Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1867-02-23
Terrible TOrnad0-Aiyes Lost and
Pr0DerfV aDesfroVed


From the vcksburg gAIissl Herald. Feb.
A terrible tornado swept across a belt
of country 70 miles above Vicksburg,
on Friday evening, the 1st inst The
weather here, at the time was stormy,
accompanied by heavy rain, but at
tracted no unusual attention. Above
here. however, it appears to have ragged
with the. fury of hurricane. Its
course was abeHbsouthwest by north
east, varying toward west-We append
such information as we have been able
to obtain - s-AAt "
Mr.. EDIToR-One of those terrible
phenomena, water spout, which APP
pals the heart Of the stoutest, passed
through this neighborhood on Friday
evening, Feb. L. 1t came from the
west, crossing from the Louisiana shore
at the Morgan plantation, sweeping
through Island 81, making a line
through the timber some 400 yards
wide, and striking with fun force the
residence of Mrs. Z. e. Nelson. In
moment every building on the planta-
ton was Frustrated, fences blown down
and everything that offered resistance
to its fury swept away. The rails OF
fence for consderable distance, were
blown probably for miles-as they have
not been found on the plantation. 4
gentlemen who wibI 5ssed its passage
through Island 81 sage he distinctly
saw trees that had been wrenched from
their trunks, hundreds OF feet IN the
air. The residence was apparently
only touched by the outer portion of
the column, but one row Of the quar-
tiers and some other buildings were
struck with full force, and the earth for
considerable space-oyef@ 200 feet -
gives evidence of n torrent of water
having passed over it, removing every
thing and hurting through the air.
heavy pair of timber wheels for the dis
lance of sixty yards, Bricks have been
found hundreds of yards from the
dwelling. A wagon, with a pair of
mules attached, was carried in an OPP
poslte direction to the course of the
wind, some ninety feet, overturned and
| smashed, and the mules lying partially
under the wagon. could name many
incredible things that must be seen to
DE believed. I'd ~
| Would to heaven / had only to re-
count the destruction of property IN
this communication. Mrs Nelson has
large family of children and grand
children, numbering 10 all eleven. -
| When Mr.. Samuel Nelson saw that the
dwelling would be struck by the APP
preaching tornado, he called TO all the
| family to leave the house, but unfoftu-
nately some of the Younger members
were ia the interior of the house, and
Mrs. Nelson, ever yatchfal over her
helpless flock, went IN pursuit of them !;
| and they were found, after the storm
had passed off, buried under the fallen
timber, within few feet OF each other.
Mrs. Nelson only lived half an hour.
The two children were found under the
bricks of fallen chimney, and one of
them seriously injured. Every MEM
Der of the family were more OF less in
jured.
We have no full account of the de-
struction on the Louisiana side, but we
learn that every plantation in the
neighborhood OF Milliken's Bend was
damaged more or less. The residence
OF DR. Daney was blown down, as was
also his new team Clubhouse and quar-
tiers. Most OF the quarters on the ad-
| joining places were also demolished
The Catholic church at Milliken's
Bend, not qrite completed, was leveled
to the ground. 1t is said. several ne
groes were killed. @ .
1t appears that the storm visited
Jackson; also the AIississipPian says
eve regret to learn that the resi-
dence of Mrs. Knight, in the extreme
northern portion OF Jackson, was en-
tirely blown down by the tornado on
last Friday night, and Mrs. Knight con
siderably bruised by the fallen tim
bers."
A correspondent says; zone hour
previous to the storm that passed thro'
Mrs. Nelson's plantation, another dis
tinct tornado struck the plantation of
Judge Hayes, -prsstrating number of
negro quarters, and dong serious in
jury to his residence-then unToOfiRg
the Clubhouse OH the Moore plantation.
I have never seen so perfect a wreck
of everything that wind could take
hold of, as there is on the Wilson plan
tation. Heavy timbers were hurled in
credible distances, as If they were corn
stalks don't believe a house could be
constructed that would resist such a
tornado"