Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-07-21
TERRIFIC STORM.
Visitation of the Wrath of the
Elements.

Houses Blown Down. Trees Up
rooted, Fences Demolished, etc.
From the Memphis Avalanche, JULY %.
Yesterday morning between two and
three O'Clock a violent windstorm passed
over the southern portion of the city.
Coming from the Southwest it first struck
in Fort Pickering, blowing down and al
most demolishing the Mission Church, in
course of construction on Georgia street.
The course of the storm, as usual, was
cratic, it seemingly swooping down IN
spots, taking off roofs, blowing down
walls and twisting trees up by the roots,
then lifting up it would do no farther
damage for several squares. In certain
places it acted
LIKE wHIRLWIND,
literally twisting trees of over foot in
diameter square off few feet above the
ground. A little stable on the river bank
in SJuth Memphis was lifted entirely
from the ground and dashed into IS many
pieces as there were plsnks in it. sumo
of the planks were carried over a hundred
yards from the site of the stable. From
The church in Fort Pickering no other
damage was done until Black, Estes Il
Co.'S cotton shed, on Tennessee street.
wss reached. Like other sheds of its de-
scripticn, this was open on one side, the
southern. The wind coming In under the
shed struck the east wall, overthrOwing
it for q distance of 40 or 80 feet. Esti-
mated loss 5000, no further damage be-
ing done. About hslf square above are
the sheds of Ford, Porter & Co., and w.
w. b. Galbreath. The wind struck
Ford, Porter & Co.'S, blowing the west
wall inward and upon large quantity or
salt that had been stored there. After
BREAKING DOWN THE WALL,
the wind struck the roof, and getting un-
der the lin rolled it off as nicely as If
done By human hands Several hundred
feet of roofing WAS carried off, q portion
of which was blown to a spot fifty ards
/ distant from the shed. Their loss is es,i-
mated at $4,000. At Gslbresth's shed,
| Immediately adjoining Ford, Porter &
| Co.'S, the storm did but little damage.
| This ia accounted for by the fact that the
wind, first striking Ford, Porter s. Cos,
| lifted over Mr.. Galbreath's. About sixty
feet of plank fencing and portion OF
| their press room wall was blown down.
Loss about $3.50.
! PRIVATE RESIDENCE DEMOLISHED
Next door to the last named shed the
! storm struck the residence OF bir. VIII
liam Whitaker. A summer porch or
! sitting room, immediately west and IN the
rear Of his residence, was blown COM
! pleteIy down. A large-sized stove that
had been placed at the west side OF the
| porch was caught up by the wind and
! carried to the far side, distant about
! twelve or fifteen feet. The chimney OF
the main building, q large brick structure,
was taken eff even with the roof, upon
which il
PRLL WITH TERRIBLE FORCE,
crushing il in as II an eggshell. FOrtu-
! naselv there were no persons sleeping in
the room over which the chimney
crashed, and beyond a severe scare to the
INN ates OF the house, no injuries were
sustained by any one. Mr.. WhlttakeS
es'imates his damage at 1925.
A number of negro huts upon
THE RIVER BANK,
lust above Mr.. Whttsker's, lost their
cnimueys. The entire end of one of
them was broken loose from the remain
der of the building.
! A portion of the gable end of r +.
| L1ouey's residence, on the fernando
road. was demolished, together with a
humber of small trees that were torn up
By me roots
! The residence of policemen w. g. D3-
Wis and James Clesry, on Causey street,
near the bayou, was perhaps the
MOST COMPLETELY WRECKED
building visited by the storm A smR
one story double tenement brick house,
the roof was torn completely from its
! fastening5 and carried off, while all Of
the walls were more OF less blown IN and
| cut. Officer Davis, who was at home st
the time, arose to close the window, fear
ing inst there was storm coming. de
had Just succeeded IN lowering the win
dow and was trying to strengthen the
fastening of the front door when the
STORM struck. His wife nc the time was
in tie rear D IrtiOn of the house rendering
everything secure, and when she head
the roof break loose hsllOed 20 him. Re
ceiving 10 answer she ran into the front
room, and there by the aid OF 3
VIVID FLASH or LIGHTNING
saw her husband CTOachIng on the hooI
with the greater portion of the west OI
front wall of bricks falling IN upon him'
II was ali over in q half minute or M
Davis would certainly have been
CRUsHED TO DEATH,
IS the bricks we've falling fast and viii
more weight than grace upon his hesG
| and shoulders. Seeing by the lightning
flashes that their home vas ruined thej
! managed to get out, and crossing IN
street to the house of a neigh6orint
friend where they still remain. In I'M
ot1er portion of the house, occupied b
MIR. Cleary, was his wife and little son,
| aged four Yeas, sleeping ID the pea
The front wsll blowing in on Them CT
them severely, and 50
HI0CKED UP TIE DOOR AND WINDOW
thaE they we're unable TO get out uhu
, some bali hour later, wnen squire Moore
hearing their cries, came TO their assist
ancg and liberated them from their ua
, pleasant and dangerous situstiOn- Mr.
! | CIesrv was at the time on duty in snothe
! portion of the city, and knew nothlng o
, the disaster until relieved from duty son
, hours after. The house belongs TO mr
lobe, of JObe, Conway u Co, and
| damaged at least $500.
. Several trees throughout The CITY wei
} BLOWN UP BY THE ROOTS,
or twisted in two, but the above is all u
more serious damage that our represents
i've was able to learn of. Both befoI
: and during the storm there was the mo
vivid flashes of lightning throwing glal
: over the entire city. A few minutes aft
the wind cloud passed over, there 70
lowed q drencGiDg rain which descendt
in miniature torrents for two hours.
the storm, instead of striking In u
! sparsely populated portion Of the CIT!
: had struck farther up town, the loss
; property would have been much greaSe
4 with q probable loss of life.