Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-09-23
Dreadful Calamity =!
CnARLEsroM, Sept. II

CHARLESTON, sept. IL.
IT is again our painful duty to detail the
awful effects of dreadful visitation upon
our ill-iated city. n TORNADO having pas
sed through it. carrying death and desolation
in its progress
On Sunday evening last, the wind, which
hea heer tor -soae days light and variable
shifted to the n. T. and blowing very fresb
through the night, it continued in the same
quarter all day on Monday, and Monday
night; en- Tuesday morning it blew with in
creased violence, and during the whole time
IRON Sunday evening, there was almost an
increasing fall of rain. Abont 10 o'clock in
thetoreDoonof Tuesday, the wind shifted to the
, Il" and at halfpast - O'Clock, a ToRNADo.
unprecedented here in its extent and effects.
crossed section Of our City. 1t first took
effect at Fort Mechanic, situated ON the
southeast point of the City, and passing
IRON thence in a northwest direction, ii
crossed the town in direct line to the pond on
the north side ofCannon's Bridge ; how far it
mas extended its ravages into the country we
nave not yet learnt. Ini tsprogress, it over
turned and completely DESTROYED great
number of houses and out buildings, unroof
ed others, and Frustrated trees, fences, brick
walls, and almost every thing coming In
contact with it. 1t is computed, from has
~ view OF the scene Of devastation, that the
loss to the City will fall little, if any, short
OF that experienced by the calamitons Fire
IN October last. But, in addition to this
great loss OF property we have, OIL this occa-
sion, to lament the loss of several valuable
lives.
The TORNADO appears to have been about
100 Yards in width--after il had prostrated
the Tag staff on Fort Mechanic, unroofed the
house within the Enclosure of that Fort
thrown down the biacksmth's shop contgu-
Gus to It, and unroofed all the houses innme-
aiately adjoining the Fort, it crossed over 70
Lynch'sL Lane, where il unroofcd several hou-
ses from thenceit proceeded across CHURCH
stroct-continued, TO Mceting-strcct, where
sevcralhodscs were unrocfcd, particularly the
large new biICk house Of NATHAEIRt. Rus
Sci, Esq @hCse loss in furniture, &c. carr
otamouut to less than s 90, 600 from Meet
lng-street IT crossed to Tradd- street where
large three-story' wooden house on the
south side, about half way between Meeting
and hinS-strccts, was blown over. which
Crushed two adjoining houses in its fall
and most OF the houses ON both sides of thu
street, to the corner Of King-street. we're IN
rooted, or much shattered. IL passed I'm
hmg-street, nearly to Broad-street, unroo-
ing and SCATTERING several houses in its pro-
gress, until it reached Broad -street; here.
'iS must VI LIZ ALEXANDER BARON, situa-
tea az the north west corner of Orange
and the venerable mansion Of the late DIR.
CHANDLER, on the opposite corner, were
very roughly handled the latter being old
and weak, was completely wrenched to pie
ces on the opposite side Of Broad-stIeet.
The premises lately purchased by the ST.
'1"aFe7o's society, and occupied by Mr. HIM
~ lNGLEsBY; the Mansion Of the late
General MAcPHERsoN, and some other
buildings, we're either unrOofed or much
damaged passing through Vaux-HaII Car
uen' II crossed over Qucen-street, near to the
corner of Fricnd-strcct, and shatterine seg,
oral houses in its progress, il went on to tbe
corner Of Magazine and Mazyck s,reetss.
TWO OF three small houses fronting on the |
iormer OF these streets, were blown down |
ano " the progress of the ToRNA DO ND Ma. |
~ k-strcet, several houses were unroofcd. |
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