MCDUFFIE COUNTY, GA - History - Tornado 1875 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Jam66inGA2@aol.com James Malone Table of Contents page: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/mcduffie.htm Georgia Table of Contents: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm The Great Tornado (Type 5) Entered McDuffie Co at RR Mile Post 42 at 12:45 PM March 20 1875. The Rock House Lost windows , a Cookhouse, corncrib and Gin In the Center of the Cemetery a Giant old Oak was Blown over This Marker is in the center of the Tornado’s Path Monument Erected 2002 Located in: Ansley Family Cemetery Located in the Woods Across the Road from the Rock House Cemetery is far back from the Dirt Road in a Grove of Trees There is one Large Stone marker and graves are marked with small white wooden crosses. The Cyclone of 1875 March 20th 1875 started as just an ordinary day In Rural McDuffie County Georgia but would end as one of the darkest days in County History. As was the custom in those days most of the Country Folk were probably up before sunrise and attending to chores, In the Village of Thomson businesses were open for a busy market day. Thought the day may have started fair or a bit overcast, by eleven o clock the skies were turning dark and winds began to pick up. Farmers began heading in from the fields and Merchants took down their awnings and moved merchandise inside. At Noon the sound of Thunder boomed to the west and Heavy drenching rains and high winds began howling making those caught outside run for shelter. Lighting arched across the sky, Thunder shook the ground and trees bent and groaned. People surely began to close Shutters and get the last few unsecured items inside before the worst of the storm finally hit. In these days before long range weather forecasting no one in McDuffie could have known that the storm bearing down on them had spawned Tornados which cut a path of destruction through the central Georgia counties of Harris, Talbot, Upson, Monroe, Jones, Baldwin and Hancock and now had Warren and McDuffie directly in its path. The Tornado that Hit Warren and McDuffie Counties was probably what is today known as an F5, an usually large and destructive Tornado sometimes know by weather experts as "A Finger of God", by all accounts it was the worst Storm anyone then Living in McDuffie County had ever seen. The Tornado Ripped across the County Line at railroad mile post 42, traveling at 70 Miles per hour with winds of 150 miles per hour or more.. Its Barrel shaped funnel was 700 Yards across at the base and chewed up everything in its path. The First Home Reached by the Tornado was the Plantation of Mr Seaborn Ivey, after it had passed there was not a building still standing on the whole place, A Negro Woman who worked for Mr Ivey had been Injured by Flying timbers but no other injuries were reported there. Next was the Home of Mr Henry Ivey , he had every building destroyed and a Horse was picked up and blown into a well. Reportedly the Horse was rescued after the storm passed. Mrs N.C Bacon , Then living in the Rock House, was next in the path of the Storm. The Historic old House withstood the winds and only lost its windows, However the wooden Cookhouse, Corncrib and Cotton Gin were totally destroyed And in the Old Ansley family Cemetery nearby, a Giant old Oak, survivor of may previous storms, was blown over. The Rock house would be one of only a few Buildings to survive the Storm ,Testament to the good work of Thomas Ansley in its construction a hundred years before. The Tornado continued in an Easterly Direction ,coming to the Homestead of Brad Wilson, a local Colored man, he was to see every building on his place blown away. Mr Felix Granade , His Wife and daughter Fannie had been caught in the storm as they returned from The Old Union Church and stopped to take Shelter at the John T Stovall Plantation. As the Tornado hit The Two Women only had time to reach one of the Negro Cabins. Mr Granade was suddenly picked up bu the wind and both he and the Horse and Carriage landed some distance away unhurt. The Cabin in which the Women and Negro occupants huddled collapsed, burying the frightened people. Mrs Granade and Daughter as well as the Negro family were Later rescued and found to be unhurt except for scratches and bruises. Now the Storm was bearing down on the Home of Mr & Mrs John T Stovall. Mr Stovall saw the Tornado coming ,but before he could shout an alarm the House Collapsed onto him. The House was totally destroyed ,except for a newly added addition that lost its roof. After the storm passed Mrs Stovall heard her Husband calling for help, she had suffered a crushed ankle and could only crawl to where he was trapped by fallen timbers. Unable to free him she then crawled about until she found a saw and returned under the house and tried to cut him free.. Fire had broken out and Mrs Stovall had to leave her Husband to cut himself free as she crawled in search of water. Finding no water and not able to stand to draw from the well she used a churn of Milk that had somehow survived the destruction to douse the flames. Mr Stovall would die from his injuries the following Tuesday, Mrs Stovall would remain an invalid for the rest of her life. The Tornado continued across the County ,Tearing across the Land of Mr J.W. Morgan and up rooting pine trees. Mr Morgans House was picked up and thrown ten feet, landing in a mass of ruin. Ed Sutton , A Negro, was killed by flying timbers as the Strom raced into Columbia County and eventually after causing much destruction there crossed the River into Edgefield South carolina. In its wake the Storm left a devastating path of destruction. There were no emergency workers to respond back then ,so neighbors and friends had to pitch in and help dig out survivors and remove debris . Those same neighbors and Friends would then help in the rebuilding . It was a day no one who lived along the Tornado's path would ever forget and the McDuffie Progress and Augusta Chronicle would Feature stories about the Storm in their next editions. The Storm had crossed Sixteen Miles of McDuffie County with a Path seven hundred yards wide. Killed Two people and destroyed numerous Buildings and property. It is still considered one of the worst Tornados in Georgia History.