The daily Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1854-1855, 1854-09-16
The Louisville Calamity.

The funeral of the persons killed by the fall
lug of the Church in Louisville, took place on
Monday. the stores being closed and the bells
tolled, at the suggestion of the Mayor The
services took place in the First Presbyterian
Church, (tev. Dr, Rreckenbridge's,) which
was de..scly crowded. The bodies of the dead
were placed upon platform of the tower, aud
the exercises were conducted by several cler-
gymcn. The spacious yard attached to the
church Was also crowded.
At the opening of the exercises, the Rev.
DIR. Morrison, who Ofiiciated ut the Inflated
church. remarked that on the Sabbath that
had proved so disastrous to life, he was request
I'd to preach; but it was not generally known
that there would be divine service, hence the
small number that were assembled, there being
not more than 50 persons in the house at any
time on Sunday. On next Sunday it was eX-
peeted that the pastor recently insited would
BIZ installed.
During the sermon, which had been COM
me.sced later than usual, the storm came up
and the main door of the basement ROOM
where the meeting was being held, was blown
opea An elder of the church Immediately
rose and closed it again. The door WAS forced
open second time, and again closed. A third
time the door was forced open by the violence
Of the wind, Notwithstanding the elder was
pressing against it ut the time Instantly the
whole house was filled with particles of sand.
The speaker had his eyes filled with fine dust,
us well as his audicnce. This caused some dis
turbancc in the assembly, and most of the per-
sons rose to their feet, some jumping out Of
the windows near where they were sitting.
DIR. Morrison said he had not time to recov-
or from the effects of the gust of wind that
struck him with particular fury, before he
heard Il cracking sound overhead, and in Il mo-
ment of time after the tempest blew open the
door with such violence, the whole walls had
fallen. immediately about the pulpit in which
hc SIS standing, the plastering was not bro
ken, and to his right several old ladies' escaped
unhurt. lie expressed himself us being great
" shocked at the suddcnncss of the calamity.
and when he fairly recovered from the blind
hc.s caused by the ascending dust, most ter
rblc sight presented itself before him. He
saw two men already dead the head of an
other man greatly manglcd, just appearing
among the rubbish a lady clasping her child
in the agony of death, and young lady
with her body bent across one Of the seats,
and her face most horribly distorted From
different parts of the building he could hear
the grOalls of the dying, and the stihcd screams
Of the crushed.
vi the inJirea persons. only one, MIS-. Mar
shall, has yet expired. Miss duff is in very
prccarious condition. Another Alrs. Marshall
is not expected to RECOVER. The others are in
y fair way to recover
Capt Grccnlow, of the steamer lIemphis
which boat was badly damaged, thus describes
The tornado: Lie Was on his boat, standing on
the furecastlc, when the first blast of the hurr
cane struck her. he SAW the block of houses
of Mr.. Beatty crumbc to the ground and be-
fore he could utter warning cry to those
around the storm was upon him lie claspcd
his arms around 4 staunchcon to uphold linn
self, and in the same instant heard Il rushing
sound over his head. and noise that was like
the crack of an immense wagon whip. lie saw
the greater part Of his cabin roof, and the eli
fire railing. pass over his head. and aliyLt on
the river. 80 to IS yards ahead Of him. \ mo-
mcnt after. the hull received terrible blow
and was whiskcd from its mooyiugs over TO u
reef Of rocks in about the time it required t.
draw a breath