1883 Tornado Strikes Farmerville, Union Parish Louisiana Submitted by: T. D. Hudson & Shawn Martin Dates of Submission: 8/2001, updated 4/2008 (Hudson) and 12/2008 (Martin) ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================== ================================================================================== 1883 Tornado & Storm Strike Farmerville, Union Parish Louisiana Published in: ++ "New Orleans Times Picayune", issue of 22 April 1883 ++ "The Monroe Bulletin", issues of Wednesday, 25 April 1883, page 2, column 2, and Wednesday, May 2, 1883, page 2, column 1 ++ Farmerville "Gazette", centennial issue of 1939, Section 3, page 4 Verified by dates on tombstones in Farmerville Cemetery. Articles transcribed from the original newspapers by Shawn Martin & Tim Hudson ================================================================================== ================================================================================== ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From: "New Orleans Times Picayune", issue of 22 April 1883 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Buried Beneath a Fallen Wall [Special to the Picayune] Farmerville, via Monroe, La. April 21 – During a severe storm of wind and rain which passed over this place about 3’oclock this afternoon, the brick fire wall of Messrs. D. Stein & Co. was blown down and fell upon a small frame building, owned and occupied as a saloon by H. O. Glasson. The building was completely demolished. At the time of the incident H. O. Glasson, W. A. Darby, Marion Shultz, Thomas Dawson and T. O. Jones were in the building. Glasson was killed, Darby had his leg broken, and is otherwise seriously and probably fatally injured, Shultz and Dawson were badly hurt but not seriously, and Jones alone escaped unhurt. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From: The "Monroe Bulletin", issue of Wednesday, 25 April 1883 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== UNFORTUNATE FARMERVILLE. But a few weeks ago a fire destroyed the largest dry goods store in Farmerville. Mr. Stein, the owner, is absent trying to compromise the differences between him and the Underwriters before rebuilding. The walls were left standing, towering above contiguous buildings. Saturday evening last a tornado struck the town, the wall was blown down upon Glasson's saloon completely demolishing it. Five persons were in it. H.C. Glasson was killed, W.A. Darby had one leg broken and was otherwise seriously if not fatally injured, Marion Shultz was badly hurt, Thomas Dawson was fearfully bruised and F.Jones miraculously escaped unhurt. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From: The "Monroe Bulletin", issue of Wednesday, 2 May 1883 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Mr. W.A. Darby, one of the sufferers in the Farmerville storm, died from the effects of his injuries. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From: Farmerville "Gazette", centennial issue of 1939 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Recalls Cyclone Another interesting incident in the history of the town about 1885 [sic - 1883] was a cyclone that struck the village. Mr. Leimkuhler recalls that there was a little saloon and the cyclone, sweeping down across the town, struck this small building. "The building was crushed to the floor and the falling shed crushed Dink Glasson's head and hurt Judge W. A. Darby internally; they both died in Julius Arent's store, a short while later. Another man suffered a crush, I think. Marion Shultz was bruised about the head and body and when they removed the ruins he was found under a round table." He continues his narrative, "When Stein's store burned, he used his house across the street as a store until a new one was built. The carpenter who worked on the building was Hilliary Ham, Jim McFarland, two other carpenters and a negro, Dave Christian. The ground floor in the front was Jeff Baughman's clothing store, and the center was Jack Apfel's barroom. He lived next to his barroom..." ================================================================================== NOTE: The newspaper accounts are corroborated by the tombstone of William A. Darby in the Farmerville Cemetery, which says that Darby was born on 1 November 1817 in Caswell County North Carolina, and he died on 21 April 1883. This tombstone stated that the monument was "Erected by Daniel Stein to the memory of his friend." ############################################################# File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/newspapers/articles/1883tornado.txt