, 1866-12-24
TORNADO In TEXAS,

Loss OF Lllc-neKtructiou OF Property
Masonic Institute Utterly DESTROYED
-Four OF the Students Killed.
From the Henderson (Te1as) Times, December ]
Gu "Wednesday, the 5th, tornado of creat
violence passed over this place in q north.
eastcrly direction, committing terrible havoc
in Its course. It was $50 to 200 yards in
width. From information received, 1t must
have formed about four miles southwest Of
town. About II o'clock n., clouds from
southeast and northwest, Of an unusually
proachins EACH other They met met At at hail ali
past twclyc. The violence was great at Dr..
Blait's plantation, one and q halt miles
southwest Of town; all the buildings were
torn down and scattered, except the main
dwelling, It being rather in the edge Of the
current, was not seriously damaged. Tim
bers and everything In Its course were swept
away. Several buildings in the suburbs Of
town were blown down.
Passing ovcr the graveyard, the enclosures
OF the graves, tombs, DC, were much dunn
aged. The Hicks shop. two-story build
Ing On tho street leading out toward Belle
view, was utterly destroyed. The residence
ofJ. ". Harris WAS considerably damaged.
The next building in its course was the Ma
sonic Institute, which WAS near the centre Of
the current. This was q large two-story
brick building. In moment after the tor
nado struck 1t 1t was II 1lass Of ruins. The
lower story was occupied IS the male depart
ment Of the Institute, and the upper US
lodge and chapter room. A number of Ma,
sons who Lud been attending the lectures of
Companion Van Week, the Grand Lecturer
Ind left tue lodge room only about twenty
minutes before. The Institution had been
at intermlssfon about thirty minutes. and
many OF the students. fortunately, had not
returned from their dinners. TWenty-ihreo
were In and around the building when it fell,
all Of whom, with one exception, were more
or less Injured. The nteless bodies Of four
were taken from the rulns-John Crow,
Robert Stith, Nelson Parr and Arthur Stcd-
man.
TIE scene around the ruins, after the fall
of the building. VIC hare neither the Ian
guage nor heart to describe. The report
that Immediately went out was that ali the
boys were ki1lcd-how it happened other
wise 1t Is bard to understand. Nearly eycry
family in town either had a son there or ono
On his way from dinner. The dis.rcss may
possibly be Imagined, but no words eau nor.
tray It. In the course of m hour all we're
removed from the ruins except Arthur Sted-
man bis body was not found until the next
morning, though the 1abors Of the many
and night. In this connection ne cannot
forbear to mention the noble conduct of the
freedmen Of this community. or course, in
such case every, one is expected to do hts
duty, and compliments are out of place, but
the freedmen did more than was to be az
pectcd, and positively refused any remunera.
tion, though b they worked night and day,
much Of the time In. the rain, till tho Last
body WAS found:
About tlfty yards to the west of the insti-
tutc, the residence occupied By Nr. Mfer. the
s'age-dEiyez On the Aasshall road. vas utterly
destroyed. .TbaWlfe OF Mr. Mycr, her infant
chilli, and Miss Morgan were in the house.
Miss Morgan and The child werc killed.: Mrs.
Ayes escaped unhtrt. ;,
nec!ed with. tha--{ornado was red fiery
strrak, Which sppeRret to be the centre ok
the current, and sun bounded by dark clouds
Of smoke. The torn ado went In continued
whirl, and Was Wh rs dcnominatcd ''sc1ew
storm, -