The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1860-05-25

Ritbmunn 9ispattb.
FRIDAY MORNING. MAY ss. ,sae
TERRIFIC TORNADO.

Several Lives Lest..Great D~ssruc.iem of
Property..Churches Blown Dowu..Ter.
rible Lightning >. r cmarkable Pheuome.
na. &C., &C., &c.
The Cincinnati papers bring the particulars
OF the terrible tornado which passed over that
ci'y. on Monday afternoon Throughout Sur. .
Gay aud Monday morning the air had been
very sultry. relieved occasionally BY fitful
gusts, which proved to be the precursors OF
storm OF extraordinary violence. 1t COM
menced about O'Clock. when the streets were
full OF promenaders, and lasted about fifteen
minutes, doing damage to the amount of $500 !.
600. The following account is made up from
the city papers:
Suddenly the heavens grew black: the day
cark, almost, as night; the clouds of dust Ar ose
IN Toe streets; awnings were torn; signs, shut.
ters ana trees blown to the ground; conster-
nation seized the prOmenaders, who rushed
10 the nearest shelter, some OF them with the
belief that the final des true ton of the planet
was at hand; the rain fell in torrents from
SKY ever ana anon iiyid with electric fire;
the streets were deserted and, in the short
space OF haif an hour, many of them had been
MACE lInpassAble by the ruins of the very
tnihgs which had most tended to render the IN
Deautliui. The general course of the storm
was toward the Northeast although at times
u partook OF the nature Of Il whirlVind.-
swift currents Of air seemed occasionally to
intersect at right angles the main body, as 1t
were, wnen anything In its way would be i'm
medlately torn from its position. There i.
scarcely street in the city that does not bear
witness to the fury Of the storm.
NO less than five churches have sustained
serious damage from the tornado. The large
German Catholic Church was struck by light
hing, u short distance behind the base of the
s'eepie, and considerably shattered. A por-
lion OF the roof was torn away the walls of
the edifce badly racked, and the magnificent
organ of the church almost entirely DESTROYED
The pipes were all bursted asunder aud scat.
Tered IN fragments about the building. The
hand or Great Master struck from it one
note-lts own requiem-and IL relapsed in to a
silence from which ii can never be awakened.
The two small steeples, on each side of the
MAN spire, were also blown down by the storm.
ABOUT seventy feet of the spire OF ST. Joseph's
Church was blown down and fell upon the
roof OF The building, crushing everything be-
meath Its course to fragments, and burying it.
walls are badly shattered, and the organ al
most entirely destroyed. st. Pauls Church.
(CathOlic) Was partially unYoofed, and sus.
tanned besides other smaller injuries. The
small splre on the southwest corner Of St.
Augusune's Church. was blown away, and
the roof slightly damaged. The Convent OF
the Good Shepherd, Immediately adjoining it
on the east was also unroofed.
Four Of the small spires on the towers of the
Second Presby byterian Church, on Broadway.
were lifted from their bases, and Ia nded in the
yard below. Tue First PRESBYTERIAN Church
was slightly injured. a portion OF the roof
having been torn from Its tastenings. The
greatest fears were for few minutes enter
tanned that the tall and unsightly steeple of
this edlflce, reaching heayenward nearly 800
feet, would be blown down. The roof OF Ins
Ladies' Home Mission Church was entirely
stripped from the building, and landed in the
street. A man named Frederick Flitzbereer,
who was passing ut the time. narrowly es-
capped death. A horse which he was driving
Pom flv laA ThoT Tab yh
was par TALLY unroofed, and the rear wall
nearly Frustrated.
YATAL WORK OF THE TORNADO
The Fourteenth District School-house was
unroofed, the wind seizing it and dashing a
portion of it against large brick building an
hundred feet distant upon the opposite side OF
the street. The upper story was used for d re-
citation room, and Il number OF the pupils were
in it at the time with Miss Metker. The noise
and the suddenness with which they were lett
with no covering, save the Menphian sky,
caused the greatest cons formation, and in the
hurry to escape, six OF them, including the
teacher, were severely injured. One little girl
six years of age, Lamed Mary Selfert, was ta-
ken home upon bier with both legs fractur-
ed. and died from her injuries within few
hours. The teacher was severely and painful
ly, although, 1t is said, not dangerously,
wounded in the head by a falling brick. The
other pupils injured by detached portions OF
the roof which tell in their midst are not Sc
riously wounded, although several of them,
confined TO their rooms for some time.
The second intermediate school-house was
also completely unroOfed, and the brick fence
in front Of the building knocked down by the
falling timber None Of the occupants OF the
house were injured, but a Mrs. Strau, who
had just stepped out OF grocery, was struck
by large piece of roof, and badly, though mol
seriously, wounded. The Tenth District
school. .house, on Vine street, partially
unrOofed, but no one was I'M jUred.
The roof Of the Mechanics Institute was
partially torn away, and portion Of it landed
IN Vine street. A negro boy who was passing
in An express wagon was completely buried,
but moment after he emerged from the
twisted tin covering, having entirely escaped
injury. His wagon, however, was crushed.
The roof Of the new Commercial Building
was rolled together as a scroll. and Of il
landed in the back yard Of Mr.. John w Cole.
man, about halt square east. A small por-
was borne along in The air, and struck the cor
nice of the roof Of Mr.. Nixon's new building.
u distance Of more than square, indenting II
c considerably and shivering 10 atoms the large
plate glass III one OF the windows Of the upper
story. As the roof of the building was dragged
along by the force of the Storm it brushed
away portion OF the inside wall which tell
upon the sky light of Johnson's ice-cream sa-
loon, Immediately adjoining, crushing and
shivering to atoms everything i'll its way, and
burying itself in the basement.
A new brick building in the course Of con-
struction on the corner OF 5th and Stone
stroyed. Five carpenters were in the build.
ing ut the time the storm came up, three Of
whom ran out and the others-Henry Brienk-
meyer ana Henry kisker-Were Duried ia lne
ruins. Their remains were soon after ex.
humed in a terribly rnangled condition
Brienkmeyer resided on Belts street, near
Linn, and leaves a. wife and child. Kiskel
was about twenty years old, and unmarried
The rOof OF a brick-k kiln, near the corner Ut
sth and Freeman streets, was blown down,
striking and killing man iamed Thcs. Cole
who leaves family. A milkman was riding
home IN his wagon, and AS he approached tn.
covered bridge across Mill creek, the horse,
wagon, man and milk cans, were lifted OF the
road aud thrown across the wing wall OF The
bridge into the creek The driver had his leg
broken and sustained other severe Injuries
The wagon WAS broken into pieces, and the
horse. strange to say. escaped without much
injury. r ..s<
lne private residence Of Mr.. s. johnson,
one Of the proprletors Of the Burnet House
was so mnch injured from the falling OF = part |
Of the north wall Of Harrison 4 Wilson's new
building, on Race street. between Third and
Fourth. that the family were removed. Two
VI Mr.. Us daughters made q narrow escape
from injury, by number of brick being
forced through their chamber windows with
great violence by the wind.
During the early part Of the storm q lad
was blown into the Miami Canal, near its in
ter section with Twelfth street, aud man
who witnessed the occurrence ieaped int the |
water and brought him safely to the bank A
few mOments atterWard, however, another
gust Of wind, as II determined upon having
his life, threw him again into the canal, and
his body has not yet been recovered. |
THE sTORx ON THE RIVER. |
As soon ~ the wind began u blow strongly.
the stern lines Of all the steamers were un tied
boats up the stream, and most Of them es.
% ped t0iury. The barges Of the Ohio Belle,
Judge T0rreacs, xnd Monarch, were partially |
des stToyed. The steamer Virginia Home, which |
1~ft hA - n half hnnr tor I