1923 — March 11, Tornado, esp. Deanburg & Pinson, Chester & Madison counties, TN–20
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 4-8-2025 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–20 Canton Sunday News, OH. “More Deaths Expected.” 3-13-1923, p. 13.
–20 Grazulis. 20:00 F5. 70inj, 13m. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 318 and 782.
—>18 Pinson
— 2 Deanburg
–19 Hutchinson News, KS. “Fourteen Were Killed.” 3-12-1923, p. 10.
–14 Pinson
— 5 Deanburg
Narrative Information
March 12: “Jackson, Tenn., March 12. – Fourteen persons are known to have been killed at Pinson, Tenn., and fire others are reported to have lost their lives at Deanburg, in a storm which swept the two villages late last night and demolished farm buildings in sections of Madison and Chester counties. Approximately fifty injured have been brought to Jackson hospitals.
“The known dead at Pinson include six white persons, Mrs. J. L. James, Mrs. Bloomer Van Tresse, and two children, and two children of the family of Joseph C. Irvin.
“At Deanburg five members of the Cane and McDowell families are reported to have been crushed to death when their houses were wrecked.
“First estimates placed the property loss at $100,000.
“Relief trains from Jackson brought the injured to hospitals here. Several are believed to be fatally hurt.” (Hutchinson News, KS. “Fourteen Were Killed.” 3-12-1923, p. 10.)
March 13: “Jackson, Tenn., March 13. – Twenty dead are lying in the morgue here today and forty seriously injured have been taken to hospitals, victims of a storm which swept away the residential section of Pinson and erased the little town of Deanburg, near here. Many of the injured are in a critical condition. Further deaths are feared.
“The force of the storm in western Tennessee was expended in Pinson, Madison county and Deanburg, Chester county. The known dead at Pinson, it was reported today are:
Mrs. J. L. James, wife of the pastor of the First Methodist church.
Mrs. B. G. Van Treese and two daughters, Madge and Mabel.
Four months old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Ervin and their six year old son, Howard.
John Kerrent and his wife, negroes.
Henry Neal, Eugene Warren, John Warren, John Hadden, Dewitt Robinson and DeVaugh Atkins, all negroes.
“The negroes killed were employed as section hands on the Mobile and Ohio railway and were struck down at their work.
“The town of Pinson was thrown into darkness immediately when the tornado struck and the neighboring hamlet of Deanburg also was dark. Wire communication with any place was impossible….” (Canton Sunday News, OH. “More Deaths Expected.” 3-13-1923, p. 13.)
Sources
Canton Sunday News, OH. “More Deaths Expected.” 3-13-1923, p. 13. Accessed 4-8-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/canton-sunday-news-mar-13-1923-p-13/
Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.
Hutchinson News, KS. “Fourteen Were Killed.” 3-12-1923, p. 10. Accessed 4-9-2025 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/hutchinson-news-mar-12-1923-p-10/