November 22, 1874 Greene County Tornado
November 22, 1874 Greene County Tornado
From Birmingham Iron Age, December 3, 1874, pg. 1:
Greene County.
Destructive Tornado.
(Eutaw Whig, Nov. 25.)
Last Sunday night was blustery, the wind rising higher as the night advanced and culminating in a fearful storm. From our exchanges we see that in many sections destructive tempests raged. A tornado struck Trussel’s Ferry, on the Bigbee river, in this county; completely demolishing dwellings, warehouse and other buildings. Its track was about 200 yards wide, and from Trussel’s Ferry to Mr. Stephen C. Brown’s, cabins, fences, etc., were blown down. At Mr. Brown’s residence, ¾ of a mile from the old Brown homestead, the dwelling, cabins and other out-houses were demolished. About 7 or 8 bales of seed cotton, in houses, were scattered to the four winds. A beautiful grove, near the house was a complete wreck. Damage $2000.
Mr. James C. Bizzell’s plantation next felt its fury. His gin-house was blown down and some cotton destroyed; many of the negro cabins also were blown down and a horse killed.
On the plantation of Mr. James Dunlap, 4 miles from this place, the gin-house was unroofed, and out-houses and fences destroyed.
On Judge Wiley Coleman’s “Baskin” place, still nearer town, gin-houses, cabins and out-houses and a quantity of cotton were destroyed; one negro was severely and two slightly injured.
Mr. E.R. Steel’s gin-house and out-houses shared the fate of all others in its track.
On Mr. James Crawford’s place near town, carriage house and all the chimneys of the dwelling were blown down.
In town the out-houses of W.S. Bird, also fencing were blown down.
At Mr. N.A. Crawford’s a stable was demolished.
Mr. E.B. Steele had no building injured, but fencing considerably damaged.
S.P. Steele’s residence was partly unroofed, the front porch carried over the house and left in the garden, 25 feet from the dwelling; the house is untenable.
The Female Institute, formerly known as the Mesopotamia Seminary, was considerably damaged. Doors and blinds were broken off, even the locks twisted from their fastenings, and the roof was lifted but replaced, as if from its extreme weight.