in and at 7 o'clock he and the Editor of this paper procured a double team of George Evans and started for the scene of the disaster hoping to reach there in time to partly alleviate the pains of the suffering and if possible get the particulars of the sad affair in due time to give our readers of this issue an idea of the extent of the report. Our wildest and most visionary imagination of its pictured trees and fences whirling in mid air was not half surmised. The scene is beyond description or imagination. No pen nor picture can fairly represent the devastation which we beheld--unequalled (sic) by South Ga. The storm began at about 2 o'clock in the evening and lasted quite awhile, passing over considerable ground, ranging from a south-easterly to a north-westerly course and extending for several mile (sic) into Pickens county and doing a great deal of damage. It could be heard for some distance and the earth was enveloped in darkness during the fierceness. The section of the county we visited was in the vicinity of Davis & Cornelisons' store in the northern part of this county, 2 miles west of Sharp Top, near the Pickens county line. We stopped at John McMahan, the first house we found standing, passing over a distance of 2 miles along which the cyclone had cut its way, and found there the wife of Louis King lying cold and motionless, and Louis King and three of his children badly hurt; Mrs. King was enciente. Here we stopped until morning and learned from the family the following sad particulars: That John Nicholson and wife, an aged couple; 3 year old child of W. H. Collier; 2 boys of Levi Cagle, and William Herring, a hired hand on Cagles' place besides Mrs. King above mentioned were instantly killed; making seven in all. That W. H. Collier, Mrs. Warren Barret, and perhaps children; Mrs. Frank Manley Mrs. Levi Cagle the wife and three children of Jim Dowda Mrs. Lacy Mrs. Pitts Mrs. Baker Jim Taylor and wife Tom Cook Anneias Cornelison, Kings above mentioned and perhaps others we do not now remember were badly hurt and may yet die. That the houses of W. H. Collier, Louis King Mrs. Barrett, C. H. Taylors, dwelling and barns, Wm Manley, Jim Lacy, John Boling, Louis Taylor, Tom Cook, Levi Cagle, good new house, John Cagle, John Payn, John Nicholson, Mr. Daniel, Lilly Corbin, Levi Corn Mr. Carr, and Cal Jackson were blown down; of the first six we could only see here and there a scattered piece of the building and house furniture broken and strewn all over the fields and woods. The roof was blown off the house of Jas Smith, the tobacco barn of Ara Smith, and school room in which John Cline, was teaching at the time; no one hurt at either of last name places so far as known. The store house of C. H. Taylors was torn to atoms and scattered in such profusion that a stranger could not tell where the house stood; his goods, a nice new stock were scattered all through the woods with here and there a shoe with the heel or sole blown off and upon the tops of trees could be seen bolts of calico domestic etc. The rail fences, large stately oaks and the smallest shrubbery and sprigs of grass were to be seen in all directions. Many cows calfs (sic), horses, mules, all kinds of stock, chickens etc. were killed. The loss of life property and the intense suffering is great and we deeply spmyathise (sic) with all. Our space and time is so limited this Wednesday being the day upon which we print and send out our papers that we must refrain from saying more at present hoping that our trip over bad roads filled with trees down through the bitter cold and up all night may in part satisfy your thirst for prompt and reliable news. There will naturally be much want and suffering among these poor unfortinates (sic) who have so suddenly been swept of beloved ones, their houses, furniture, hats, shoes, clothing and necessary articles of food it therefore behooves our citizens and the people of the State to liberally help to cloth (sic) and feed the distressed and nurse the suffering. Our citizens nobly responded to their wants yesterday in a public meeting held at the court house We are told by Dr. Turk that at Walesca the storm was equally as destructive as above stated and that a small child of Hiram Walkers was instantly killed: Mrs. Tobe Owens was seriously hurt and perhaps others. Many houses were blown down and much property destroyed and ruin lay in its wake. The storms raged fiercely along the M. & N. Ga. R.R. and entirely swept the town of Tates away injuring seriously Mrs. Darnell Miss Bradford, John Perry and wife and Luke Wood. 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