Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1840-05-19
From The CinciHnah Chronicic
AWFUL TORNADO-DESrRI,Cr OF NAT.


AWFUL TORNADO.-DESTRUCTI OF NAT
CHEz-rHREE HUNDRED LIVES LOST
by the attention Of Mr.. Abbott. Of New York. who
has jus, arrived here from Natshez I'm the boat
Wm french,) via Louisville. have Obtained the
particulars of of the NEST destructive tornadoes
'hat mas ever been witnessed this coniincntsqua
TO many Of those that have swep, over the West In
dies IL began at Naichez, Thursday the 9Th inst.
al r. NJ, aud passed over the city, apparently from
s,oih east direction, and destroyed about ohrs of
the buildings In the city; amongst them wero ev-
cry building under the hill. except Mr. Coitous cr-
cery "a small bading which was PARTIALLY in;areil-
the beautiful grove Of tree. around the Court House
nv "%oNy p''sfaea; and the Court House itself par.
10y o-s'reyed-all the Banks except the Commercials
every Hotel. except the Mansion House. which was
PARTIALLY blown down. The Planters and Parker.
Hotels were completely obliierued. and nothing left
but pile Of bricks. The fine grove of trees and the
handsome buildings adjoining the Planters Hotel were
all destroyed. The ony Of China trees that lin.
cd the brow OF the hail. and made beautiful APP
Pearance from the river. were all destroyed also the
Light House, erected by the u. > governments some
twenty years snce the Cotton Press; both Steam Saw
Mills the Steeple OF the Second Presbyterian Church.
and part of the building itself was also
The Railroad Depot blown down and nine dead
bodies had been taken from the ruins.
On the river in front Of the city, the effects Of the
tornado were equally awful The steamboat Kinds
was blown into the river and sunk and all the crew
4
oi passengers on board not known. The Captain
was said TO be shore the time n; had not been
seen The steamboat Prairie had lust arrived from
81 Louis freighed with ead--her upper works were
swept OIL down TO her deck and all the crew and pas
sengers were presumed to be lost the number OF pas
scngers unknown. but four ladies' at least were
seen on board just before the disaster The stcanoa
III. Lawrence, and n sloop were in a somewhat shell
tered position al the Cotton Press and were severed,
damaged but not lost The Steam Ferry boat WI
sunk; and out Of one hundred and twenty Flat boat
that lay at the landing. all were lost but four witt
most OF their crews. The Wharf boat Mssissip pian
used as q hotel. grocery, &C.. was lost. tax ha,
that many had dropped down To Natchez which nc
counts for the unusually large number there ut tn
time.
The destruction of property. of course, is immense
end no estimate can yet be formed Of amount; AM
we regret TO add that the number Of lives lost is ais
very great. The VIM French passed Natchez onI,
twelve hours after and that time the citizens wer
entirely engaged in taking the dead bodies from
the ruins Seven ladies had already been taken from
The ruins Of the Steamboat, Hotel The loss on boar,
IN. Flat Boats must have been awful is reasona l,
TO presume that at least two persons Were on eacl
boat, which would make the number lost in this man
ner upwards Of two hundred. Tho estimates ON IN,
spot, by the citizens OF hatcher. varied from three Il
seven hundred.
| The tornado crossed the river 10 Concoriia Ia
and destroyed the Court House, JAIL and other build
ngs and most Of the trees. II Then seemed to chang.
ats course, and parsed up the Louisiana bank of ia,
river destroying most OF the in its course: il
effects on trees were visible far up as vicksburg
| The tornado lasted but few minutes at Naichez
TO use the words of those who saw IT, ut passed oye
the city like flash Of lightning during The forenoon
| 10 had boen uncommonly windy AT points hiehe,
up ON The nver' II was accom- ianied by heavy fall
of rain.