Obits For The Harwell Surname
From Tate County, Mississippi

Obit Of 
Benjamin Harwell

Tate Co Democrat 
April 15, 1881
The Cyclone-

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE DONE FOUR PERSONS REPORTED KILLED--MANY SERIOUSLY INJURED


Hernando Miss April 14---The cyclone which visited this County last Tuesday did a great deal of damage. It commenced about one mile north of this place and struck first the gin of Mr. Ryley, completely disfiguring it and carrying away a wagon and a team, the driver included, and landed them some distance in a ditch; also taking his blacksmith ship and carrying it a half a mile. Frank Howard and Lillian Robertson's houses were completely demolished. On Mr. Newson's place it struck Jim Hunter's cabin killing Eliza Evans and stunning two children. Next Dan Grover's on the Banks place blowing the house to pieces, killing on child and hurting him and his wife badly. It then struck Mrs. Humphrey's sweeping her house away and wounding two persons. Bob Lackland's house was blown down. It next visited a colored man on the Keith place, blowing his house down and dangerously wounding his wife. From there it went to Danna's blew down all the buildings and seriously wounded his sister. On Johnston's place it blew down a cabin and dislocated a colored man's arm. It then struck Johnston's and Co's and A D Lauderdale's stores and totally demolished them, with Dr Lauderdale's dwelling house and two Negro cabins were destroyed. It tore down Mr. John Chamberlain's crib stables and outhouses; moved his dwelling but did not blow it down. It next his the Harris place taking about half the dwellings. It blew down W L Glenn's house and one cabin. Will Johnston's cabins were swept away, out done his personal injury. It blew down MR. BEN HARWELL'S house instantly killing him, but left his wife and child unhurt.

Mr. Glenn says he saw a man in the air and one or two men are reported missing. Men were blown all over the fields like barrels and nearly beat to death against the ground.

Mr. R S Banks held to a stump and was whipped against the ground so vigorously that he entirely forgot the simplest prayers taught him in childhood. Mr. Glenn's buggy was blown two miles and lodged in a tall tree. In camp creek bottom houses were swept away, killing even the chickens and rats and the trees beyond the stores were lagged with ? and domestic. It is truly distressing to go over the route of this the most destructive storm that has ever visited this section.


 Updated February 22, 2012

 

                                             

Tate County Coordinators: Syble Embrey & Marie Carlton

All rights reserved. Copyright of submitted items belongs to those responsible for their authorship or creation unless otherwise stated.

Return To Obits