Twister Practically Wipes Out Ashley Heights Village.
Contact: Myrtle Bridges

Two persons were killed and a score of others hurt, some seriously, by a twister which struck Ashley Heights, a village 
five miles from Aberdeen, Hoke county, at 4:30 on the morning of August 16.

The dead:
Jarvis Polk of Columbus county, J.W. Jones of Ashley Heights died at noon same day.

Those seriously hurt, Mr. J.W. Jones, a Mr. and Mrs. Ingram and their five children, H.W. Dewar badly cut and bruised, 
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Hardister, internally injured. J.F. Bufkin, blown about 50 feet from a second story room. The injured 
are recovering.

The twister cut a path about 300 yards in width and traveled northeast. It completely razed a cotton gin, garage, a brick
store and five dwellings, besides unroofing several more and damaging two churches. The report damage is estimated at $150,000.

Jarvis Polk had stopped in the village and secured a room for the night at the Ingrams. He was instantly killed; his face 
cut to ribbons and the upper part of his body badly mangled.

Mr. Jones was badly cut and injured internally. He was taken to the Sanatorium hospital where he died without recovering 
consciousness. Mr. and Mrs. Ingram and Mrs. Jones were rushed to a Fayetteville hospital. The remainder of the injured were 
carried to Sanatorium.

The twister did considerable damage to tobacco barns some distance away before it hit the village, and after leaving a path 
of destruction there for some 500 feet, seemed to rise and there was no evidence that it struck again in the vicinity.

Four persons were sleeping above the store which was wrecked, and one of them, J.F. Bufkin, was hurled 50 feet through the 
air, sustaining serious cuts and bruises. The others in the same room including a small baby escaped with slight injuries.

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This page created January 4, 2015