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| Date | April 5, 1936 |
|---|---|
| Time | c. 10:55 a.m. (UTC−05:00) |
| Location | Cooper Pants Factory, Gainesville, Georgia |
| Coordinates | 34°17′25″N 83°49′46″W / 34.29028°N 83.82944°W / 34.29028; -83.82944 |
| Type | High-rise fire |
| Cause | Tornado |
| Deaths | 70-125 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Many |
On April 5, 1936, a devestating tornado hit the Cooper Pants Factory, located in Gainesville, Georgia. The tornado, which received a rating of F5 on the post-open">Fujita Scalepost-close">, sparked a fire within the factory that trapped up to 125 workers inside, and killing over 70 of those trapped.
Background
The Cooper Pants Factory, established in Gainesville around 1893, was a two-story clothing factory located at the corner of Maple and West Broad streets, in the heart of the town.
The factory serviced Cooper Pants, a clothing company.
Tupelo F5 tornado
Around 8:30 p.m., April 5, 1936, the Tupelo tornado, the fourth-deadliest tornado in United States history, would make its way toward Tupelo. The large tornado killed a family of 13 as their house was swept away, and injured many more before reaching Tupelo's west side. Retroactively rated F5 on the modern Fujita scale, it caused total destruction along its path through the Willis Heights neighborhood. Dozens of large and well built mansions were swept completely away in this area. Although missing the business district, the tornado moved through the residential areas of north Tupelo, destroying many homes, and killing whole families. The Gum Pond area of Tupelo was the worst hit. Homes along the pond were swept into the water with their victims. The majority of the bodies were found in Gum Pond, the area which is now Gumtree Park. Reportedly, many bodies were never recovered from the pond. Reports were that the winds were so strong, pine needles were embedded into trunks of trees. As the tornado exited the city's east side, the large concrete Battle of Tupelo monument was toppled to the ground and destroyed. Two nearby brick gate posts were broken off at the base and blown over as well. East of town, granulated structural debris from the city was strewn and wind-rowed for miles through open fields.
Fire
The fire was ignited after the building partially collapsed shortly after being struck, resulting in a loss of electricity. The only stairwell that connected the second floor to the first was blocked by flames, and an estimated 125 workers, over half of the people in the building at the time of the collapse, were trapped on the second floor.It is believed that only three out of the 125
orkers w
Aftermath
Legacy
See also
Notes and footnotes
Notes
Footnotes
- Tabler, Dave (2016-04-05). "It was daytime, but the sky was as dark as night". Appalachian History. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
- "Cooper Pants Factory and the Gainesville Tornado". Georgia History. April 6, 2020. Retrieved 2025-01-09.