Birthright Cyclone, 1907

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From the historical files of June E. Tuck, who does not validate or dispute any historical facts in the article. Other articles have since been written telling what they remembered, but this is the story after it happened.

Birthright Deadly Cyclone, Sulphur Springs Gazette, May 10, 1907, Edited

Rev. Floyd Brazil, between 50 and 60 years of age, killed on Lemon's place.
W. C. Martin, 60 or 65 years of age, killed at Birthright.
Roy McFall, of Nelta, aged 22, killed at Birthright.
Calvin Tramel, aged 3 years, killed at Birthright.
Child of Elsie Newton, aged 3 or 4 years, killed at Birthright.

The most terrific cyclone ever known in this section swept down on our county Monday afternoon about 1:30 o'clock, striking near Ridgeway and traveling in a northeastern direction. It swept everything in its path; houses, barns and fences seemed but mere chaff in the monster's grip, and had not many of those in the storm's path taken refuge in storm cellars, the death list would have been appalling. As it was five lives were lost and the list of injured is heavy.

The first breath of the cyclone touched on Dave Henderson's place, six miles west of town, blowing an outhouse to atoms. A house owned by John Byers was next caught in the side current of the cyclone as it crashed by. The house was blown off its blocks and damaged considerably. Henry Meadows and family, who occupy the house, escaped without injury, excepting Mrs. Meadows, who was knocked down and slightly bruised.

A house of Barker Summers was blown away, but its occupants, Mr. Hughes and family, escaped to a storm cellar. The home of Jasper Ferguson was next in the path of the wind. His house, barn and fences were devastated and his wife was terribly bruised and seriously injured. Her condition, at latest report, being still very critical. Mrs. Ferguson was blown quite distance and the sand was blown into her skin about her face and head until she could hardly be recognized, nearly all of her clothing was blown off. Little John and Sallie Ferguson were entirely stripped of their clothing, all that was left on John was the neckband of his shirt. However, the children were only slightly injured, being skinned and bruised considerably.

The house of Dick Holland was swept away, but he and his wife escaped without serious injury. A knee of Mrs Holland was badly hurt and her little daughter, Oma, had a badly sprained ankle.

Two houses on the place of Mrs. Emma Pogue were destroyed, together with barns and outhouses. The elbow of Mrs Pogue was dislocated and she received an ugly gash in the head. Ben Pogue also received two scalp wounds and was badly bruised. A house on the Ben Pogue place, occupied by Mr. Smith, was demolished. Mr. Smith and family escaped by taking shelter in a gully.

The next home to be gathered in the clutch of the cyclone was that of William Lemon, one of our best citizens and most prosperous farmers; his beautiful country home, eight miles west of town was totally destroyed, together with three barns and all outhouses at his home place, while some of his stock were killed outright. He and his family were in the storm cellar. His loss is estimated at from $6,000. to $7,000. Rev. Floyd Brazil, who lived on the Lemon place, started with his wife and eight children to the Lemon storm house; they could see the storm coming and it was a race for life with them; some reached the cellar door, and six of the children were hustled into the cellar and safety, while the breath of the mighty wind gathered Mr. and Mrs. Brazil and the other two children in its merciless grasp. Mr. Brazil being crushed under the debris and instantly killed. Mrs. Brazil had one leg broken and one of the children is not expected to live, while the other is seriously bruised.

Next in the path of the cyclone was the home of Julius Beck. He, in company with Abe Tittle, was caught at a renter house; looking across the field, he saw his home, where he believed his wife and children to be sheltered, go down in ruins and its fragments scattered. Luckily, Mrs. Beck had seen the house of Mr. Lemon go down and she started with the children to a neighbor's storm cellar. She ran till she was almost exhausted, and realizing that she could reach the storm cellar, crouched in a gully with the children, and all escaped with but slight injury.

The place of Sid Lackey was totally demolished. He and his wife escaped death by taking refuge in a gully nearby, but both were considerably bruised and mangled. The condition of Mrs. Lackey being quite critical. The home and household effects of Mr. Lackey were complete lost. He is one of our oldest settlers and most substantial citizens.

The house of Ed Burrow was blown off its blocks, the chimney blown down and the fences were destroyed. The house of Walter Burrow was also a total wreck. Its occupants, Mr. Jones and family, escaped by the storm cellar route.

The home of Mr. McCool was totally wrecked. He and his family were also in a storm cellar. The house of Mr. Jerome Collins was blown off its blocks and considerable damage. Mrs. Collins and son, Becton, were in the house but escaped unhurt.

Crossing Caney, the cyclone struck a negro settlement, doing much damage. The negro school house was blown away.

A house on the place of Matt Pogue, occupied by Martha Middlebrook, colored, was totally wrecked. The family was away from the house. A house belonging to T. A. Cannon, occupied by Elsie Newton, colored, was next demolished, together with the barn and outhouses. One child was killed, another had its arm broken, and two others were badly injured. Mr. Cannon figures his loss at about $600.

A house owned by Bob Nelson, and occupied by Samp Figgures, colored, was next swept away. No one was at home.

The people in the vicinity of Birthright was were the next to suffer. As the cyclone reached Birthright, ten miles north of town (Sulphur Springs,) it seemed to gather renewed fury, and the loss of life would have been very great had the people not been well supplied with storm cellars for refuge. It almost wiped the little town completely out of existence, leaving only four houses intact - the Methodist church and parsonage, residence of Dr. W. A. Bradford, and residence of Mrs. Wm. Garrison - to mark the site.

The house and barn of W. C. Martin were swept away and he received injuries from which he died in a few hours. Several hogs were killed at his place, a cow or two crippled, and his surrey was blown a mile away.

The schoolhouse was wrecked and Roy McFall, of Nelta, was killed. Arthur Rains, ____ Coleman and another young man were in the building, but escaped unhurt.

The house of B. F. Stephenson was blown away and he received injuries from which his recovery is quite doubtful. His little grandson, Calvin Tramel, was killed, and every member of the family injured. The condition of Mrs. Stephenson being quite critical.

The house, barn and blacksmith shop of Reid Bruton, with entire contents, were swept from the face of the earth.

Dave B. Birthright was the heaviest sufferer from loss of property. His store, barn and number of tenant houses were all demolished and their contents scattered in every direction, and his residence was badly damaged. Some of his goods were gathered up the next day, but his loss is estimated as high as $15,000.

The house and store of Wm. Reed also were blown away, and he only escaped by clinging to a post at the corner of the yard of Dave Birthright. He was making a run for the storm cellar of Mr. Birthright, but was little behind time. He was whipped against the ground considerably, but was only slightly bruised. The flying debris went all around him, and a number of pieces of scantlings buried themselves several feet in the earth on several sides of him. He escaped with slight injury.

The store of E. Flint and the post office were gathered up and tossed to the winds. About $300. worth of postage stamps were lost. Some of his goods were picked up in the trail of the cyclone, but in the main, his stock is lost.

The house of Wiley Milligan was entirely destroyed, and his barn and gin were badly damaged. The Glossup blacksmith shop was destroyed and his house was blown off its blocks.

When the wind struck the Woodmen Hall and courthouse, it tossed it up in the air fifty feet high and totally demolished it.

The house of Luther Robertson was blown away. He, with his family, were sheltered in the Dave Birthright storm cellar. The large Birthright storm cellar sheltered about forty people from the fury storm. The fine barn of Dr. W. A. Bradford was smashed to pieces and one of his mules was crippled. The barn and fences of Mrs. Wm. Garrison were wrecked. The barn of Tom Ross, near Nelta, was damaged.

Steve Connor lost a mule worth $150. Joe Connor had a fine horse killed.

After leaving Birthright, the cyclone did but little damage, till it reached Sulphur bottom where it swooped down again and cut a fearful right of way through the heavy timber, up- rooting and twisting down every tree in it path. Reports of the cyclone from Halesboro and Deport show that it traveled on, but it spent its force largely in Hopkins County. A minute book blown from the house of Sid Lackey was picked up at Deport, Red River county.

The first news of the great calamity was brought by passengers who arrived here on the 2 o'clock east-bound Cotton Belt train. The engineer could see the angry cloud as it approached the track, this side of Ridgeway, a little more than mile ahead, and, stopping the train, held it until the demon of destruction had passed by. Immediately after the news reached town, hundreds of our people started to the scene of distress, and every doctor in the city, at the time, went to give relief to the wounded. The first report only gave news of the Pleasant Grove disaster, but later in the evening phone connection was secured with Birthright, and the terrible tidings of the wreck and devastation there came in. Early Tuesday morning every home and vehicle in the city was pressed into use, and almost an army of rescuers and sight-seers went out to the scene of the devastation. It is estimated that between three and four thousand people visited the devastation at Birthright Tuesday.