June 24, 1900 Cullman County Tornado

From The Eufala Daily Times, Eufaula, Alabama, June 27, 1900, pg. 1:

Cullman, Ala., June 26 - A terrific wind storm, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain, passed over the western part of Cullman County late last evening. Much damage was wrought by the wind which, as the storm progressed, attained almost cyclonic velocity, sweeping everything in its path. Trees, fences, and out-houses were blown down. The post office building at Crane Hill was wrecked. Farms along Flint River are inundated, and much damage has been done to crops in all portions of the county. 

From The Tribune-Gazette, Cullman, Alabama, June 30, 1900, pg. 4:

Crooked Creek - One of the worst little cyclones for many years passed through this vicinity Sunday doing great damage to crops and unroofing buildings. No one seriously injured, in person, in this locality. The roof was blown off the house (post office) of Wm. Blackwood, leaving his family and father-in-law unhurt in the house. The public roads were very badly blocked with uprooted trees. Chunks and limbs could be seen for miles away flying in the air. The writer, himself, was in the edge of it, and had many times to run out from under one tree and then halt under another to keep from being crushed alone on the road. - L.B. Cornelius. 

Clarkson – A small, but fearful cyclone swept the country about one mile west of us yesterday (Sunday) evening. When we first discovered it, it was in the direction of Crane Hill traveling fast with huge columns of smoke-like clouds whirling and twirling in every direction. We didn’t hear of any damage done until it reached the home of James Whatley were narrowly missing his house it left his orchard in fragments sweeping the ground clean for several hundred yards. Then rising like a huge serpent passed over a large scope of timber, when it again lowered and came down directly at the home of John Rodgers, tearing the roof from his house and scattering it about two miles then rising again it passed over about two miles of country without coming to the ground, but when it did it come down at Crooked Creek post office tearing up the office and blowing the top off Mr. Blackwood’s house, but hurting no one. Then it passed on until Mr. Kilpatrick’s farm became an offending obstacle, whereupon it proceeded to tear away about half of it. It then went on, it is said about three miles, then striking, went up the road and it is said (but cannot be vouched for) that it left fifteen hundred trees in a piece of road two miles in length.

         The good people have gathered in to help those who were unfortunate.

From The Nashville Banner, Nashville, Tennessee, June 26, 1900, pg. 4:

Special to The Banner. 

Cullman, June 26. - A terrific windstorm, accompanied by a heavy downpour of rain, passed over the western part of this county yesterday afternoon. Full particulars cannot be obtained at this time, but it is known that much damage was wrought by the wind, which, as the storm progressed, attained almost cyclonic velocity, sweeping everything in its path. Trees, fences and numerous outhouses were blown down. The post office building at Crane Hill, this county, was wrecked, and a woman whose name has not been learned was seriously injured by a piece of falling timber. Telegraphic advices from Wilhite’s Station, ten miles north of here, last night, stated that the heaviest rainfall that had visited that section in many years was in progress. Farms along Flint River are inundated, and much damage has been done to crops in all portions of the county. Wheat is sprouting in the shocks, corn is suffering for lack of working, and in many sections young cotton is completely hidden by grass. Rain has fallen almost every day this month, and each day’s precipitation seems to be greater than that of the twenty-four hours preceding it. Thousands of acres of rich bottom lands cannot be cultivated this year, owing to the lateness of the season, and the crop prospect is gloomy.