Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1840-03-12
From the Naschez (Nliss,J Frss Trader, EIiTa.
FRrDAY EvENINO, May Sc O'Clock.
DREADFUL VISITATION OF PROVIDENCE

FRDAY EvkxINO, May Sc o'clock.
DREADFUL VISITATION OF PRovIDENcE.
About one O'Clock on Thursday the Ith
inst, the attention of the citizens OF NeIcneA
was attracted by an unusual and continuous
roaring of thunder to the soaahward, at which
point hung masses of black CLOUDS some Oh
them stationary, and others whirllng along
with under currents, but all driving Utue
east of north. AS there was evidently much
lightning, the continual roar OF growing
thunder, although noticed and spoken Oh Oy
many, created no particular alarm.
The dinner bells in the large hotels hao
rung, a little before two o'clock, and most Oh
our citizens were sitting ut their tables, when
Suddenly the atmosphere was darkeneG, so as
to require the lighting of candles, and, IN
few moments afterwards, the rain was pre-
cipitated in tremendous cataracts rather IMAM
in drops. In another moment the tornaoo''n
all its wrath, was upon US: Inc strongSs'
buildings shook as if tossed with an eartn-
quake the air was black with whlrllng eo-
dies of house walls. roofs, chlmnles, huge nui-
bers torn from distant ruins, all shot through
the air ms if thrown from a mighty cNtapult,
The atmosphere soon became lighter, and
then an awful scene of ruin as perhaps new
er before met the eve of man became mani
fest. The greater part of the r'in was effect
ed in the short space of from three to hVe
minutes, although the heavy sweeping lorna
do lasted nearly half an hour. For about
| five minutes it was more like the explosive
power of gunpowder than any thing else 4
could have been compared I" H"ndrsHs VI
| TUUInS were burst open as sudden as 1t oar
| rels of gunpowder had been ignited in each.
AS far as glasses or the naked eye car
reach, the first traces of the tornado arc to be
| NoNoha- hl,,fT lS>n,,N thf VSvoI
about ten miles, bearing considerably ives
of south. Sweeping across the Natchez isl
and, it crossed the point below the planta
ton of David Barland, Esq. opposite the plan
! tation of p. M. Lapice, Esq, in the parish o.
Concordia. 1t then struck the NatcheZ bluff
about mile and q half below the city, neal
the mansion called the Brers," which i
hut slightly injured, but swept the mansion
late of Charles B. Greene, Esq, called The
Bellevue" and the ancient forest in which
it was embosomed, into mass of ruins.
| 1t then struck the city through the whole
width of one mile, and included the entire
river and the village of Vidalia on the Lou
isiana shore-making the path OF the lorna
do more than two miles in width. At the
Natchez Landing on the river, the ruin o
| dwellings, stores, steamboats,. fiat boats, was
almost entire from the Vidalia ferry to ths
Mississippi Cotton Press. few torn frag
ments Of dwellings still remain, but they car
scarcely be called shelters.
| In the upper city, or Natchez on the hill
scarcely a house escaped damage or uttel
ruin. The Presbyterian and Methods
churches have their towers thrown down
their roofs broken, and walls shattered. The
| Epispocal church is much injured in thu
roof. Parker's great Southern Exchange Il
| level with the dust. Great damage has beer
done to the City Hotel and the Mansion
House, both being unroofed and the uppe
stories broken in. The house of Sheriff lzot
has not a timber standing, and hundreds o
other dwellings are nearly in the same stu
alton. The Court House at Vidalia, parish
of Concordia, 10 utterly torn down. and thu
dwelling houses Of DR.. McWhorter and o
Messrs. Dunlap and Stacey. The parish
Jail Is partly torn down.
But now the worst remains to DO told
Parish Judge Keeton, of Concordia, was in
stantly killed while sitting at dinner at thu
house of Mr.. Stacey. He was q noble ant
! in Vidalia, although some others were hurt
At the Natchez Landing, out of fifty or sixty
fiat boats, only six are now afoat. Those
best acquainted suppose as many as 100 ffat
boatmen were drowned in the river, which
swellcd instantly to the height of six or eight
feet ..a ....
The Steamboats, Kinds, Prairie and the st
Lawrence were destroyed and sunk at the
Landing, and the Vidalia ferry boat on the
river--more or less persons being lost in the
two first named boats. .ty
From the ruins of the Steamboat Hotel
Mr.. Alexander, the landlord, his lady and
barkeeper, were dug out alive, as disc limo.
thy Flint. the historian and geograptfer, and
his son, from Natchitoches, La, besides Dr..
Taliafero and many others. Mrs. AlexaD-
der is considered dangerously injured. Two
of her children were killed In her arms. As
many as nine dead bodies have been dug
from the Steamboat Hotel. VI
The number of burials which have taken
place to-day is about fifty, and many are
still in dangerous and dying condition.
As soon az possible, we shall publish list
of the names of the killed, wounded, and
those missing whose bodies have not been
found. ...
Meanwhile VIC beg the indulgence Of our
kind friends and patrons for lew days, in
which time we shall be able to get our office
in some order. The Free Trader Office bull
ding has been crushed inland much sbatter-
ed. We are all confusion, and surrounded
by the destitute, the houseless, the wounded
and the dying. Our beautiful city is shat.
tered as if il had been stormed by all the
cannon in Austerlitz. Our delightful China
trees are all torn up. We are peeled and
desolate.
The neigbboring planters are generously
sending in large gangs Of slaves to assist in
clearing the streets and digging the dead
from the ruins. ..
Mr.. Ruffiner and s. J. Boyd, Esqrs. have
been at the trouble TO 60 over the whole ex-
tent of the city, and make practical esti-
mate Of the damages, which we endorse, as
far as our observation extends.
Total amount, $l,2GO,00O.
In addition TO the above. the ". o. Plea
yune has gathered the following particulars (:
The steamboat Gen. Lawrence went down.
II is said she was lifted many feet out Of the
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