February 3, 1894 Jefferson County Tornado

From The Birmingham Age-Herald, Feb. 4, 1894, pg. 1:

The Wind’s Fury

Jones Valley Visited by a Furious Storm.

A Church House at Gate City Wrecked

And Many People Caught Under the Falling Timbers – Some Fatally Injured.

North Birmingham and East Woodlawn Feel the Force of the Storm.

A Passenger Train Struck by Falling Timbers and Passengers Injured.

All day yesterday the atmosphere in and around Birmingham was very close and the heavens were overcast with dark and lowering clouds. A strong wind blew during nearly the entire day, and occasionally a shower of rain would come down. As dark came on it was apparent that a storm would visit Jones valley, though it was not feared that any material damage would be done in this city, as it is so situated as to be apparently proof from storms.

             About sundown the wind gradually grew in force until at 7 o’clock it proved to be a gale, the wind reaching a velocity of about fifty or sixty miles an hour.

             A diligent search was made to ascertain if any damage had been done in the city, but none was reported.

             Learning that a cyclone of mammoth proportions had struck Gate City, and Age-Herald reporter was sent there and found the situation to be as follows:

The Storm’s Work At Gate City.

             At break of day this morning the sky was clouded and a stiff breeze was blowing from a southwesterly direction. Later in the day the gale became stronger and gradually increased in velocity until about 6 o’clock when there was a calm which lasted until about 6:45 o’clock. At this time the wind from the southwest was again renewed and every minute gradually grew stronger. At 7 o’clock a heavy gust struck this vicinity with destructive results, blowing down trees, fences, taking the roofs from cabins, taking potted flowers from their stands, and, in fact, sweeping every small portable object into the air. This only lasted for a moment or two, but in results it was decidedly effective. The people realized the fact there was a heavy wind, but never for once did anyone expect the result that finally and quickly came.

             Of the destructive work done here the greatest was at the Congregational church. In this church at 7 o’clock were about thirty persons attending a meeting of the Christian Endeavor society, which was being led by Mr. Richard Arthur. This meeting was nearly at an end, when it was the intention of the pastor, Rev. Mr. East, to hold regular church services.

             Without warning there came a heavy gust of wind. There was a jar, and broken glass flew everywhere. The windows were blown out. Everybody made a rush for the door, women and men yelling at each other to leave the church. Suddenly, after these thunder-struck people had just gotten fairly into the aisles, there came another heavier gust. There was a jar, a tremble, a crash and

Down The Building Came.

             Then there came from under the broken, crushed and mashed timbers screams and moans from men and women pinned under the debris of this crushed building. Those who were fortunate enough to extricate themselves from the building unaided went to work at once towards aiding those who were more unfortunate than themselves. People who lived near rushed to aid in the matter as soon as they had learned what had happened. Everybody was horror stricken, and many ran to and fro hardly knowing what to do.

The Extrication.

             Of the thirty people who were in the building at the time it was blown down, about twenty were fortunate enough to get out unaided. None of them were in the southwest corner of the church and as soon as this was learned men went to work at helping those who were pinned down by fallen timbers and who were yelling for help. By tearing away debris one by one the unfortunates were relieved, almost half dead some of them, from their uncomfortable positions. Good and effective work relieved such much pain and suffering. Pulled from under this wreck of wood were about ten persons, some of whom were found not to be hurt, but simply placed so as to prevent them from self-extrication.

             Taken from the debris were the following who were found to be

Injured:

             Mrs. R.H. Pritchett – Her injuries are principally the left leg badly crushed and otherwise bruised. She is also internally injured, and nine chances against one she will never recover.

             Mrs. James Miles – Her injuries are a broken left leg, a bruised arm and side and otherwise badly bruised. She, too, is fearfully injured and will not likely recover. Physicians say her injuries are probably fatal.

             Richard Miles – Bruised. Left leg unjointed at the thigh and internally injured. His injuries are considered serious, but not necessarily fatal.

             Bud Behr – Serious scalp wound and arm cut. He will recover.

             Charles Oleson – Injured badly and several ribs broken. He may recover.

             Annie Birdsall – Spine injured.

             James Hartshorn – Head bruised and otherwise injured.

             Jim Arthur – Foot bruised and ankle dislocated.

             Mrs. William Morgan – Bad cut over the left eye.

             Rev. W.R. East – Head and knee badly bruised.

             Sidney Drumhiller – Thigh broken and otherwise bruised.

             Besides these there are others who received slight bruises and cuts. In fact there were but few in the house at the time it fell that did not receive and injury of some kind.

The Building And Scene.

             The building in dimensions was about 40 feet in length by 60 in width and was practically new, having been built only a little over three years ago. It was built for a church and has been used for that purpose. It was a wooden structure, well put up with a belfry that rose 25 feet above the roof of the building. It cost about $3000. It points towards the east. When the wind from the southwest struck the side of the building the top was blown over to the other side and the side which the wind struck followed the top. The top however, became separated from the south side, and when the crash was at an end they were some 4 or 5 feet apart, leaving ample distance for persons to go in and out. Most of the people who were in the house at the time of the storm were in the southwest corner, but when the windows were blown out they rushed for the door, and some were blown to different parts of the building. However, the majority were in one corner, and all piled up together. Everything was torn up; the pulpit was crushed to the floor, the church organ is now so it will play no more, the lamps were torn from their places and crushed, chairs and seats were transformed into kindling wood, and, in fact, not a whole piece of furniture was left in the entire building. The entire structure is now nothing more than a mass of broken timbers, splinters and kindling wood.

             What came near adding horror to the horror was one of the large stoves in which was a large fire. As soon as the building fell the fire from the stove caught the wood and began to burn. This burning was prevented by persons who had presence of mind enough to extinguish it with water.

The Physicians.

             As soon as the accident took place all the physicians here were sent for, also physicians at Woodlawn and Birmingham. In less than an hour nearly a dozen doctors were on the scene and alleviated the pain of the injured by administering opiates and dressing the wounds. They did very effective work and aided the suffering very materially.

At North Birmingham.

             From North Birmingham comes news of the storm at that place. Although no loss of life is reported, it is learned that much damage was done to property at that place.

             The blacksmith shop, and other outhouses connected with the Henderson Steel works, were leveled with the ground, though the plant proper was not injured.

             The residence of Mr. Nat Hawkins, a large two-story frame structure, was lifted off its foundation and removed a foot and a half, though the building was otherwise uninjured.

             The houses of Messrs. J.F. Tomlin, Tony Tachoir and others were very badly shaken up and the occupants greatly frightened.

             The wind was bearing in a northeasterly direction, and is supposed to have been the same as visited Gate City.

On The East Lake Dummy Line.

             Several trees were blown down across the track of the East Lake dummy line between Woodlawn and East Lake, and the station depots at Gate City junction, Gun Club and Spring stations were blown down.

A Train Struck By Falling Trees.

             The Georgia Pacific passenger train due to arrive here at 7:40 p.m., from Columbus, came in about thirty minutes late last night. A few miles west of the city it encountered the storm, by which it was delayed several minutes. A falling tree struck the side of one of the coaches, breaking out all the glass in that side and injuring some of the passengers who were sitting on that side of the car.

From The Birmingham Age-Herald, Feb. 6, 1894, pg. 4:

Saturday Night’s Storm

More Details of the Destructive Work of the Wind.

East Birmingham Church

Leveled With the Ground – The Damage Elsewhere – Mrs. Pritchard Dead.

Later details of the storm which visited Jones valley on Saturday night develop the fact that great damage was done in many places.

             Besides the Gate City horror it has developed that Bessemer also got a slight touch of the swift gale. The worst of the storm was in the vicinity of Gate City, East Birmingham and East Lake. Besides the damage done, as mentioned in Sunday’s Age-Herald, at Gate City, several houses were moved from their pillars and otherwise slightly damaged. In this vicinity the wind was very strong, but lasted only for a minute or so.

At Gate City.

             In the destruction of the Congregational church, in which about thirty people were more or less injured, Mrs. R.H. Pritchard, wife of Superintendent Pritchard of the Alabama Rolling Mill, received injuries from which, as predicted in the Age-Herald, she died.

             The remains of Mrs. Pritchard were carried over the Queen and Crescent yesterday afternoon, accompanied by the sorrowing family and a few friends, to Trenton, O., where the burial will take place.

             Mrs. James Mills, who was one of the unfortunates in this church horror, is injured far more than was at first supposed. Besides a broken leg and other serious injuries, she is injured internally, and her chances of recovery are very slim.

At East Lake.

             Here the roof of a four-room house, owned by Mrs. Emma Butcher, was blown off and shaken up very badly; also an outhouse was carried off in the gale.

             Another nearby, occupied by Mrs. Mitchell, was shaken up badly and moved several feet.

             Besides these were other outhouses of light structure were torn up.

             At the crossing of the Birmingham Mineral and East Lake railroad tracks the trees in the forest were torn up considerably, there being several hundred pines completely uprooted and blown down.

At East Birmingham.

             Besides other damage done in various ways by the wind, the East Birmingham Methodist church was blown down and torn to pieces. The damage is considerable.

Other Damages.

             At Bessemer the cast house of the Little Belle furnace was partially wrecked and unroofed.

             Freight train No. 32 on the Alabama Great Southern Railroad ran into a tree blown across the track near Whitney Sunday. Brakeman J.A. Wilson, who was riding on the engine, was struck by branches of the tree and badly injured.

             The Western Union telegraph wires all along the Alabama Great Southern road between here and Whitney were found to be considerably damaged.

Physicians To The Rescue.

             Too much praise cannot be given the physicians who responded so nobly to the call for aid. It was a bad night, though they heeded it not. The following physicians went to the scene of the horror at Gate City as soon as they heard of it: Drs. Charles Drennen, J.T. Coulbourn, C.R. Sexton, G.C. Chapman and H.N. Rosser of Birmingham, Dr. J.B. Robinson of Woodlawn and Dr. Steves of Gate City.

From The Daily News, Birmingham, Alabama, Feb. 5, 1894, pg. 3:

Further Details Of The Damage Done.

Church at East Birmingham Blown Down. An Aged Lady at Millport Badly Hurt.

Serious Condition Of Mrs. Miles.

News of the damage done by Saturday night’s wind storm continues to come in.

             The storm seems to have been worse in the vicinity of Gate City and East Lake than anywhere else, as reported in yesterday's News. (Besides) the destruction of the Congregational Church at Gate City, by which Mrs. R.H. Pritchard was killed and a dozen others more or less seriously injured, much damage was done to private residences. Trees were twisted off and blown down in every direction.

             Several houses were unroofed at East Lake and considerable damage was done along the route of the East Lake dummy line.

             At East Birmingham a church was blown down. Unlike the Gate City church no one was in it at the time. A number of other buildings at East Birmingham were damaged.

             At Bessemer, the cast house of the Little Belle furnace was unroofed and partially wrecked. Several other buildings in and around Bessemer were more or less damaged.

Ran Into A Tree.

             Freight train No. 32, northbound, on the Alabama Great Southern railroad, ran into a tree that had been blown across the track Saturday night near Caldwell. Brakeman J.A. Wilson, who was riding on the engine, was struck by the branches of the tree and painfully, though not seriously, hurt. He was taken to Chattanooga for medical treatment, and at last accounts was doing well.

The Gate City Horror.

             The destruction of the Congregational Church at Gate City, where thirty people were holding a Christian Endeavor meeting, as told fully in yesterday’s News, was by far the most serious damage done by the storm.

             The remains of Mrs. Pritchard, who died from her injuries at midnight Saturday night, were taken to her former home, at Trenton, Ohio, for burial. The sorrowing family accompanied the corpse, leaving here on the north-bound Queen & Crescent train yesterday afternoon.

Mrs. Miles Very Low.

             All the others who were injured at the church disaster are reported as doing well except Mrs. James Miles, who had a broken leg and sustained other serious injuries. She was reported as being very low this morning and as getting worse all the time. It is feared she will die. Her injuries are said to be far more serious than were at first supposed.

Damage To The Wires.

             The Western Union Telegraph Company suffered some from the storm. Lineman Watson, who went north on the Alabama Great Southern railroad yesterday to repair the wires, found that fourteen trees had blown across the wires between here and Whitney. The wires were all gotten into shape by last night.