Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1871-05-05

WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN
A NIGHT OF HORROR.
From our Special Correspondent)
FORK CREEK, Monroe, Co., Tenn.
April 80. 1871.
Eds NclCS On Wednesday night
the~19th inst, we were smitten by one
of the most destructive hurricanes |
ever witnessed. The day had been
quite blustery, threatening rain, and
after dark il became more so, but not
to an alarming extent. About eight
o'clock the sky grew dark in the west
and a mingliug of the elements be-
tOkening a storm. Black clouds gath
cred from the southwest, converging
to point Immediately west of US
The heavens were lighted up almost
continuously by flashes of lightning.
The storm struck us about s SO p VI,
before we had retired for the night
Suddenly the house commenced shak-
ing as if on rockers, rafting every
thing capableO of making a noise. The
roar was deafening, but could distin-
gUIsh no particular noise, except the
crash Of falling chimneys, and the
large shade trees growing near our
porch door. Ny wife screamed that
the house WAS falling. | thought not,
but suggested that we repair to the adj
Joining room near the center of the
building, and which l regarded a.
stronger. Before we had succeeded in
making the change of position, the
furious portion of the tornado had
ended. | do not think it could haye
lasted exceeding half minute and re-
gard one-fourth of a minute near the
true estimate of its duration. A few
more strong, but not furious, blows
or whirls and all was over
AS soon as we thought it safe, Mr.
Ward, n gentleman living with us, and
/ went out to see what had been done
we knew from the manner in which
our house had been shaken, it had
been terrible storm, but had no idea
of the extent of the damage done. On
reaching the door, we found ourselves
confronted by an appalling mass of
rubbish, consisting OF broken and scat
tered out-hOuses, uproOted trees, lying
in every conceivable phase of disOr-
der and ruin, that it seemed rs though
ten thousand pieces of artillery had
been playing for hours upon us. a
flash Of lightning revealed the fact
that our barn was gone. BY means of
4 lantern we approached the locality
where it had been and found three |
horses still in the stalls with large |
beams of timber crossed and piled !
about ard over them, butso supporting |
each Other that none Of them had been |
killed. Our stables were gone, and |
four horses which had been in there, /
were gone. They We're found next |
in a clover field and unhurt. |
We next attempted to visit our large /
new hay shed, near the barn, and /
where some twenty-five head of cattle /
had been sheltered and fed. We could |
ind only ruins. In the darkness we
could distinguish nothing but few
broken beams, girdeTs, rafters &c.
Two of our fine faVoTite heifers had
been caught in the ruins, and though
badly hurt, they wereno killed. The
destruction about us, had convinced
rs that many dwellings must have
been lost. Seeing a light ut the near
EST house, where George Ballew lives,
we called To him; he reported his
house UnToOfed, but otherwise unin-
Ured. We next visited our miller.
lhos. HaTgrcve. His house had been
blown of 10 the joisjs two small boys
sleeping in the second story had bean
brought safely down. Our mill was
badly injured but is still standing and
needs heavy repairs. We now return
d to the house TO await the develop
nents OF daylight. (The house of our
is a very low one, but
: very broad aud staunchly built.
which viii account Tor its preserya-
iOn.-ED. NEWS. .
Morning dawned on such a scene as
wish ] may never witness again
NOt n building was to be seen except (
n a damaged condition. Many had
'een entirely destroyed. On our farm 1
e 100 acres ofelcared land, every pam
iel of fence had been blown down and
ONE of it swept away. Our orchard
numbering 500 apple, and 200 peach
rees and 4 number of pear and plum
Fees. were all down. Oar shTubbery
vas about destroyed.
The storm had gathered with des-
Iuctive force about five miles west of
IS. a large hay-shed belonging To {
lenry McCrosky, was first blown
own and Il large Thresher and Sepo-
at0r. belonging TO him and gno- r
.ai-es hatiy damaged Ph,iant-r
.,..-s iast savHa, tuild'ugS. i.
xxi -F.u.s i2-q'r'i}ur-au, aud desiro q,
. every building Ie Iat. oH ear....---