Nashville union and dispatch. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1866-1868, 1868-05-10
The Loss OF Property Immense.
Great Destruction OF Valuable Timber.
A Railroad BLOCK AIDED with Fallen
TFees-BiG SmRsh-Up on the
Memphis and Ohio.

shnH OhsAOs
From Robert Medlin, Esq, Representa-
tive in the General Assembly, we yester-
day learned the following particulars of
the terrific tornado which devastated a
portion Of West Tennessee on Wednesday,
and which far .outdone in its destructive
effects the hurricane which swept over the
country south Of this city on the same day.
1t seems TO have come directly from the
Mississippi, crossing the Hatchie river and
sweeping into the Southern portion Of Lau-
derdale county, carrying away dwelling
houses, oulhouses, fences, roofs and stables,
and uprooting or swapping in twain trees
of the largest size. Roaring and whirilng
on its zigzag way in an easterly or north
easterly direction, itquickly passed through
Lauderdale and touched Haywood county
near Bells depot, then on through Hay
wood and across Forked Deer river into
Madison county, making terrible havoc
everywhere. The latest accounts repre-
sent it az having crossed the Memphis and
Ohio railroad five miles from Humboldt,
still raging with the same terrible fury
that had characterized it in its course
through the three counties.
A number of lives are reported lost, and
many persons were injured by falling tim
bers and flying boards. Large quantities
of valuable timber was either riven or
thrown to the earth, the whirlwind twisting
the trees up by the roots, and tossing them
about as if they had been no more than
the shingles from the hundreds of roofs
that had been lifted from the buildings
along its terrible route.
Its track appears to have been about
half mile in width, and it was first observed
about 2 o'clock in the afternoon. APP
preaching, seemingly, in the form of a
circular cloud, it swept along with fear
ful roaring sound, and lasted but few mo-
ments in any one locality. A large num-
Der of horses, cattle and other stock were
killed beneath the crashing stables, or by
being blown away. The loss Is immense.
Mile after mile of tillable land was coy
cred with fallen trees, and years labor
will scarcely suffice to clear away the wreck
Of timber. Where this occurred, the crops
for this season are total loss. Some of
the trees broken and uprooted were three
or four feet in diameter.
A portion of the country through which
the hurricane passed was thickly settled,
and in these localities the destruction of
property was very great. The Memphis
and Ohio Railroad was blockaded by fallen
trees five miles from Humboldt, and the
train bound for Columbus, running into
the obstruction about dark, a terrible smash
up ensued. The locomotive, struck the
PROSTATE trees on piece of trestle-wOrk,
and the sudden stoppage threw the coaches
one upon the other, and not one of the
whole train escaped damage. A complete
wreck was made of the locomotive and
some of the cars, and the trestle-work was
partially demolished. Several persons were
injured but, strange to say, none were
killed. s3
We have been able to gather only few
OF the names of the sufferers bv the tornado.
Some of the finest houses in Lauderdale
county were destroyed The residences Of
VIM. Capell, Dick Green, Thos. Scott, Mrs
Goss and Thompson Goss were blown down
with the oulhouses and stables on the prem
ises Mr.. Green lost considerable stock.
In Haywood county, the large frame
house of Mrs. Holloway was destroyed, and
the house of ParsOn Thomas badly dam
aged.
In Madison county, the house of Mr..
Williams was laid low, and the roof of the
residence of i. f.. Casey was swept away,
along with the ouihouses on his premises.
Several trees were blown across the log
house Of Robert Boon, and many of the
logs were torn out. Horace Hulchins'
house was completely demolished. The
house of Madison Boygan was blown over,
killing a negro and burying himself and
wife in the ruins. Mrs. b. was severely in
iured. A fine horse was killed by the
blowing away of stable near the house
The outhouses on Jack Buckingham place
were all blown down, and mingled with the
surrounding wreck of roofs and trees.
We have no means of estimating the
number of buildings destroyed in the three
counties, or the total loss by the hurricane
1t is generally conceded to have been the
most terrible and destructive that has ever
visited this State. The distance over which
il swept could not have been less than
eighty miles.
TIE Climax collar at Gray & Noble'i
No. % Cherry street. may 9-3t