Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-28

Description OF the hatcher Tornado.
The terrible calamity which has desolated one OF
the farest cities of the great Mississippi valley, is
described With graphic hand and with great vivid
ness, fidelity and power, in the following letter.
NEW oRLEAss, May is, 1910.
JIG. BENNETT, ESQ,
Dear Sir-I am subscriber to the Herald
which is sent TO me at ST. Louis, Missouri am a
constant reader of your paPcr-like you much for
your independence in many respects though some
times | do think you carry things little too far
however, one man cannot please in every particu-
lar, and excuse you On the ground that you do
what you think Is right and best for-your own
interests. So much for premde-now to the matter
have 10 communicate.
am the captain of the steamer Prairie which suf
fered in the tornado that devastated the city of
NatchcZ and the country thereabeuts-ofc course
was an eyewitness of the destruction there, and
what relate is therefore to be relied on.
On the 7th inst. about p. NJ, my boat was lying
at the Natchez landing, taking cotton on board-we
had been there about and half hours the sky
during that time was filled with heavy dark clouds
in the distance heard a continual, dull roaring
ofwhat we supposed thunder, which gradually grew
louder and more distinct. AT intervals there were
sharp, heavy claps, attended with the most vivid
lghtning. Gradually the clouds lowered still dark
er-the claps of thunder grew louder and seemed
nearer-the lightning flashed still brighter-the dis
tant rolling OF thunder assumed more the sound of
moaning-every appearance indicated, as we suppo-
sed 4 violent storm Of rain. Many on board were
attracted by the gloomy grandeur OF the heavens,
and were watching it with feelings of awe, which
every manifestation of divine power so palpable to
the senses is calculated to raise in the human breast
Suddenly the appearance of the sky changed, and
showed by various signs the approach of mighty
wind. No time then left for calculation or fur
Their observation of the terrific Of the elements
All were the aiert-additional lines ordered
to be got out to shore-the eng neer ordered to be
ready-the pilot summoned to the wheel, and every
precauton taken to have the boat secure against the
coming storm.
With one of the hands ran to the roof to pay out
hax IN fha I'LL We hah Optt he nd nnf
and it was laid hold of by the below the hand
and paying it out on the roof, when the storm
burst on The roof was lifted. or started like
With the impulse OF self-prcservatlon l sprang to
the gangway leading TO the boiler deck-plunged
down t-threw myself flat on my face on the boiler
deck-grasped the edge of it to keep myself from
being whrled away--looked up and saw the place
had just been standing on, and the entire upper
works Of the boat, swept away. The hand that was
with the roof was prccipitated to the forecas-
tic uninjured. lay, utterly incapable Of motion
from the violence of the wind about ten minutes
II then somew hat abated, and was able to jump to
the ferecastle. The boat had parted all her moor.
ings and was turned stern up stream-her bow still
being to shore. She again made fast, the waves
pitching dreadfully. | looked around me-al was
horror, desolation, ruin. Houses were laid level
with the earth-the shore entirely covered with
the wreck of buildings, boats and goods. Two
steamboats, were sunk-ifty or more fiat boats en-
gulphed in the raging waters, with their contents
and their crews. The forests opposite were trans
formed into mere stubbls-felSs of splinters. The
rious kinds My own boat lay dsmantled and
useless wreck, floating shapeless hulk on the boil
ing and maddened waters. On examination, ! found
one young man corpse, five or six badly hurt and
five missing.
From the confused rubbish of what few minutes
before were splendid ediices, the groans,
shreks and screams of the wounded. Thousands
were buried under the ruins and thousands escaped
thercirom unhurt. Many were slightly, many badly
hurt-and Of all that were buried covered in the
ruins, few, comparatively very few, were killed
How they could have escaped is, or seems, to view
the ruins, a miracle. NatcheZ now looks like city
marked BY the demon Of destruction as his own-as
though his power illimitable, and he had exer-
cised il to the utmost 1t is desolated cty-a city
Of ruins Fire. war, pestilcnce and famine, have de-
stroyed and depopulated towns before-but all COM
bined never left so flourishing place as Natchez
was. so miserable wreck as Natchez is.
Misery naked, wretchedness unparalleled stalk
through the doomed city. Their state appeals to
every heart for relief and aid New Orleans is up
and dong-her citizens readily and cheerfully res
pond to The call for aid Money, men, provisions,
all things necessary will be and have been supplied
more will yet be done. Let other places contri-
butte thor mite. All of the towns on the river, so
far heard from, act like New Orleans-thcre are
true hearts in all.
Cannot you give New York start Particulars
as they now oc you viii CLEAN from tic papers
bu; | thought my account, as participation ia the
scene night be interesting to you late as ii comes
Should il be Of any usc to excite the feeling Of
tending relief, ] shall be amply repaid
Yours with respect, j. ii. FRELIGH.