The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1868-05-16
Fearful Hurrioaae in Haywood County
Loss Of Life and Property.


r The Memphis papers give the following
! particulars of the terrible tornado IN Hay
wood county last Wednesday. The storm
| first appeared on the northern side of Hatchie
! river, in the eastern part of Lauderdale
! county a it advanced northward slightly
east, the track crossed the line and entered
! Haywood county, perhaps four or five miles
from the river The track continues in a
direct line to Forked Deer river sixteen
miles.
| Mrs. Hollings' house was lifted from It's
foundations as suddenly as a giant could
brush away an icicle. The hohse was in
verted on the verYsspOt where it stood.
| The ESCAPE of the family, as well as the
/ phenomenon of the storm, seems miraculous
| Mrs. Holloway was bruised but not seriously
injured; although covered by the debris of
falling timbers, she soon extricated herself
! Her sons wife found herself on the oppo-
site side of the house from where she was
| standing and literally under the ruins but
the pillows of the balcony formed a little
recess OF. niche where she fell, and was un-
hurt Her child, which was in her arms at
the instant the storm came, was found in the
top of a cedar tree, which, in the falling of
the house, went through the stairway with
! out being broken down, and the top was
thrust ND the inverted stairway into what
had been a lower room the child, though
stunned, was not hurt. Miss Helen Hollo-
way was seriously injured, and is confined
to her bed.
Half a mile southwest Of Mrs Holloway S,
a saw mill on her place was entirely demol
! ished. The engineer, Mr.. James Langley,
was in a house near by at the time, and the
building was crushed and actually covered
| by falling timber He was badly hurt and
may die, but his family escaped almost .un-
harmed.
Mr.. VIM CapeIIs place, near Hatchie
river was entirely destroyed. He had the
| finest house in Haywood county, built in
tasteful, elegant style, and filed with fine
| furniture 1t was charming country place
The. Outhouses of every description were
ished. Some of the timbers were carried
! five or six miles and dropped in the devas
tated track. Two or three negroes were
| killed on the place, but none Of the white
family, as far as learned.
DIR. Henning lives still nearer Hatchie and
| fourteen miles from Brownsville. He is
| probably in the edge of i4auderdale county.
Five or six negroes are said to have been
killed on his place, but of this we are not
quite p0sitive-TepOrts are conflicting. No
whites killed, though some of them hurt
Durhamsvile, which is between DR. Hen
ning's and Mr.. Capelfs, but to the west Of
the track a little, escaped but the Academy
| Just out of town was uGroofed. OF the work
of the storm northeast of Mrs. Holloway s
we have not been able to learn reliable par
ticulars. A considerable storm passed over
Gadson, on the Memphis and Ohio Railroad
above Brownsville; but if it.was the same
it must have deviated considerably to the
right of its general course through Hay
wood county. The sixteen miles track is as
dirsct as If laid out by a surveyor. 1t Is
about three hundred yards wide The trees
all fell inwards from the margins, but inthe
center thereof are twisted and lying in all
possible directions and positions.
1t is impossible at present to estimate the
damage dona 1t remarkable that the line
of TIE storm passed over as many farms and
houses as could possibly be found in the
same distance in any part of this country.
Many marvellous escapes and incidents Of
thrilling interest and mystery are related.
In one instance a negro baby was blown
| several hundred yards and dropped at the
gate of the track unharmed
a subscription Of five or six hundred dol
lars was promptly raised at Mrs. Holloway's
! for some of the suffering neighbors.