The Whirlwind

To this warfare of elements may be ascribed the destructive whirlwinds which sometimes lay waste particular parts of Carolina. One of these took place May 4th, 1761. It was seen between one and two o'clock P.M., coming from the southwest like a large column of smoke and vapor. When it had advanced to the vicinity of Charlestown, it was providentially opposed by another whirlwind from the northeast; the shock of their junction was so great as to alter the direction of the former, whereby a great part of the town was left without the range of its violence. It then passed down Ashley river with such rapidity and force, that in a few minutes it reached Rebellion road where a fleet of loaded vessels lay; five of these were overset and so suddenly sunk, that the people in their cabins had not time to come on deck. Several others would have shared the same fate had not their masts given way. All those over which the whirlwind passed were laid on their sides. While many of the inhabitants, unsuspicious any danger, sat at dinner, they were alarmed with an uncommon sound like the continual roaring of distant thunder. Looking round for its cause they saw a tremendous cloud advancing rapidly towards them with a circular motion, and large branches of trees hurled about in its vortex. Its diameter appeared to be about 300 yards, and its height thirty degrees, while a thick vapor emitted from it ascended much higher. The quantity of materials which composed this impetuous column and its prodigious velocity, gave it such a surprising momentum as to plough Ashley river to the bottom, and to lay the channel bare. Floods of water fell on those parts over which it moved. As the wind ceased soon after the passage of the whirlwind, the branches and leaves of trees which had been hurried along with it began to fall, and for half an hour darkened the air in their descent. A thousand axemen, employed for a whole day in cutting down trees, could not have done as much execution as was done by this whirlwind in one minute. Young and pliant trees by yielding to the storm escaped its fury, but those which were more inflexible and firmly rooted were broken off and hurled away. Among such were some live oaks of nearly two feet diameter; of these, though probably weighing more than two tons, no remains could afterwards be found, except their roots which never separated from the earth. The same tremendous column was seen at noon upwards of thirty miles southwest from Charlestown. In the vicinity of the latter it arrived twenty five minutes after two P.M. In its rapid intermediate course, exceeding fifteen miles an hour, it made an avenue of great width, tearing up trees, houses, and everything that came in its way. By four o'clock the wind had fallen - the sun shone out - the sky was serene - and every thing appeared so quiet that a stranger just arriving could scarcely believe that so dreadful a scene had been recently exhibited, if so many melancholy proofs of its reality did not obtrude themselves to his astonished view.

Source:
Ramsay's History of South Carolina from Its First Settlement in 1670 to the year 1808
by David Ramsay, M.D.
Preface dated "Charleston, December 31st, 1808.
Published in 1858, by W.J. Duffie, Newberry, S.C.
Reprinted in 1959, by The Reprint Company, Spartanburg, S.C.

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