June 9, 1896 Marshall County Tornado
June 9, 1896 Marshall County Tornado
From The Guntersville Democrat, June 11, 1896, pg. 3:
Cyclone Swept!
Wells Row In Wyeth City.
Six Dwellings Wrecked and Seven Badly Damaged.
At 11 o’clock Tuesday morning a cyclone came over the hill from the southwest and destroyed six dwellings in the Wells row, Wyeth City, and badly damaged seven others, besides injuring some of the inmates of the wrecked buildings.
The James L. Jordan country home is a total wreck, together with the fencing and the large oak trees in the yard and all out buildings. This was occupied by M.L. Kilcrease and family, none of whom were seriously injured.
At the head of the Wells row is the home of M.G. Wells, which was badly shaken up, but not wrecked. None of Mr. Wells’ family are injured.
Next, continuing toward Guntersville, is a dwelling occupied by three Erskin brothers, who were absent at work in the basket factory. The house was thrown off its foundation and not damaged much.
A pile of wreckage is all that is left of the Robt. Reed house, owned by H.B. Greenwood. In this lived Mrs. Joe E. Berry and three children, all of whom were fortunate in escaping alive.
The W.H. Gordon dwelling, owned by C.C. Campbell, is a complete wreck. It was two stories, occupied by Mrs. Dave Ricketts and three children and by Lawrence Jones and family. Mrs. Ricketts has a broken collar bone and her son, Robert, has an arm broken near the shoulder. Seaborn Jones, twelve years old, was absent at the time.
The Mahan house occupied by the family of P. Rainwaters, is in ruins. Willie Rainwaters has a shoulder bruised painfully.
George W. Clark’s home has its entire front torn off, leaving the shell with upper and lower stories exposed, and the furniture water-soaked. None of the family were hurt.
Ben Grayson and family live in an unfinished house which is badly careened and which will have to be taken down before it is safe. None of them were hurt.
Circuit Court Clerk George C. Hall and J.R. Caston occupy the least damaged dwellings, at this end of the row. These houses were temporarily converted into hospitals, where the sick and prostrated and wounded were carried, pending the preparation of dry clothing and food and shelter, which is provided as fast as our citizens can find out what is needed by the sufferers. Both chimneys of Mr. Hall’s house were topped and one of Mr. Caston’s likewise.
At the back of Wells row, and fronting the west, were four dwellings only one of which is left unharmed. It is the home of Mrs. Roberts, and is a large two-story house with a square tower. Marvelous that it did not go, too! Next door south and not twenty feet away the home of Albert Gregory (col.) was left a total wreck. None of the family were hurt, but Walter Love’s shoulder was dislocated and Jim Proctor’s head was cut and bruised badly.
On the north side of Mrs. Roberts lives the family of Mrs. Ennis. Their home was thrown off its pillars and some of its timbers strained. No one hurt.
Only a pile of plank and shingles marks the Ensley house occupied by Robert Rainwaters and by the family of Mrs. Ensley. Several of both families are painfully bruised. Homer Ensley, ten years old, was bruised from head to foot by a chimney falling on him. He is probably in worse condition than any of the injured.
Many others are bruised and nearly all have lost their clothing, bedding, furniture and provisions.
Lightning struck and killed Ett. Lang, on the John E. Jordan place, and stunned Mrs. Bud Coles and babe. A mule belonging to John E. Jordan was also killed.
At a meeting held in the court house at 5 o’clock Tuesday the citizens of Guntersville appointed Wm. C. Rayburn and A.B. Jones a committee to confer with the sufferers and ascertain what was needed by each family and each person.
Immediate action will be taken as we go to press by the public spirited citizens of this community. The Ladies’ Aid Society will meet at the Methodist church this (Wednesday) morning at 10 o’clock to provide clothing and bedding and other necessities of the cyclone sufferers.
From The Bridgeport News, June 12, 1896, pg. 1:
State News Of A Week
Gadsden, Ala., June 10. – The little town of Wyeth City, in Marshall county, on the Tennessee river, 30 miles west of Gadsden, with a population of 300, was almost completely wrecked by a cyclone. A dark and threatening cloud came up in the southwest with considerable wind, and all of a sudden the wind made a swoop and struck the town, almost completely demolishing it. Eighteen dwelling houses were destroyed, five being swept completely away and not a stick of the timber left.
The cyclone lasted fully five minutes and then passed off in a northeastern direction. Trees as large as a man’s waist were taken down like weeds.
After the storm passed the work of rescue was commenced.
It is known that 15 are wounded, and six of them fatally.
Mrs. Ricketts and a man named Bundby were badly hurt and will die.
Mrs. Clarke, Mrs. Brown and several children will probably die.
A 10-year-old boy was found half a mile away in a dying condition.
Ed Long and an unknown woman were killed by lightning. Others are badly wounded.
The path of the cyclone was about 100 yards wide and total devastation marks its path. Had the storm struck an hour later fully 50 people would have been killed or wounded, as at that time the operators of the basket factory would have been at dinner. Fortunately both factories escaped. The scene of the storm is a desolate one now.
The cloud had the regular funnel shape, and when it struck the town there was a loud report as of a cannon and soon the air was full of flying timber, trees, houses, animals, etc. Several persons are missing and it is probable that they will be found dead. A meeting of citizens, held at Guntersville, raised several hundred dollars for the sufferers. Fully 100 people are acting as a relief corps.