New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-05-05
TIL f HURRICANE f
ITS DEVASTATION AT BATON ROUGE

The Baton Rouge advocate, of the third
instant, says of the hurricane or tornado
there:
The terrible gale which passed through
our city yesterday was one of those events
which are never forgotten. Short in its du-
ration, it will live all the longer in the
memories of those who suffered from its
whitening effects. The oldest living men
here assert that, for fierceness and wrath,
they have never seen its eqxal. More damage
NAV ottentimes have been done in cases
where the "Storm Fiend" prolonged his de-
vastating visit, but no more appalling
tragedy has ever met the eye in so short
time Bricks and planks and trees whirl-
ing around as 80 many snow flakes In an
Alpine storm, lent terror to the gloomy
scene, which, aided by the frightful glare of
the forked lightning streaking the stormy
armament, caused both saint and sinner
alike to tremble. The largest trees were
torn from the earth and bent as so many
twigs. Like so many aspens they shivered
and swayed hither and thither in the mer
ciless blast, and what was most strange,
the younger in years. withstood the fury
of the tempest more stOutly than the older,
as if they were unworthy the notice of the
destroyer.
Nor were the waters of the mighty Mis-
sissippi idle. They danced in wild glee and
tempest tossed ocean," engulfing in their
mad career many boats of minor size which
had been lying at the landing.
Almost every house presented within its
walls look of desolation which can neither
be imagined nor described: Every bedroom
and every parlor had its deluge; every per-
son you met had some tale of woe and suf-
fering to relate
Night came, however, with its gloom upon
the already too gloomy scene, and the
greater absorbed the lesser darkness, until
a truce became evident for the night. And
when people could venture forth and look
around them as well as the shades of night
would permit, sad spectacle was indeed
visible. On every corner could be seen one
or more trees, forming sort OF barricade
to the passer-by. Bricks, either in heaps or
scattered in wild confusion, were encoun-
tered on the sidewalks as well as in the
middle of the streets; and the extensive
rents in the roofs and gables, through which
the sky was visible, told how we'll the work
of havoc went on.
1t is hard to dwell ON this subject, for We,
like others, have our own losses to teel, and
writing about such is no balm to the trou-
bled soul" But we would fain lift our
voice. in conjunction with the great mass of
our fellow citizens, and hope that We may
never see Its like again"
Both the morning and midday and evening
of Yesterday were exceedingly hot. The
suns rays were intense, and everybody wore
his lightest garb until about the hour of
p NJ. when sudden gloom spread itself
over the sky, and it became evident that the
rain was coming. We had long been
wishing for rain, but previous to Its fall
smart breeze sprung up from the South. 1t
almost instantly changed its direction, and
veering round to the northwest, gave ample
symptoms that it would very soon grow into
a desperate gale. Onward it came, "a
mighty and a strong wind" and about six
it had reached the climax of it's tierceness.
About half-past six the rain commenced to
fall freely, which had tendency to allay
the fury of the elements, and about bedtime
there was scarcely a breath of air stirring.
The following catalogue of disasters will
speak for itself. But sad as has been our
experience here, we dread that few days
will bring us a wilder wall from the water,
where we very much fear the suffering must
have been lamentable. We give the mere
serious losses, together with the Dames OF
the sufferers, below:
S. l.. James & Co., lessces of the peniteu-
tiary-North and south walls blown away,
together with the roof of the shoe factory
and cells in the south wing of tho building
Estimated loss 100000.
United States Arsenal-Storehouse No. l,
two hundred and fifty feet long by six feet
blown away; also three hundred feet of the
laboratory frame building and roof-ef one
of the powder magazines. Rough estl-
mate 100000.
w. ID. Peterson, GOAL merchandise
boats laden with coal and several flats,
number unknown. Estimated loss between
$50, 900 and $50, ,000.
j. Sharp Mcdonald & Co., ceal mer-
chants. Estimated loss $4,000.
S. L. James 81 Co., brickyard-Damage
to machinery and buildings. Estimated
loss between $4,000 and $4,000.
Catholic church-Root blown away and
half the arch on the inside expected to fall.
Estimated loss $4,000.
Charles Weick-Three buildings unroofed
and otherwise damaged. Estimated loss
$500.
Abbott & Coady, merchants Store un-
rooted and goods more or less damaged.
Among those who suffered in a minor de-
gree, having the roofs and gable ends of
their houses blown away, are the following:
Henry Jones, A. j. Bogel, ArbOur u Brother.
Judge D. d. Avery, w. f. Tunnard, Judge
r. H. Burk, C. X. David, A. Montan, Sr.,
Mrs Greenwall, S. M. Hart The losses of
the above persons vary from 5000 to $500.
A two-story frame house, lately occupied
as a barber shop. on Florida street; a frame
building occupied by Mr. Began, on the
edge of town; blacksmith shop on Gov
ernment street, and small frame building
out on Africa street. were annihilated, and
everything within their walls destroyed.
The frame residence of Colonel Carruth
in the western suburbs of town, was un-
rooted and the interior of the building con-
siderably damaged.
We regret very much that the Catholic
church has suffased so severely by the
storm, and we are pleased to be able to in
form our readers that arrangements are
about to be entered upon for it's repair 1t
will have new roof put on and be re-
plastered on the inside, and it is the inten-
ton to so complete it that it will be as near
weatherproof in the future as the works of
man can be made. The congregation will
therefore soon be seated in a comfortable
and more substantial place of worship. The
fence around the cemetery, which was
swept away, will soon be repaired.
While the storm was raging last evening,
and after the walls of the penitentiary and
the roofs of the cells had been blown away,
an attempt was made by some ofthe convlcts
to escape, but only one or two succeeded in
getting out of the prison; they were speedily
retaken.
We learn that the steamers Pike and
Iseonidas were badly injured by the storm,
and it is thought that many other boats
have shared the same fate. We fear that
when the whole truth is known it will be a
hard story to tell. However, as the wind is
still, and the waters perfectly at rest, few
days will develop all ,\and enable us to give
the facts to the public.
The sugarhoHse on the plantation of Mr..
Joseph Bernard was leveled to the ground,
together with q. number of cabins blown
away in the quarters.
rr,,hn nd h