Morning herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1837-1840, 1840-05-27

SOUTH WESTERN I0RNADoEs, Nc.-ihe physi'
cal well political atmos phere Of the great south
west, seems to be going through the process of a
mighty revolution. A tornado, unprec edented in
violence, and the extent Of its devastating track
has reduced the city of Natchcz to heap of ruins
destroying property to the amount OF FIVE millions
of dollars and causing the death Of 100 persons
present ascertained. The spectacle is described
to have been sublime and terrific beyond the power
of language to express. dark cloud is said "a
have made its appearance in the southwest, about
two o'clock nthe afternoon, preceded by tremen-
dous roaring of the winds; as it came rushing on
almost with the sp ed of li"ht, it ountered an
other at short distance from. the city, coming from
an opposite direction. The bowling of the storm
was now awful, and every thing went down before
it. Almost the whole city a mass of undistn-
guishable, shapeless ruins, in few moments. Many
ladies lost their entire wardrobes and obliged
to borrow the initial vestments with which to cover
themselves, after they had been reduced to state
of nudity by the tornado.
Under date Of May 10th, correspondent writes
"Out of two huadred houses in Nathe z undo the
Hill only two are now standing. Several flat boats,
with a number of men on board, breke adrift, and
sunk with every soul on board. Three steam boats,
with 10 ar Is men each, also sunk.
"About sixty men have been lug ont of the ruins
under the hill. and probably as many more on the
hill and many remain buried in the rubbish.
1t is impossible to estimate with any degree Of
accuracy the number of lives the Mount Of pro-
perty destroyed. Our whole city is in raius-every
thing is torn up by the roets-every body appears
perfectly reckless of the future Bnsne is utterly
destroyed. 1t bad enough before, but il is all
gone now"
The painful recital of the horrors of the storm is
agreeaby relieved by the prompt and generous man.
ner in which the citizens of the adj towns hav
come forward to the relief of the sufferers; but the
consultations of sympathy and pecuniary aid must
be unavailing, until the lapse of time shall have
bluntcd the edge Of their distress.
In addition to the destruction of life and property
at Natchez and its vicinity, which must be felt in
a greater or less degree all through the Mississippi
valley the whole country is suffering by an nunda-
ton greater than has been before experienced in
quarter of century. Nearly sthe whole country
from New Orleans up to the mouth Of the Ohio, is
totally under water. The Missouri ant Upper Mis-
ssspp are usually swollen at this season by floods
in some of their tributaries, but the immense number
Of rivers which feed the father of waters, usually
rise one after another and the vast volume which
emptes into the gulf, is rarely much increased
its passage to overspread the towns along the
banks, or to leopard the levee at New Orleans
But this year, from some cause which is uaexplain
ed nearly, il not quite all the great tributaries
the Upper Mississippi have risen at once, and to
great height toe, and the equence is the inun
lation of the whole lower country.
The swelling of the Tippecanoe tide in that sec
tion is about equal to the rise in the rivers, and by
the time the present flood has subsidized the country
will be ready for deluge Of hard cider