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
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