Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1834-06-10
TO TIM EDITORS OF THE E.goU
THE TORNADO

breaking IL 10 the sense. L. NJ
TIE TORNADO
CENTLEMEN Don't lie startled: am not going 10 give
you dish OF politics, hut very succnct, and expect
Imperfect account OF the destructive Tornado which APP
preached SO city the evening oil the inst
am induced this course cause they rre b-couiny 90
requeniaud slso, because the public 20 inter-
est ~ The history OF hr orgn progress AMI .ecisThe
hrst inims,ion that had Of cloud Using, about
twenty miles from this place, the Goodies B,idpe
Joad' ia Chesterfield Its mt was snnounc-
ed by several repeated rounds of rolling thunder sp
psreny IN very circumsc'ibed spot, aud hand
Jadged The distance TO he OILY few miles, aud some
where near the Genito road. II continued expamdhe
numbering became more irequent-snd the lightning al
most ncessant The wind this time, set in from tho
SOUTH and blew wuh constantly asing force Indeed
"e,"e reached Halls tavern, distance Of three
miles, 'hs Southern wind had increased very severe
gale, bowling The smaller the earth and amount
ing IN iorce TO severe Storm On reaching the tavern
found that the cloud had greatly expanded-presen,ing
Instead Of The dark, sooiy bsckness deep look
ing grsen-"nd was slowly progressing its in
NORTH Essefiy direction The scenes around had now
become awnl'y grand But this was but prelude TO
what succeeded! Suddenly. as il by pow err strung i'm
vlnr,be and unknow the trees hch shaded the yard al
HIS bscame erect, gave a quick, twrng motion and
bowed III an opposite dir econ Then succeeded, Tor tic
space oil e minutes, what il is almost impossible for the
pen TO descbo!-The terrible roaring and rushing {, the
wind, the vivid and constantly successive reaks OF light
ning The dismal-iong thunder, the falling of trees and
chihies, HE uniobng oil house the sting Of doors
a'u windows NE pouring III OF rain, leaves and sticks the
"ers ana Inibs and leaves flying through the air, which
could scsrcely be dsrerned amidst the dark and gloomy
mus, and Tie cracking aud jarng of the LARGE square
buii, heavy-ilmbereJ, sing sto led house in which
then AL rendered the scene truly slarmine E,erv
moment expected TO be dashed TO pieces, and carried in
the whwind Its structure alone could only baxe save. i,
Fortunately oI mankind, this warning OF the elements
this 9al whirlpool OF destruction in lis track
aud oil short Duration From examination OH the spot
ana what could gather hon the passing strangers the
man vortex or wbiIiDg, destructive part as only about
iour hundred yards wide and the bordering and exces.
sve winds varied from aud half miles each
sue 4" hat would appear remarkable was that along the
centre, no sil-stones ieilbnt the verge very Iape
pieces oil ice were picked up varying in size IRON,
hens TO goose's rgg-and piece was IN, asured aud
found 10 be six inches in its longer diameter aud we in its
.hoiter. IL travelled on from North West in South
petersburg ht'e to the light.
III easy 10 conceive that the destructive fleets of such
"nd must have been very great-bu could ouly ga
her before lett. the lew following Halls
FENCES all down, kitchen unshnged, chimney of store
house blown IN and much damage done the store room
he doors aud windows the Northern side OF ell
ing snapped to pieces and about twelve fifteen trees
around the house blown up or twisted No iivos loot,
he woods on this side Tor three tour hundred yarda,
pro' 10 the carth blocking up the road and
ing the passage oi waggons &c.AIany Of these found
OH each side OF The fallen imbcrs, and the drivers busiy
engaged cutting their way through
The chimnies fences, aud some houses, &c. OF the
neighors in the OF The bordering winds near
~ all blown dowD--onc Wagon, loaded with tobacco,
raised from the road and the others split pieces
One g'h'ieman about The centre OF it's course, Ga MIR.
Ellis beieve bad large two story dwelling and all of
me out houses, save the kitchen and smoke house. taken
OIL Tie family had fortunately collected in the kitchen
and all were soved.A MIR. Belcher had houses blown
down, among them his kitchen. in which negro wo.
killed. This was all could learn of the elects
during the short stay that made after passage Of the
storm.
fou see tina, have described this as a whrw
This character deduced from the follow ing cusan-
ces:-The tunnel shaped conc al Of
The cloud on IFS first approach the dark, greeph hue,
Qhls color thought attributable 10 the ascending eave
and rapidly innging and confused state OF the clouds
the top, the constant rushing OF the southern wind in the
commencement TO The cloud the very evident gyraion or
drawing 10 The centre, evnced by the Inclination OF the
q cJiss
cross manner IN which the throw al the cen.
re all seemed indicate character Aded to this iron,
Information just received, cloud about hundred
Hies up the river, earlier in the day, from which there
was much hail and wind. 1t passed by the
New Store, IN Buckingham, Cumberlan Court House,
and progressed on through Pow haisD, meeting with this
antagonist cloud here in the upper Chez
teiheid-"heh opposition is according 10 the best subo-
Hues The cause OF the tornado or Iwind.1his may
account Tor The instant change produced in the rushing
ihe WIND al the commencement. But why did
den and instantaneous calm succeed! From the most
terrible raging, if myrsds gines vent
Ing tieir force, Win all the whzzing power hch they
may be made TO produce, there was in The space Of
eoHd, perfect calm, death like siilness The
suddenly bursed through the nistte most beautiful
and gentle shower Of clear peucd falling-th
remaining trees erect quiet and not leaf that Iufed
oho most beautiful aud brilliant rainbow ached itself
this rapidly whirling monster, il in mOckefy Of the
ruin IL had wrought i ask, ought rot the vacuum IL
had made TO have been regularly and gradually filled p
Ihisi Messfs Editors situation IN which should
disike TO be placed again, could hare nv toiH-To
nave remained quiet under such oireustSncesto have
" e"n ",u 'oposen anu regardless oil passing events,
ana moi TO lear and apprehend danger, feel my weak
ness aud dependence that Supreme Being ho rdes
upon Tie Storm and "drects the whiIlwind NUT be-
long to nature composed Of different aud more usens.
Tile materials Than mine Truly aud snot inyoluntar.
", and humbly did repeat the Pubicans prayer and
AK aid from Hun who las all pOlceT aud who alone could
preserve. ID.
Richmond, June 9Th, 1894.
lh addition the above intere sting account from our
Correspondent learn that this destructive visitor has
none mnch damage IN the counties OF Notoway, Sussex,
NHnsemond, nc re We would Thank ends for
Parieuiars-[ Edif0s.