New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-03-21
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OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED S1AMS
8FFICIAl JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
The Tornado and Railroads.

the IOF00UO uwu AsAs1 V0ASs
We copy the following special dispatch to
tho St. Louis Republican:
MEMPHIS March l6.-Further particulars
Of the destruction to property by the tor
rado Yesterday have been received. Inc
most serious loss in this vicinity ana o!her
nortions of the State, "a well as in portions
IF Mississippi and Alabama. was from the
excessive and deluging rain, which at some
cI.ces as was the case here, fell necessarily
for twenty-four hours, making huge rivers
Of small streams, carrying away the STOCK
from MANY farms. washing away railroad
BRIDGES. DELAYING trains and doing untold
damage. As vet no loss of life Is reported,
although numerous narrow escapes are inei-
toned. Details of injury to railroads are
reported. BY the deluging rain. which, SO
far as we can learn. extended round ana
about us for many hundred miles. lnundat-
ing the fiat lands and filling the bayous and
rivers to overlooking, bridges have been
washed away, and trestle-wor and
all the railroads have suffered. None OF the
trains due arrived on time, or within many
hours of time.
That on the Louisville and Memphis road.
which should have been here at twelve
O'Clock is still detained at Clarksvllle, and
NAV not arrive here until Saturday. The
accommodation train on the Charleston
ROAD. que mere Ill uIut u aahN NV. a.
rived at a late hour toni ght. Trans on the
Mississippi and Tennessee are all stopped.
All travel is suspended, and will be for two
or three perhaps four days, especially on
roads running South connecting with South
ern railroads. Our information Is to the
effect that trestles are down or covered with
water embankments washed away. bridges
broken down, and in some cases trains have
been caught between points thus affected
rendering escape North and South impos
sible to the delayed and fretful passengers
Trains have ceased running on the Mobile
and Ohio Railroad. The swamp between
Trenton and Columbus is the fullest: the
track in many places is out of sight
Farther down the road the bed has spread,
eulverts have been washed away. and
bridges and trestles flooded. There will
not be any trains for several days, and pas
sengers now en- route North and South will
have to remain where they are until repairs
are made. On the Northern and North
western road floods have swept its banks in
some places, and it will not be able t. make
connection on time either at Nashville or
St. Louis. The Nashville and Chattanooga
road has suffered severely. Much of this
road runs through mountainous country.
intersected by streams that in rainy times
become torrents, rapid and tortuous, and
which with resistless energy sweep away
all bridges for miles. Travel will be sus-
pended along its line for at least two days.
The Mississippi Central is almost played
out, all trains are stopped. The north and
south bound passen ger trains OF Wednesday
are stuck between breaks on the line, and
none have been started since. The passen-
gers for New Orleans who left Memphis at
twelve o'clock on Wednesday are at Winona,
where they are likely to remain for two
days at least. The food has washed the
banks away in some places. culverts in
others, and spread the bed, or washed
trestle, or overlooked bridges
We have not in many years, II ever, had q
food of water, deluge so destructive as
this, which comes from every quarter, and
in equal volume The Mississippi and Ten
nessee Railroad Company have notified the
public Of an entire suspension of travel on
their road. Near Long creek. on this road,
more than a hundred yards Of embankment
have been washed away, and the water is
two and half feet over the trestle leading
to the Hickahala bridge. below Coldwater.
In the bottoms along this road. the water
is fully four feet higher than it has ever
road is in some places submerged, and in
others the hank has been washed or swept
away. The road-bed is under water at
Lafayette. and it is feared that other dis
asters have occurred. On the Memphis and
Clarksville road there is a big wash between
Paris and GAINESVILLE. and above Humboldt
an abutment and embankment have been
swept away The passenger train which
left Memphis for Louisville can not 90 any
further than Humboldt for day or two.
All the freight trains have been switched.
awaiting the repairs necessary to put the
road in complete running order.