Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1866-12-27
TERRIBLE TORNADO IN TEXAS
Loss OCIiCe-DesIructIO of Property
Masonic Institute Utterly Destroyed
-Four of the Students Killed.

/
Masonic Institute Utterly Destroyed
| -Four of the Students Killed.
| From the Henderson Texas Democrat, Dec. s.
On Wednesday, the 5th, a tornado OF
| great violence passed over this place in a
uortheasterly direction, committing terrible
havoc in its course. 1t was one hundred
and fifty to two hundred yards in width.
From information received, it must have
| formed about four miles southwest of town.
About - o'clock NJ, clouds from southeast
and northwest, of an unusually threatening
character, were observed approaching each
other. They met at half past twelve. The
violence was great at DIR. Blair's plantation
one and a half miles southwest of town /;
all the buildings were torn down end scat
tered, except the main dwelling, il being
rather in the edge Of the current was not
seriously damaged Timbers and every
thing in its course were swept away. Seve-
raj buildings in the suburbs of town were
blown down.
Passing over the graveyard, the enclo-
sures of the graves, tombs, etc, were much
damaged. The Hicks shop, a two-story
building on the street leading out toward
Belleview, was utterly destroyed. The
residence Of J. w. Harris was considerably
damaged. The next building in its course
was the Masonic Institute, which was near
the centre of the current. This was large
two-story brick building. In a moment
after the tornado struck it it was a mass of
ruins. The lower story was occupied as
the male department OF the Institute, and
the upper as a lodge and chapter room. A
number of Masons who had been attending
the lectures of Companion Van Week, the
Grand Lecturer of the Grand Chapter of
the State of Texas, had left the lodge room
only about twenty minutes before The
institution had been at intermission about
thirty minutes, and many of the students,
fortunately, had not returned from their
dinrers Twenty three were in and around
the building when it fell, all of whom,
with one exception, were more or less in
iured. The lifeless bodies Of four were
taken from the ruins-John Crow, Robert
Stith, Nelson Parr and Arthur Stedman.
The scene around the ruins, after the fall
Of the building, we have neither the Ian
guage nor heart to describe. The report
that Immediately went out was that all the
boys were killed-how it happened other
wise it is hard to understand. Nearly
every family in town either had a son there
or one on his way from dinner. The dis
tress may possibly be imagined, but no
words can portray it. In the course of an
hour all were removed from the ruins ex-
cept Arthur Stedman; his body was not
found until the next morning though the
labors of the many collected were continued
unremittedly day and night In this con-
nection we cannot forbear to mention the
noble conduct Of the freedmen of this COM
munity. OF course, in such case every
one is expected to do his duty, and compli-
ments are out of place, but the freedmen
did more than was to be expected, and posi-
lively refused any remuneration, though
they worked night and day, much of the
time in the rain, till the hst body was
found.
About fifty yards to the west of the insti-
tute, the residence occupied by Mr.. Myer,
the stage-driver on the Marshall road, was
utterly destroyed. The wife of Mr.. Myer,
her infaa; child, and a Miss Morgan were
in the house Miss Morgan and the child
were killed Mrs Myer escaped unhurt.
Among the interesting phenomena con-
nected with the tornado was 4 red fiery
streak, which appeared to be the centre Of
the current, and surrounded by dark clouds
of smoke. The tornado went in a con-
tinued whirl, and was what is denominated
"screW storm -