Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1840-05-25
DOMESTIC INTELLIGEN
AWFUL 1rY!-NATCHEZ DE-
STROYED BY A TORNADO.
From he Me- Orleans Bulletin, May0.

-
From he Nee Orleans Bulletin, Mayo
b. tie steamer V,clsburg Capt. Grec, which ar
rived here last night, we have The following par'cu-
lars Of a tornado, winch took place in Natchez on
! Thu s1ay last:
The devoted city of Natchez was visited yesier-
day with one OF the awful and distressing callm-
tiles IL has ever been our fate TO witness. Yesterday
abou, o'clock. p. NJ. d rk cloud made lis APP
peatance in tie southwest, preceded by continued
roaring of the wind d IL was met by another which
was waited from directly the opposite point Of The
! compass A description OF the sublime spectacle
which followed is beyond the power OF language to
convey.
At he moment Of the coReussion large masses OF
seeming white apiay were precipitaed 10 The earth,
followed by such roaring Of the wind as u old Eo-
ms himself was there guiding and directing the Storm
Houses we're dsmauIled Il theii roofs and then al
most INN ediairly Lew ed with the earth The air
was filed with bricks and large pieces oftimber-and
escn heavy ox carts were upliiied and thrown hun
dreds Of yards from their orig lna positions About
60 nnboas lying in port were drlted from shore and
sunk. The ferry boat plying between Naichez and
the opposite shore, capsized and sunk. and every
one on board is supposed TO have persisted. The
steamboat Kinds was espsiz'd and sunk. The
steamboat Prairie had her cabin entirely taken of,
and crew nearly all los. Thetwo llotels in the c'-
~ ~ one patty and the other entirely blown to the
ground aud almost every house more or Tess injured
II is impossible To tell how many OF the citizens
were killed, the streets were fill, d with large pie
ces OF timber, rendering them impossible, and the
work olex,ricatng the bodies hom the fallen houses
WAS not completed When the Vicksburg left
some 10 OF 90 bodies had been found. II was very
dlliculllo ELF CT landing. AS every house under
| the Ill., except five or SIX. was blown down, and
the river filed with floating fragments Of houses
| aud hai bogts.
/ The Tornado, on leaving Natchez, followed the
course OF the ,,scr about miles down. The Court
House in vdalia was tvelled to the ground. and the
Pansh Judge killed The trees the OPP osiie side
Of the river aswell as those on Nachez Island, were
al torn up by the roofs or SIR pped other branches
The damage done 10 The crops in the nee hborhood
very considerable, some plantations being depri-
we'd OF all their fences, and others had every cabin Ia
ken away by the storm.
From The NeW Orleans P,cdyunc. May 10.
The Tornado Of Natches This disastrous vista
ion from the sky has left a tram Of destruction
behind most lamen,abe and melancholy TO think
of. So destructive. so appalling DISASTER from
the enfaged wind has never been known before
-cannut be found on record. Turnadocs and hur-
icanes have been known beiore-but they have
generally occurred IN regions untenantrd by man,
aud have on, heard oil the forest being prostratcd
aud the earth plougbed up by the howling storm:
but here is a city destroyed and hundreds Of our
fello~ beings swept away into eternity. We give
here letter received yesterday from ieRd in Nat
chez lie gives avlsid picture Of the desoale aud
unfortunate city.
NATcnEz, Thursday, 5P. NJ, May7.
To he Editors Of The Daily Picdyune-By the
steamboat Meteor hasten TO quaint YOU with one
Of the 81 hord and destructive hun anes that ev.
er happened in the United States. While nearly
the whole OF our city were engaged in dining at the
hour Of two this afternoon, VIVID flashed the light
ming, loud roarcd The thunder. aud black grew the
sky, In few minutes the tempest came, asd for a.
bout forty minutes we were in that perilous state
which speaks only OF destruction and death. First
toppled down the chimpies then went the roofs OF
houses, and anoment after house after house fell
INTO ruins. In the hurry of this letter cannot beg
TO parilc uarze the death aud damage around me.
"NMchez under the hill" is entirely swept away and
the loyelIest part of the South on the Bluff above
is wreck and rnia and those yet living will 6nd die
hculty in getting shelter to mig ht My heart sick
ems AT the scenes before me. As walked 10 the
boat from which write the dead and wounded met
me every twenty s. eps.-Natchc4 is ruined, ruined,
| ruined. Ionis, truly.
In addition 10 The above we have gait cred the fol
owing particulars. The steamboat ST. Lawrence
went down. It's said she was lifted many fee, GU,
OF the water and instantly dashed TO the bottom Of the
riyer with every soul on board. Tie enormous body
OF water low rolling in the Mississippi and swelling
To the very lopmost llms OF its banks, was ashed in
TO ioaming pillows, and dt-boais were torn TO pie
ces and their scattered plank. flew about in the wind
like feathers. The lady of Mr.. Halliday, one Of the
propfletors Of the Free T6ader, saved by a nit
aele, with he, young child IN her arms. Every
church and every public building shared the ruin
Sieeples we're dashed 10 the earth and houses all over
town were unroof d.
The steamboat Prairie IS now lying at our wharf
torn TO pieees-"blown up by the wind worse than
ever boat was blown up by steam. The hull and
machinery is all thai is left Of her. Her cabin was
carried away, floor and all. The warehouses were
unrooied, and what remains OF the boat is rent and
shattered IN an awful manner. Among the sufferers
on board The Prairie was Emanuel Blanc, an estima-
/ bl" young man Of this & iy, but Captain Freligh
/ cannot estimate how many persons were lost f,om
his boat Himself and Mr.. james Wilson The clerk
narrowly escaped.
From an extra ssaed from the shattered office Of
the Free Trader, We learn that public meeting has
been held by the citzens in the house lat hth
Col James e. Wilkins presided aud +. l.. Claiborne.
Esq, was secretary. Addresses were delivered BY j.
NJ Hewitt and J. M. DufieId. Esqrs.. and resolutions
offered by the latter gentleman and Others, appoiu-
tng relie committees, &c.
The CITY Hotel, through The kindness Of the pro-
pretor, Noah Barlow, ESQ. has been thrown open to
HE wounded. Doctor Pollard has taken the Ire.
mont House for an additional hospital, S. Duncan
Esq having generously offered 10 be responsible for
the rent.
From The ruins Of he Steamboat Hotel, Mr. Alex.
andtr The landlord his lady and bar keeper, we're
dug out alive as also Timolhy Flint, the historian
ADD geoerapber, and his son ON Nachiroches La
besides Doctor 1a'iafriro anu many others. Mrs
Alexander Is CO, sdercd dangerously injured; IL OF
her children were Killed ~ her arms. As many as
nIne dead byd.s have been dug i.ou the Steanbva,
1iIutI,