New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-04-27
The Tornado at Shreveport.
he Shreveport Times, received yester.

The Shreveport Times, received yester-
day, says:
The effects of tie tornado, or, in sailors
parlance, white squat, which swept over
this place on Friday evening, was much
more destructive than we had any cOncep-
ton of. 1t came from the northwest, but
blew in whirls-for instance, it parted the
cables Of the Era No. 10, and drove her out
into the river, but fortunately shifted i'm
mediately, and sent her into the shore
again.
The amount of damage to property is
difficult to arrive at with any degree of
certainty, though it is the impression of
those who have given the matter most
careful investigation that it will be in the
neighborhood Of $4,000. A great number
of residences in the suburbs, mainly west
Of the courthouse, were injured, quite
number to considerable extent. At least
completely blown down. The residence of
Mrs. Conway, about mile from the court
house, was unrOofed and otherwise dam
aged. The family were forced to leave it
and seek shelter elsewhere. Sad havoc
was made with the shade trees in and
around the town. In fact, it might be
safe to assume that one-third of the dwell
ing houses in the place were injured more
or less, including the injury to fences and
twenty-five business houses were damaged.
Tin roofs especially Suffered, some houses
being left almost entirely roofess. Signs
were blown about prOmiscuously.
We append Q list Of the principal suffer
ers. giving rough estimate of the amount
of damage: Stacey & Poland, warehouse,
$4,000; C. C. Edy, warehouse, occupied by
Marsh & Mcclellan, $500; Cotton Com
press, $1,000; the Naples building, $500;
Austin & Hamilton, storehouse, $l5Oo;
Hoss & Tomkies, ware and storehouse,
$1,000; Twyman e. Womack, warehouse,
occupied by Martin & Ford, $500; G.. w.
Stoner, beef packery, $500; Conway &
Buckelew, $500; Phil. Dugan, residence,
$1,000; Chamberlain's machine shop, $500;
Haffner, two-story residence, $1,000; Mrs.
S. B. Dockery, storehouse on Texas street,
$500: DIR. Swanson, ditto, $1,000; J. A. Nc
Rady, ditto, occupied by J. Kahn & Broth
ers, $1,000; j. Kahu & Brothers, damage of
goods, $4,000; oil factory, $l5o; gasworks,
vnknown to US, $1,000; Colored Baptist
Church, s25OO; Major Tally, dwelling, $3.50;
Mrs. Conway, dwelling, $4,000; Mr.. Bartz,
residence, $1,000. 1t was almost a miracle
that no lives were lost, although there were
several narrow escapes. There were a
number of incidents. some of them
amusing, and some quite otherwise.
A party of plOus gentlemen were OIL
board the ferryboat returning from
fishing frolic. The boat was sent
down the river at an alarming rate OF
speed, equal to that of the Lee or Natchez.
It was a critical time, and the party were
terribly alarmed, and one of them thinking
death was near at hand, commenced pray
ing Justify, exclaiming. '.Lord, make us
thankful for what we are about to receive"
A couple of individuals crept into an Old
boiler near the levee, though one OF them
could onlp get part Of his body In, leav,
ing his legs exposed to the inclemency OF
the weather. A party of three or four
frightened individuals amused themselves
dod lying around the bank of dirt on Spring
street near Crockett, a venerable physician
losing his hat during the game. Another
disciple of Esculapius was riding in from
the country, and was forced to dismonnt
and ensconce himself in gully. The
chicken coop of an ex-mayor, now "domi-
cilaited" on Douglass island, was blown
with its contents across the river, and the
noultry got so mixed up with that of Mrs.
{, that identification will be impossible.
And sDeaking of that island reminds us of
the most remarkable incident of all. A
gentleman was blown off the steamer H.
N. Shreve and taken five or six blocks up
town, directly against the wind, and landed
safely in parlor, much to his surprise and
satisfaction.