New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-05-22

From the Chicago Tribune of the 18th, we extract
the following particulars Of the recent great storm in
portions of Illinois:
The gale on Thursday evening was, In some Dor
tioDs OF the State, Of unprecedented violence. IL
covered large extent Of territory and everywhere
its track is marked with painful damage property
and perhaps, further intelligence will show less Of
life. 1t seems TO have crossed the Mississippi near
Oquawka, and to have extended eastward at least as
Tar as Mclean county, where we hear OF some Of its
disastrous effects In the West there much hail
accompanying the wind, and everywhere great fall
OF rain.
Below we print hasty letter from Lexington,
kindly forwarded by an officer Of the road
LEXINGTON, May Is, la58.-Editors Tribune -
This evening about 6 O'Clock we were visited by
severe Storm accompanied by the most fearful thun-
der aud lightning ever experienced here The storm
lasted about twenty minutes, and after 1t had to all
appearance, cleared up it succeeded by the most
terrific wind ever known in this section OF the State.
The rain fell in torrents, and nearly every house in
Lexington was unrooied and number Of them blown
down.
The passenger train from ST. Louis, by which
send this, blown from the track and ears tipped
over, bnt, with the exception OF few slight flesh
wounds, the passengers were uuinjured. Before the
train capszed, all the car windows on the wudward
side were blown out, the engineer and fireman were
both blown from the engine and brakeman was
also blown of one OF the cars be storm struck
the train short distance north from here The mas
sengers speak in the most complimentary terms Of
the coolness and skill manifested by the conductor
Mr.. l.. d. Williams, IN the sudden emergency n which
be required to act and also for his efforts to prp
vide for the comfort Of bis passengers after the acci
dent occurred.
| have time to write only few particulars, but
you will doubtless learn Oh wide spread ana severe
disasters in this portion Of the State.-I storm.
We learn from passenger on the above capsized
train, that great damage done by the tornado at
the junction OF the Peoria and Oquawka roads with
the st. Louis. Alton and Chicago Railroads. Both
station houses were unroofed ve or six empty freight
cars were blown from the track, dwelling houses were
nnrooed, moved bodily twenty thirty feet or en-
rey demolished, and yet, amid all this wide spread
disaster, he could learn OF one seriously injured
From one Of our citizens who was in Peoria at the
time we learn the following particulars OF the raw
ages OF the great storm at that place. The hurricane
struck the city at about five O'Clock in the evening
In the twinkling of eye fifteen or twenty houses
were unroofed every church spire in the city blown
down, three canaiboats loaded with lumber sunk
and the steamer Olin with twenty one passengers on
board, made complete wreck her cabin being blown
entirely away
And what seems really miraculous is the fact that
but one life was lost in all this furious disorganza-
tOn OF matter and utter demolition of structures II
is said that little child was lost from of the wreck
ed steamer. The lumber in the yards was thrown all
over the city, the gas lamps were all blown down.
and the signs were sent flying in every direction
windows and gable ends were smashed In whole
trains OF cars were blown of the track, and the
college building upon the bluff utterly de-
mollshed. We shall probably get more extended par
ticuars by the mails. Our informant was Obliged to
take refuge in the courthouse square, to avoid the
general destruction which threatened the city and
10 escape the lying signs, boards, boxes aud other
missiles with which the air was filed.