New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-10-11
zeg Orleans 8eplolifa1,,
aFFlctAL JOURNAL OF THE UNITED STATES
OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF NEW ORLEANS
E'he Late Tornado in Kentueky-An
Aerial Voyage by Nude 1Ian.
from the Nashville Union and American

IRON the Nashville Union and American
HOPEINsvIL.LE, Ky, October About
three o'clock last Saturday afternoon the
most terrific tornado ever known visited
She neighborhood about eight miles south
west OF this city. Among the unfortunates
was Mr. John Bell, who had every house on
ma place blown down, besides losing all Of
mis- tobacco. Mr. John CIark's residence
was blown to pieces, ard an unfinished one
lifted up and placed on the opposite side Of
jthsRroad. Frank Cayce lost two large
paFds with their contents of twenty acres
of fine tobacco. Mr.. Roy Cayce's losses
we're also heavy. Messrs. Burrel Ritter,
George Elliott, Ben Campbell Samuel Fox,
and another gentleman named Elliott, suf-
Gared severe loss in property.
A barn belonging to Mr.. Ed. Sommers,
and containing large quantity of tobacco.
was struck by lightning, from which it
took fire and burned. Many. stables were
blown down, and in one were eight horses,
none of which received injury. In one
stable was q fine carriage, which the wind
drove along the street as If it were impeIIed
by steam, until it struck tree and was
completely shiyered The only parts of the
shattered vehicle left TO tell its fearful fate
were an axletree and an iron rod, which was
found imbedded three inches in thd tree A
gentleman, whose name l omit, was forced
very unceremoniously to take On aerial
voyage of half a mile, going Though the
tops of trees, over houses and tiaally fall
inc into a thorn thicket. He said he liked
~np there" very much, but did not like the
idea Of having to come down, inasmuch as
he represented 1856 pounds Of ayoirdupois
de regretted he had been caught without
sarge umbrella, which would have an
swered the purpose of parachute. Luck
lily, he was thrown through the lbranches of
., blackjack tree, in which his clothing be-
came entaDgled and broke the fall, which
must otherwise have been fatal. After
lodging momentaTiiy in the tree he thought
his time had come, and shuddering at the \
dreadful death before him, shut his eyes as
Tf.unwillings TO see what was going on. For
Gunately the distance was only twenty
feet to the ground, upon which lie fell
Imsensible, but only received few
bruises, which, though painful, are not
Dangerous. When found late in the eve
ming, he was in state of nudity, his tat
tered garments waving from the tree top,
where they had caught, like star spangled |
banners, except they did not bear the well |
known motto of G pletribuS unttne. His de-
scriptiOn of his journey through the clouds
IS quite graphic. The thunder Jared him |
st every. peal, and the lightning leaped |
around him like fiery demons. Another |
gentleman, who had just returned from
Cown, hardly had time to unhitch his horse
&rOm the buggy when it was lifted over a |
J
of water that had swollen very much by |
the rain. Since then the owner has used a |
canoe and been fishing unsuccessfully for
the vehicle which was submerged beneath |
the water. Stegers mill, located on Little !
river, eight miles south Of Hopkinsville, |
was destroyed, and the loEs is about $4,000.
Many houses were blown down and IN
rooted in that locality. One residence was
demolished and seven women and children
severely injured, though none were killed
Many families have been rendered destitute
OF every thing except their clothing and the
ruins OF their once comfol table and shat
tered homes In many instances beds and
bedding were caught by the wind and
blown completely away More damage has
been done than can be estimated. Every
one you see has still something to add to
the awful catastrophe. The oldest iuhabi-
tants in this county (Chrstian) say they
never saw anything equal to this storm, not
even the tornado which twenty years ago
laid waste in its track this fair and beauti-
Ful country