Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1840-05-29
From The Nafehez Miss. Free Trader Extra.
FRIDAY EVENING. May SO o'clock
DREAD FUL VISITATION OF PROV.
IDENCE.

| =
DREADFUL VISITATION OF PROV.
IDENCE.
About one o'clock, OH Tuesday, the 9Th
ins.., the attention Of the citizens OF Naichez
was attracted by an unusual and continuous
ronring Of thunder to the southwark, al
which point hung masses OF black clouds
some Of Them stationary, and Others whirl-
ing along with under currents, but all driv-
ing a little east Of north. AS there was evl.
IDENTIFY much lightning the continued roar
of growing thunder, although noticed and
spoken Of by many, created no particular
alarm.
The dinner bells in the large hotels had
runc, a little before two O'clock. and most oil
lonr citizens were sitting at theirlab when,
suddenly the atmosphere was dalkened, SO
as 10 require the lighting Of randles; and, IN
"a few moments afterwards, the rain was pre-
cipitated 10 tremendous cataracts rather than
| in DROPS. Ia another moment the tornado,
in all its wrath, was upon US. The strong
est buildings shook MS il tossed with an earth
quake The mir was black with wbrling ed
dies Of house walls. roofs. chimnles. huge
timbers torn from distant ruins, all shot
through the uir as fthrown from mighty
catapult The atmosphere soon became
lighter, aud then such an awful scene OF ruin
as perhaps never before met the eye OF man
became manifest The greater pafi Of the
ruin was effected in the short space OF from
three to five minutes. although the heavy
sweeping tornado lasted nearly half an hour.
For about five minutes il was more like the
explosive force Of gunpowder than any thing
else il could have been compared 10. Hun
dreds OF rooms were burst open MS sudden as
il barrels OF gunpowder had been ignited in
each.
AS FAR as glasses or the naked eye can
reach, the first traces oflhe tornado are to be
seer from The Natchez bluff down the river
about ten miles. considerably west OF south
Sweeping across the Na,ehez island il cross.
ed The point below the plantation of David
Barland, ESQ. opposite the plantations Of T..
NJ. Lnpice, Esq. in the Parish Of Concordin.
Il then struck the Natchcz bluff about a
mile and half below the city. near the man
sion called The "Briers" which il but slight.
~ injured but swept the mansion late Of
Charles b. Greene, Esq. called the Bel
leyue," and the ancient forest in which il
was embosomed, into mass OF ruins.
|, then struck the city through its whole
width Of one mile and included the entire
river and the village OF yadnlia on The Lou
siana making the path oflhe lorna
do more than two miles in widla. Al the
Natchez Landing on the river the ruin OF
dwellings. stores, steamboats,. fat boats. was
almost entire from the Vidalia ferry TO the
Mississippi Cotton Press. A few torn frag-
menis OF dwellings still remain, but they
can scarcely be called shelters.
In the upper city, or Natchcz on the hill.
scarcely house escaped damage or utter
ruin. The Presbyterian and Methodist
churches have their towers thrown down.
their roofs broken and walls shattered The
Episropa church is much injured in its roof
l'arke's great Southern Exchange is level
with The dust Great damage has has been
done TO The City Hotel and the Mansion
House, both being unroofed and the upper
stories broken in. The house OF sheriff l..
zod has not timber standing, and hundreds
oil other dwellings are nearly in the same
situation. The Court House nj Vidalia. pa.
IRISH OF Concordin, is utterly torn down, also
the dwelling house Of Mr. M'Whorier and of
MessIs. Dunlay and Stacey. Esqs The pa
rish Jail is partly torn down.
But now the worst remains to be told
Parish Judge Keeton. OF Concordis. was in.
SANITY killed while al dinner at the house OF
Mr. Stacey He was noble and esteemed
man. No other person was killed 10 Vidal
ia. although some others were hurt. AT the
Na,chez Landing, out Of fly or sixty fat
boats only six are now afoat Those hes,
acquainted suppose as many as one hundred
Cat boat men were drowned in the river,
which sweled instantly to the height OF six
or eight feet.
The STEAMBOATS, Kinds. Prairie and the
81 Lawrence were destroyed and sunk at
Iihe Landing, and the Vidulia ferry boat on
the riser-more or less persons being lost in
the two first named boats.
From the ruins Of the Steamboat Hotel,
Mr. Alexander. The landlord. mis- lady and
bar keeper, were dug out alive. as also Tim
olhY Flint. the historian and geographer,
and his son, from Natchiioches, La, besides
DIR. Taliaiero and many others. Mrs. Al
exander is considered dangerously injured.
Two Of her children were Killed 10 her arms.
As many as nine dead bodies have been dug
from the Slea mbont Hotel.
The number Of burials which have taken
place to-day is about fifty aud many are still
in dangerous and dying condition.
As soon as possible we shall publish list
OF the names OF the killed. wounded and
those missing whose bodies have not been
found
Meanwhile we beg the indulgence Of our
hind friands n al o,trone faro c.,y da,,e. a..