New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-31
L.ETTER FRoaI aT. LOUIS.
epsei.i y The New orleans o5sseent.l

gpeoiaI to the New Orleans Crescent.l
ST. LOUIS, Oct &c, 1866.
On Sunday last about half.past r. II. we were
visited by the most severe and destructive tornado
that il remembered ever TO have been expert.
enced in Tins city. The Oldest inhabitants declare
that nothing compared to it was ever witnessed
before. Houses, ehimneya, and awnings were
blown down: large trees in Lafayette Park were
uproofed and, in some instances, carried half 81
mile; metallic roofing was peeled off like it had
been 50 much birch bark, and in many instances
hurled against other houses with such violence as
to crush the walls in. Walking through tue city
in the track of the storm the eye continually en-
counters houses with chimneys blown off or gable
ends eaVed in, fences and trees prostrated to the
earth, etc. The tornado lasted only ten minutes,
yet i'll that brief space it is estimated that the
damage done will exceed 100000. 1t had been
raining since about nine in the morning and at the
time the tornado burst upon us, the rain fell in
torrents. Though many hairbreadth escapes oe-
CURED am happy TO stale that no fatal accident
happened.
Oh Monday night great excitement was cansed
throughout the city By report that the Lindel
Hotel was on fire. The report coupled with the
fact that huge volumes Of smoke and flame were
seen ascending, apparently, from the roof of the
hotel. caused a general rush for the scene of the
conf4gFauon. 1t turned out that some small
buildings in The rear Of the Linden on Green
streef-one of them used as a carpenters shop
were ii fire. The steam engines were promptly
on hand, and seon succeeded in extinguishng the
flames, though not before some of the window
sashes of the LindeH had been burned ont, and
some damage done to the hotel by flooding,
Many luqierous scenes were witnessed at the
hotel. Some Of the guests occupying rooms in
the northern part of the building were awakened
by the shreking of The engines, and, pefceiYlng
the glare of the DANES, supposed the Whole house
was oil fire, and started for the ground h0or With
ont waiting to make their toilet. Men, women
and children with scanty raiment were seen flying
for their lives and one lady dtstabi3e, was 50
overcome with fear thar she never stopped til
she had reached the street and run square and
a hall from the house.
A star chamber inquistion8is now in session in
our ely, aso-called court of appeals, y where
v9teis who have been registered as disqualified by
the registering officer. or objected TO by some
radical pimp after having been reGistered as
qualified, haze to appear and defend their iran.
ehise. The men sitting in Judgment are called
supervisors, and are composed principally OF men
who, Judging from their appearance and the low
tricks they resort to in order to deprive a Dem
oerat Of his right TO Vete It would ne extra haz-
ardous'i to allow in too close proximity 10 one
hen-rnost. These fellows, backed by the tletchef
dynasty hire radical vagrantB and thieves to act
as witnesses against the Democrats, and IN case
none Of them are on hand when . mans case Is
called, some one Of the dlgnlhed ana lnte!HBeht
supervisors will volunteer his services as Wllness.
II IS huaiatiug to the last degree to see such cat
IDEAS these'sitfing in judgment upon men VINO
have lived here since they were born, anu whose
A0YalAY 1l8hEH Hb1AuFb NN5F uhIHN W
teraaya nigger was put upon the stand and.
allowed to testify against an Old citizen: and when
e objected to by the counsel for the prisoner, one
Of tbe supervisors, mntton.headed fellow, re-
marked that 9 q Niger was just as good as any
other man. z
Old gray haired American citizens are brought
before this imported beard Of supervisors, and
treated in the most hamiiiating and shameful
manner
4 tournament the second Of the season, was to
have taken place yesterday al the Far Grounds,
in aid Of the Southern Relief Association, but
owing te the IicIemency of the weather, was post
pened TIL tomorrow
Business has been very active since my last
Tie river rose some nine feet after the rain Of
Sunday, and to Cairo there is an abundance Of
water. Itrained all day yesterday, which VIII
produce another rise. probably. Owing TO the
rlse, freight rates have declined.
Rates to New Orleans are as follows: Apples,
potatoes and ilonr soc. per barrels beer, y %;
alcoh9i and whisky, 81 per barrel; pork, 75c.;
eoanl 8eisha, 30e, for heavy; 75c for light s9Ta f1
psf s5es 3ee,; eats per sack, 35cs; hay per le0
pounds 800; horses and cattle $lO per mead;
nlales, s0 hogs, So; sheep, 81 25