Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1840-05-28
THE TORNADO AT MATCHES.

The stc0mcr William French has arrived
at st. Louisville and Cincinnati, having pass.
cd Matches early on the morning altcr the
catastrophe. We copy the following from
Tie Cincinnati Chronicle.
The tornado began ut Matches on Thurs
day, the 7ll inst. ut = Z. NJ, und passed over
tho city, apparently from south enst direc-
lion, aud destroyed about two-thrds Of the
buildings IN the city among them was every
building under the NIL, except Mr.. Coltsns
g,ucsry, Ia smull building, which was par-
TALLY inlured.) The beautiful grove OF trees
around The court house is wholly prosiratcd,
aud the court house itself partially destroyed ;
all The banks, except the Commercial every
hutcl except the Mansion House, which was
partly blown down. The Planters nnd
parker's Hotels were completely oblltera,cd
aud nothing left but pile OF bricks. The
/ fine grove of trees, and the landscape bulld-
ing adjoining the Planters Hotel, were all
destroyed. The long low of China trees
tina, lined tho brow OF the hill, and made sc
beautiful an appearance from the river
were all destroyed; also the light house
erected by the U. y. Government some
twenty years since the cotton press, boll
steam saw mile, the stceple Of Second Pres
|, byterian church, and part Of the building
! itself, were also destroyed. The railroat
| depot was blown down, aud nine dead bodies
had been taken from The ruins.
I On the river, IN front OF the city, the eff CT
| of tue tornado were equally awful. The
| steamboat Kinds was blown into the river
and sunk, and all the crew and passengers
except four men were lost the number Ol
passengers Oh board was not known. Tho
captain was sad TO bc on shore at the time,
but had not been seen.
The William French passed Matches only
twelve hours utter, aud at that time the clti-
zen. were entirely engaged III taking ou'
the dead bodies from the ruins of the Steam
I boat Hotel The loss Oh board the flat boats
must have been awful, as /, Is reasonable I,
presume that at least two persons were OF
each boat, which would make the number
upward OF two hundred. The estimates OF
the spot, by the citizens OF Matches, varie'
from three 10 seven hundred.
II From the Louisville Journal.
/ 1t is sad there were so persons buried il
one of the hotels. Seven were taken dca'
/ from the railroad depot, and seven dead ant
one injured from the hotel under the hill
/ Rumor says that, in all. two bundled per
sons had been taken from the ruins. o
course many not killed were more or les
| injured.
\ 1T is stated that the family of Mr.. n.
/ Pos,le,hwaile was preserved in thi. slngula
| way one Of the children became frantic o
4 alarmed and ran into the ccllar-the mem
bers of the fnmily followed, and just as the.
\ all reached the cellar the house was blowI
off. The family of Mr.. Watt, Of the firm
Of Burke, Watt s. Co. were accidental!
lead 10 leave the table and 60 out IN lh'
4 yard and Instantly tho room they had lei
WAS blown down.
n II is stated that many persons were blowI
II from the streets into the river
\ How far the ravages Of this storm extend
cd we did not learn. Some say that 1t wa
not felt in its greatest violence any whor'
but IN aud near Matches but this IL hardi.
probable. AT Napoleon, Arkansas, "a hour
after the storm at Matches, house wa
blown down and a fiat boat sunk with hv'
men. A gentleman informs us that he sa
the rnvaccs OF recent tornado above Weeks
burgh, aud conjectures that IT was the SAM
storm. AT five o'clock on the day following
there was q violent hail storm in Louisville
wLich passed through Frankfort.
I An intelligent passenger IN the Frencl
Informs us that parts of nearly oil the plan
ta,ions on the Mississippi were overilowed
aud the river had no, reached ITS hlghss
II po,nl. On the Red Rivor, we learn, thou
sands Of acres of planted cotton were unde
\ water.