Camack, Appling, Thompson, GA Tornado, Mar 1875

GEORGIA DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.

Augusta, March 20.
A fearfully destructive tornado passed over here this afternoon. The rainfall, accompanied by hail, was unprecedently heavy. Several towns in the interior suffered severely in loss of life and property. At Camak, on the Georgia Railroad, several houses were blown down, and THOMAS GRESLING was killed and several persons wounded. Near Thompson, forty miles from Augusta, a large amount of property was destroyed and several persons killed. At Appling, Columbia county, the destruction to property is reported to be great. Several persons are reported killed and many injured. At Aiken, S.C., the Catholic church was completely destroyed. All the lines but one North are down. Reports from the country are confused and unsatisfactory, but there seems to be no dooubt that the storm was fearfully destructive, surpassing in extent and violence anything of the kind in this section for years.

Augusta, March 21.
List of casualties by the tornado near Thompson:
JOHN L. STEVALL and wife, and two daughters of JOHN N. MORGAN, badly wounded by falling houses; several negroes killed and wounded.
At Appling the houses of S. HUTCHINSON, SOLON REESE, JOHN BOSTON and others were destroyed. MRS. MARTHA DARCEY and MISS MAGGIE BAILEY, killed; MISS MALONE and MRS. GREY, seriously wounded. One end of the court house was blown in.
At Camack every house except one is destroyed. MR. FIELDING, telegraph operator, badly bruised.

Augusta, March 21.
The tornado caused fearful destruction along its track, laying waste houses, trees and fences and killing persons and stock. The Baptists were holding a meeting at Elam Church, near Camack, when the storm demolished it, killing three and wounding twenty-five persons. Residences and outhouses were demolished on many plantations in Warren and McDuff and Columbia counties, in Georgia, the destruction extending to Edyefield, Aiken and Barnwell counties, in South Carolina. In some places persons were blown a distance of sixty yards. Every house on MRS. P. E. WALTON'S plantation, including a fine residence, were destroyed. In Columbia county three negroes were killed and twenty five persons wounded. Ten houses on DR. HALLITON'S place were destroyed. It is impossible to give a correct idea of the amount of property lost. Several hundred thousand dollars will not cover it. Fearful suffering is already reported in the devastated territory. It was the severest storm ever known in this section.

Titusville Herald Pennsylvania 1875-03-22
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!