April 17, 1901 Carrollton-Pickens County Tornado
April 17, 1901 Carrollton-Pickens County Tornado
From The West Alabamian, Carrollton, Alabama, April 24, 1901, pg. 1:
Over the State!
An Epitome of Happenings Reported Since Our Last Issue.
Between 2 and 3 o’clock Thursday morning a terrific wind and rain storm swept over Selma, doing considerable damage in the business portion of the city, tearing off roofs of buildings and flooding them with water. A conservative estimate of the damage is $20,000.
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A terrific wind and rain storm visited Tuscaloosa Wednesday night from 11 to 12:30 o’clock. The only damage done was the blowing down of several fine old oak trees and a number of fences. The wires of the telephone, electric light and Postal and Western Union Telegraph Companies were also damaged.
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A heavy rain fell in Pratt City until 1 o’clock Wednesday night, when a storm of wind passed over the town. A good many persons were awakened by the force of the wind, and much alarm was felt for a short time, as another cyclone was feared. No damage of any material nature was done, however, the telephone system being the principal sufferer.
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A very high wind and rain visited Bessemer Wednesday night, but fortunately no serious damage to property resulted. Fences were blown down and also small trees and shrubbery. The greatest injury was to the two telephone systems which had but one wire each to Birmingham Thursday morning. Forty-four of the People’s Home Telephones were disabled and a number of the Bell Company’s. These are being rapidly repaired.
From pg. 2:
In view of the recent storm which wrought such damage in Carrollton our citizens may be pleased to know that there has been invented recently a mechanical appliance that will detect atmospheric electrical discharges or storms for twelve hours before they make their appearance. This ingenious little instrument called the coherer, says the Scientific American, is of great simplicity of construction and arrangement, and will doubtless be of great service hereafter.
It is said with it the workings of the distant storm are plainly registered, and the hearer has the illusion of being transported to the actual place of the storm and of listening directly to all its phases; enabling him to hear and study the phenomena of storms when they are at such a distance that no trace of them is visible on the horizon. In one case, the experimenter observed a storm twelve hours before it reached the place where he had his apparatus installed.
Such inventions as these have passed the marvelous stage and are approaching the miraculous.
From pg. 3:
Destructive Cyclone.
Between 9 and 10 o’clock on the night of the 17th inst., there swept over Carrollton a destructive cyclone, which did considerable damage to property; but happily no lives were lost, and no one even hurt.
The cyclone struck the western portion of the town and traveled nearly due east. The following is a list of the property damaged:
The barn of Mr. J.R. Sanders was blown to pieces.
Mr. M.B. Curry’s kitchen blown down and garden and other fences destroyed.
Dr. S.H. Hill’s gin-house and press completely demolished.
Mrs. Pearl Bennett’s dwelling blown off its foundation.
The roofs blown off both the Court House and the jail.
The chimneys at Judge O.L. McKinstry’s blown off even with the roof, and four fine shade trees torn up by the roots.
Dr. H.B. Upchurch’s drug store moved about four feet off its foundation and his stock of drugs almost completely destroyed.
Mr. J.A. Hart’s photographic tent blown to pieces and his chemicals, etc., destroyed.
The two new houses owned by Mr. William Kilpatrick moved from their foundations and otherwise injured, and his saw-mill considerably damaged.
The Presbyterian Church blown several feet from its foundation and almost irreparably damaged.
The frame of the new church the colored Methodists were erecting demolished.
Besides these, there was slight damage done to other buildings, a great many fine shade trees blown down and much fencing destroyed.
Most of the damage has already been repaired.
The County Commissioners let the contract for repairing the Court House and jail yesterday to Mr. D.F. McClannahan, of Columbus, Miss., for the sum of $1,195.00, all to be completed by May 21st next.
The Presbyterians have decided it is best to build a new church and have already raised over $500.00 for that purpose.
The generous spirit shown by our people in assisting the storm injured was certainly very commendable.