The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-03-23

passed over our city, causing considerable
damage to the gaSworks and one or two
other buildings, but not doing any eX-
tended injury TO life or property. Since
that time the weather has been very pleas
ant and sprinS-likc until Tuesday evening,
when the atmosphere became sultry. con-
tinuing that way until about II O'Clock
that night. About that time a wind arose
from the southwest, which gradually in
creased in volume until 4 few minutes
after IL (noon) yesterday, when 1t culmi-
mated in
A TERRIFIC MINIATURE TORNADO,
1t came from the same direction as Its pre-
dccesscr of week before, being from the
southwest, and. like it, did not last over a
minute and a half. Those persons who saw
1t coming describe it as small black cloud,
which, in less than q min ute from the time
it first came into view, had struck the city.
There was something very strange in its
action for. instead of going straight in
one direction, taking all before it, it went
as it were by right angles, in some places
swooping down to the ground and break
ing out the glass in show-windows and
doing no other damage, and again it would
ascend and lift off the roofs, as If paper,
and deposit them some forty or fifty feet
away from the buildings, and doing no
olutt utIIIuGC w ClIuCl buC SISHS VI low Ci
portion Of the stores.
THE FIRST PLACE IT STRUCK IN THE CITY
was in the vicinity of Main and Union
streets, breaking out 4 number Of large
plate glass from the doors and blowing
down signs and shutters. From thence its
direction changed, going in northwesterly
direction over the corner Of Front and Mad
ison streets, down on to the leyee, along
which it ranged until near the corner of
Adams. Here it again suddenly turned,
and this time went directly east to about
the Memphis and Charleston railroad de-
pot, when it again turned, this time going
due north, out through Chelsea and into
the country.
A section of the tin roofing about thirty
feet square was blown from the Stanton
| Block, on the southwest corner Of Madison
| and Front streets. Loss about $3.50.
The entire tin roof Of the Bradley Block,
at the foot Of Jefferson street, together with
about one-half of the wooden sheeting, was
blown away, the whole thing being carried
about forty feet up the bluff, and coming
down with crash, was completely demol-
ished. In addition to the roofing, portion
of the wall was blown down, in its fall
breaking down partly the wall of ware
house Immediately in its rear. Whole loss
to the buildings about $500.
| w. I. Swanwick t. Co., proprietOrs Of 4
lumber-yard immediately above the Brad
ley Block, sustained loss Of about 800 by
having Il shed blown down and lumber
broken up.
FL. d. ConnelPs Iumber-yard. adjacent to
Swanwick & Co.'S, was damaged about $500
! in the same manner.
A portion of the wall and about fifty feet
of the root of Messrs. AshbrooR 81 White,
| dealers in hides, next to ConnelFs lumber
yard, were blown away. Damage about
$500.
About twenty feet OF the tin.roofng of
| the building No. ZIG Front street, belong
ing to Mrs. Trigg, was torn up in such a
manner as to be rendered valueless. Loss,
$50.
Next door. No. Ola, the roofing was
damaged to the extent of 5000, agood por-
ton Of it being blown completely off the
building.
The large for-story building No. 206
Front street, on the corner OF the alley,
owned by the heirs of the Jamison estate,
and occupied by Avery & Co., wholesale
grocers, was damaged about $1,000. The
roof of this building was not disturbed,
but the outside and inside walls were
sprung to such an extent as to render it
necessary to tear them down for about one
story and rebuild. Some of the inside walls
were sprung out over ten inches from the
line of centre, while the outside wall on the
alley is ut least four inches out of a perpen-
dicular line.
D1essrs. S. Rose & Co., wholesale dealers
in whiskeys and rectitied spirits, No. 1893
Front street, lose about sixty feet Of tin
roofing, Loss about 500.
Several of the chimneys of the Exchange
| building were RACED smooth with the sur
| face of the root. Loss about $50.
A large portion of the roofing Of Messrs.
| SouthWorth d ThayerS boot and shoe
| house, No. 1919 Main street, was torn up in
such manner as to cause q loss OF about
500. ....-.. ,... ~. &C.,. .y.........
About thirty feet of the roofing of the
building No. POI Main street, occupied by
Messrs. Goodbar, Gililand Il Co., dealers
in boots, shoes, ahd hats, was blown loose
from its fastenings, damaging the building
about $75.
The roof of VIII. Carroll g. Co.'s cotton
! shed, on Adams street, near the Memphis
and Charleston yards, was lifted completely
! of and carried some little distance away.
Loss about $3.50.
The residence of Mr.. J. 81. McDavid, on
Mill street, in Chelsea, was damaged sew
eral hundred dollars by the chimneys fall
ing! on the roof and so MASKING it as to
render it valueless for shelter, and to neces.
state the reroofng of the entire house.
A small portion of the Tin roofing Of the
| Peabody Hotel was started by the storm,
and in doing so caused such a racket as
to cause an Immediate evacuation thereof
by its guests and persons connected with
the house. Ii bombSheli had exploded
in the house it could not have caused
greater CONSERVATION than did the simple
rumbling of the tin as 1t parted company
with the wood upon which it was tackled.
All sexes and ages, of every color and ma
tionality, "lit out" lively-not staying
upon the order of their going, but going
pelI-mell, with scream and rush-and 1t
was some little time ere quiet and safe
feeling was restored.
FEW INCIDENTS.
Divers are the incidents that TRANSFERRED
during the brief time that the storm was
at its greatest violence. When the tin roof
ing of the Stanton Block came off and was
whirled down in the street, large number
of drays and their drivers were standing
Immediately across the street, good
many Of them being directly on the spot
upon which, the roofing fell. Such an
other scattering probably was never seen
before in that locality, the drivers going
one way and the mules and drays another.
all very fortunately escaped with no
greater injury than fright.
Five or six persons were in the Office Of
HID. Cornell, at the foot of Adams street,
when the storm began, When the bricks
began falling on il from the wall of Messrs.
Ashbrook Il White, which joins 1t, all ran
out in the street. But it was Like jumping
out OF the frying pan into the fire; for
when they got in the street they found the
air full of brick-bats and other missiles, all
of which were being wEiried around with
IL looseness that was not well calculated to
soothe persons nerves. Some of the