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From The Roanoke Leader, March 22, 1905, pg. 3:

Death Dealing Cyclone Monday

Carries Destruction in Its Awful Wake.

Eight Persons Killed and Many Wounded – R.C. Haynes Among the Slain – Houses Swept Away Like Egg Shells – Track of Storm South and East of Roanoke.

It is the painful duty of The Leader to chronicle one of the most harrowing tragedies that has occurred in this section. Between 5 and 6 o’clock Monday evening a cyclone arose near Double Head and began to do its work of death.

             The first swoop of the funnel-shaped cloud struck the new house that M.B. Carlisle was building at Double Head to replace the one destroyed by fire a few months ago. R.C. Haynes, of Roanoke, and Mack Carlisle and Tom Pruett were at work on the house. The two latter descended and called to Mr. Haynes to do likewise, but he replied that he had only a few more shingles to lay before completing the job. At this point the storm struck and demolished the building. Mr. Haynes was blown some 25 yards and dropped in the road, crushing his head. He did not speak afterwards, and died about 9 o’clock. Carlisle and Pruett were also injured, but not seriously.

             The cyclone crossed the railroad near Lane’s Chapel, blowing down trees and telegraph poles. Near Bacon Level it struck the residence of Cicero Hudson and left only the floor standing. His shop was also demolished. Mrs. Hudson and two or three of the children were injured. In this community John Barfield was also injured.

             On J.A. Wilson’s lower place, near Jim Russell’s, the house of Tom Huguley, a negro, was destroyed and Huguley and every member of his family – ten in all – were more or less wounded, some of them seriously. The six-month-old infant was blown through bushes and scratched all over. In this vicinity a number of smaller houses were destroyed.

             On George Holley’s place the greatest fatality occurred. A negro tenant house was wiped completely from the ground and the inmates mangled. Bill Dowdell, the husband and father, was killed outright, also his wife and mother and four children. His father and two more children were wounded.

             The cyclone then deflected northward and again smote the earth at Lime post office, east of Rock Mills. E.R. Caswell’s store – which was recently robbed – was wrecked and his goods scattered through fields and in the trees. This store contained the post office.

             Near this place the residence of John Lucas was blown down, killing his ten-year-old daughter and seriously if not fatally, wounding his wife. Mrs. Lucas is a sister of Z.P. Gunn, who went from Roanoke to Florala for a time.

             The storm then passed off north of Glenn, Ga. Its path was 75 yards wide at Double Head and 200 yards at Bacon Level. All the surgeons in Roanoke were summoned to the various scenes of the disaster, and from them and other eye witnesses we have gained many of the items in this article.