Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1840-05-16

storm and loss OF lite III the city of Nat
chez. We have received no newspapers
from Natchez since the catastrophe, from
which more correct history OF the ca
iamity might be obtained:
cat late hour yeste rday evening, our
city was thrown into a state of The most
intense excitement and conste rnation, by
the arrival of the Steam Boats SinIthland
and VIM. French, from below, with the
appalling intelligence that the city Of
Natchez was in RUNS, and the lives of
not less than TWO OR THREE HUN
DRIED citizens destroyed. Al about two
o'clock on Thursday, the 7th inst, Nat
chez was visited by the most terrific gale
on record, and although it lasted but
about i've minutes, the destruction of
life and property stands without par
allel. At the time the Smithland and the
VIM. French left, all was confusion,
gloom and death, and no accurate esti-
mate could be formed as to either the loss
OF life or property, though both must be
appalling. We had conversation with
Capt. Mcconnell, Of the French, who as
sures US that the number of persons kill
ed cannot be less than TWO OR THREE
HUNDRED, while some other persons
on board think that The number killed,
including citizens and boatmen at the
landing. will not fall much short of one
thousand! Every house in that part Of
the city under the Hill, was Frustrated
by the fury of the tempest, and their in
mates either killed or shockingly man.
gled. In the city on the bluff, the effects
were not destructive, the storm swept all
before it, and in it's wild career, the hum
BILE tenement and the lordly mansion
shared one common ruin. Not soita-
ry house has been left unscaihed. Those
that were not levelled to the dust, were
unroofed and otherwise seriously dam
aged. Parker's splendid Hotel, known
as the Southern Exchange, is heap Of
ruins, being literally leveIled TO the
earth. The City Hotel and the Mansion
House were both unroofed, and othe rwise
very much injured. In a word, every
house in the city is moro or less damag-
ed, and every tenement in that fair city
sends forth its mourners for the dead thus
suddenly heralded TO the ''dim land of
dreams" At the river TOO. the angel of
destruction was not less busy, and his |
shafts were hurled with unerring aim.
The steam boat Kinds, which was in the
act of leaving for this city with FORTY |
PASSENGERS, was instantly sunk. and
every soul on board persisted except three.
The steam boat Prairie, which was also
at the landing, had her cabin blown off,
and number of passengers drowned
The number of fiat boats on the levee
was very large, and the loss OF life and
property among them must be terrible
indeed. We have no list of the names
Of the persons killed, and consequently
know not upon whom this awful caIami-
" has fallen with greatest force. 1t is
enough 10 know that it has fallen upon a
city heretofore sufficiently unfortunaie
1t is enough 10 know that it has fallen
,Pon our neIghbors, our friends, and our
brothers, and that they have the deepest |
and conIolance our hearts can
'ffer them. in this the hour of their
greatest affection. We have never seen
his community more excited than it was
Teste rday evening, and we are sure there
5 not heart in this city which does mol
'eat In sympathy and sorrow for the I
mighty calamity which has fallen upon
What was lately the fairest city of the
south"
Since the above was in type, we have
eceived the following, through the
yicksburg Wing
The Calamity at Natchez.
We continue to receive the most ap-
aiing accounts of the destruction of lite
nd property in this Inflated city, though
very thing is still Of the most indefin-
te character. No lists of the killed and
wounded has yet been published, nor Is
known how many have been hurried p
. eternity, by this sudden and awful WIS., Il
alton OF Providence. Our CITY has
cen plunged into the deepest gloom
rom the time the affecting intelligence
lrst reached us up 10 this rnomenr. A
ED a. the court house on Saturday NOR Il
ing, for the proceedings of which we
eter TO another column.
The committees appointed by that
'eeting to proceed TO Natchez, left on the Ell
rst boat, accompanied by large numbers fc
our citizens as volunteers, and what fc
yer can be done by them to aid and allie
late the distress of our friends and Il
.ighbors, will be done with promptness v
Id alacrIty which ever characteristics oil
us community In the hour of trial. III
Re have conversed with several gentle s.
en- who have visited the scene of ruin
I'D who represent il as truly heart-rend- 81
g. From all we hear, we incline 10 oil
e opinion that the number Of citizens OF to
atchez who persisted on Thursday, is h,
Try small and that the greatest destruc- III
On Of life was among the strangers and W
'atmen on the levee. The following is | hi
] estimate of the amount of property ST
stroyed, made by several gentlemen, ce
ID published in the Free Trader OF Fri tr
~: er
ouses and goods under the hill $50, 900 of
bur steamboats,, 5QOOOl W.
fifty fiat boats at the landing 100000 -
lildings, &c. below Main and We
west of Canal streets, $4,000 fw
low Main, west of Canal, south Sc
of Franklin to Main, $4,000 eli.
nj Road Depot, buildings, an
nc anai -.