Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1868-06-06
I'm. ga. l.,ssis sias.is..s.

Yesterday the sun set a. usual
with no appearance u . storm. A.
hall, past I oelOek, p o, the heas,
ems daTkened, the wind commenced
10 blow from the north, and the
lightning became very brilliant IL
continued thus until half past :,
when the wind freshshed and the
rain commenced 10 fall, and within
fiileeR, minutes i had increased 10 a
hurricane, accompanied with the
most fearful hail shOWereyeTk known,
Chunks Of ice fell as large rs a good
sized pitcher, one weighing two aud
a half pounds by actual weight,
Every exposed glass towards the
north in the city Was dashed 10
pieces in an instant Fronts OF
stores weIe opened, merchandise
destroyed. aud houses blown down
Among the details refe',lng Us, we
learn Of two men on y dray Mr.
Louis one Of the party, Was knock
ed OF tho dray, aud returned badly
battered and bleeding Prohsely,
not knowing what had become OF
his companion and dray,
The old Presbyterian church OPP
posite this Office, aud next 10 the
Rleopper hotel, was unroofed, aud
nothing len but the wreck OF the
side walls, tho ends having blown
clear down.
Trees two feet through were
twisted OH like pipe stems, and the
hail dashed through tin roof, lcav'
ing holes us clean rs cannon balls
would have done. Arnof l1rly feet
long sailed of tho Alamo aud land
cd two hundred yards away in the
center of tho Alamo plaza, Blinds
were dashed in, aud hail lay loot
deep in places.
The front of the Express office l.
among those dashed in, dicnching
the sanctum aud damaging the
library slightly.
a number OF houses were unroof
ed, and We hear painful rnmors Of
persons pcrishing but of course
details are impossible ut this late
hour.
The damage in this city alone can
not DO less than 100000, besides
the destruction Of all the fruit and
crops. We cannot give the extent
OF tho storm, but from the time il
lasted it is judged to have extended
over considerable territory.
Ten minutes after 0 r. N. tho
storm had subsidized, the stars were
shining beautifully, and the rafting
of broken glass sounded in every
part Of the city.
FUHTHER.
The Same paper Of tho May 81,
says:
Our city is n perfect wreck. Every
house in it has received some dam.
ago. Many are complete ruins,
with nothing but fragments Of walls
standing. The hail stones pcnc.
trated the best roofs, going through
tin roofs like cannon balls. All the
windows facing to the north have
been smashed in; even window
shutters and doors were broken
down. The appearance of the city
could not have been worse under n
severe bombardment. Trees are
stripped of their leaves and branch
es, which lie piled up in the yards
and streets the sides of houses
exposed to the hail have the ap
pearance of having withstood a
thousand charges of grape and can
lister. The roofing of tho entire
city is perforated like q sieve.
Many of the families whose hous-
es were beaten down, took shelter
under beds and tables, and thus es-
capped bodily harm. We have only
heard of ono death, negro boy /;
several had limbs broken and were
severely bruised, while the whole
population was frightened almost
to death.
The damages is Of every charac-
ter, and $1,000 will not cover it
all; roofs were universally des-
troyed. and windows broken in i;
household furniture was entirely
demolished in some houses, and in
many stores the damage was great.
The Menger House was greatly
damaged, the Kleopper Hotel is al
most a wreck, tho convent buildings
are terribly cut up. All the blinds
and window glass onvtho northern
side destroyed. Mr.. Ffench's build
ing suffered greatly, and in fact all
buildings having windows to the
north.
Gen. Mason's residence was I'M
rooted and his family exposed to
the inclement. storm. But the most
distressing picture Of all, the habi-
tations of the poor people, their
houses battered in, household goods
destroyed, and their little gardens
ruined.
The corn patches and gardens are
fattened to the ground, and have
the appearance of having passed
through chopping' mill. All the
fruit crop is destroyed.
The storm resembled a terrific
battle, the lightning flashing in
fearful vividness, the thunder crash
ing like thousand cannon, and the
hail falling like shot. So fearful
was the. noise that no.one could
hear unless they screamed in each
others ears. Never in the history
of this city, never in the memory
of the oldest inhabitant, was just
such storm experienced.
We learn that New Braunfels and
Seguin have had a like visitation.
To the west the hail did not extend
over half a mile beyond this city.
We learn by telegraph that the
hail storm commenced eight miles
Ala, a;lo 90 Naw Rror N falls ron oh cd