The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-06-21
Tornado at NauvOO-- Destruction OF the
Mormon Temple.

The Secretary Of the Icarian Community at Nauvoo,
writing to the ST. Louis Republican under date OF the
20 b ult ssys-The Temple of Nsuvoo, erected by the
Mormons finished in 1915 partially burnt in October,
1s4S, having but its four walls left--au its timber
works having been consumed by the hames-was des-
troyed by hurricane the 9th. On arriving at
f Nsuyoo, in March ls4s the icssan Community
Its studying and ting halls for reectory capable
OF containing about one thousand persons Many
to the pine forests Of the North to buy tmbers Of d.
mansions necessary for re-estabishng the roof and
floors Some other pieces Of wood were ready; steam
mill was purchased to 1T up a, saw mill; the saw
mill nearly finished; a vast shed raising
laying the interior the bases Of the pillars whom on
the 9th day Of May hrightful hurricane, the most
terrible experienced in the country in many years,
burst suddenly on the hill Of Nsuvoo, where light
nirgs thunder. wind hail and rain seemed united to
assail the building The storm burst forth quickly,
and with such Violence that the masons, overtaken
unawares in the Temple, had not time enough to lice
before the northern wall, sixty feet high, bent down
over their heads threatening to crush them and bury
them up. Friends" cried out the foreman, are
all lost 20 and indeed their loss appeared to be certain
for the southern and eastern walls which had always
been looked upon the weakest, now shaken by the
fall Of the former, seemed the point Of tumblng
them But the running rubbish Of the northern wall
stopped at their feet Now rushing ont OF the ruins
in the midst Of cloud Of dust hail aud rain wrapped
mp In lightnpgs, thunder and furious blast Of wind
expecting every moment to hear the Two walls give
way upon them, they succeeded in getting cut,
tonished at seeing those walls standing and friShten
ed at the danger from which they had just emerged
The same blast that overthrow the wall OF the Temple
and sensibly dsocated and inclined the two others
took up and carried of the roof Of the old school
house, when the walls falling tho floor beneath,
broke down the beams and threatened injury to six
1carian women who were working below The creek,
on the bank Of which the wash house Of the commu-
nifty IL situated was so quickly transformed into
impstuous torrent that the house was almost instsu
taneously filed with water and fifteen Icarian women,
then washing there, compelled to get through the
windows. In order to save themselves. They took
fuge at the farm whence they after brought
back in one OF the wagons Of the community All the
neighborng fields ravaged the fences overturned
and the windows broken. One of the members Of this
Gerepcy got on horseback and repaired to every place
where men were working out Of doors and soon
brought back tidings that personal accidents had
happened The same evening the masons, reunited
and eonsulted by the Gerency, acknowledged sad de-
csred that the southern and eastern walls would
Tall down and that TO avoid serious accident II
was better 60 destroy them. The next morning the
General Assembly, having been convoked by the &C.
xency, met on the Temple Square, and unanimously
resolved first that tho demolition urgent for the
safety both Of the members Of the colony themselves
might bring to the spot. Second that by undxing
the walls. stone by stone they might preserve some
good But as this operation weuld take up much
time ocsasion much work and expose them to many
fAtigues and dangers, and considering the lives OF
men much more valuable than money, they decided to
other means. Those means having been DIS
cussed and agreed upon they set ut work immediately
and the walls pulled down The destruction OF the
Temple II misfortune and great Inconvenience TO the
IcariAn community. they thus obliged to modify
their former projects aud plans but persevering and
courageous strong In their union and with the aid OF
their additional brethren, they will begin again, on
the place Of the Temple, provisional aud urgent con
structons that will until they build another
large and ane tdi6ce.