Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-09-06
lHERdLD OFFICE,
Norfolk, Sept. 4, 1921.
TREMENDOUS STORM.

Among the rest OF ourmisfortune., We are
gIieved TO state, that our town was on yes
;.riay visited by storm, or rather tornado
lar surprising in violence and calamitou
consequences, any that il has ever experien-
ced within the remembrance of the oldest
ih,ahitants. The best description We are
prepared 10 give OF il at this moment, can
convey but an imperfect conception OF lis
terrors
The morning was dark and gloomy, and
about six o'clock the black and lowering
clouds began 10 discharge their watery con
tents, not in gentle showers, but literally in
a few minutes, as ii 10 collect itself for
more copious discharge; for it presently sci
in again with increased violence, and the
wind CONNIE seed blowing heavy gale from
n. E which continued 20 increase 10 most
alarming height From half past ] till half
past IL. SO great was the fury of the ele-
m,nts, that they seemed to threaten general
demOlation ofevery thing within their reach.
During that period the scene they presented
was truly awful. The deafeniDg roar of the
storm, with The mingled crashing of y, indows
and falling of chimneys-the rapid rise Of
the tide, threatening to inundste the town
the continuous catsracts OF rain sweeping
impetuously along, darke ming the expanse OF
vision, and apparently conounding the 'hea.
Vers, earth and sea IN e. neral ch O.; tt.
gether with now ard then glimpse caught
through The gloom, OF shipping forced from
their mooring-, and driving with rspidi,y,
a the mind might we'll conjecture IN snch
circumstances, to inevitable des.ruCtion.--
Even 10 those, IL any there were. who COULD
contemplate suth scene uDappalied, 1t
must have been painful TO reh,ct On the
wide spread devastation which could not but
be the result If this fearful war of ete-
inenls" About II O'Clock the wind shifted
round to n. w. but without abaling its fury
until halt an hour aliey, when it ceased rain
ing; The storm began to suhside, and the
water to recede. Al four o'clock it changed
sNN VAC W CtluST USCdEle CdIu dItl
serene.
We How proceed to the unweicome task
ct enums rating the casualties resulting from
this awfol visitation; the most important OF
which is the complete annihi alton OF the
drawbridge over toe Eastern Branch from
The dollhouse to the draw, a distance. we
should Judge, Of about $50 ards, and of a
bou loo feet of the bridge across the South.
ern Branch. The destruction ct these bridges
miepen ,eht of fhe heavy loss il occasions to
the Company who OWES them, ia sore mis-
fortune 10 our town, as il completely cuts
OF, for the present at least, the land c0u-
munication, and must measurably diminish
the intercourse, with that part Of the coun.
trv, whence our market draws its chief sup
plies.
As might have been expected on an occa-
sion like this, where the suddenness of the
danger gave no time for preparations to meet
1t, tae shipping have suffered severely
The following are the particulars:
The brig Georgiana, of this port, taking
in cargo, and having 95 terces of rice on
board, parted her fast, and soon after cap.
sized; in this situation she was driven up
the Ea4tern branch and grounded opposite
70 Col. Godfrey's, where she new lies appa.
rently half foil of water--spars and rigging
all safe. The Eastern Draw bridge was car.
ried away by the force with which The Geor-
giana was driven agsins' it.
The brig Mexico, Of Bath. laden with
lumber, went ashore on Washington Poin,
[opposi.e Huichings's wharf, and carried
away her top-gallsnt mast.
The brig Minerva, fBath, lying at Frosl's
wharf, was forced in between two bulks.
where she remains. nearly bigh & dry at low
water, and so situated that she will probably
no, be got off
The schooner Columbus, of Gardiner. |
drove over upon Washington Point, where
she lies high and dry.
The schr. independence, of Bath, with |
lumber, drove against The Southern cause
way of the Drawbridge, and will probably
be got of without much difficulty.
The sIoop Hiram, OF this port. drifted up |
the Eastern branch, about half a mile above
the drawbrdge, and will Re got of again.
The sloop Mary, Of thi, port sunk, and al.
Ter being carried up the Eastern branch by