, 1873-04-02
About One-HaIf the Town Raced to
the Ground~--A Scene Of
DesoIation.
Franklin, Tenn, Wrecked by a
Simeon.
Great Loss Of Property in Both Places.

Ind beon very threatening, and vivid and iuces-
aant flashes Of lightning prosagod d thunder
etorm, but no ono expected tho fearful galo that
s,ltldonly burst upon us ut about o'clock.
Families sitting peacefully at their hresides,
not dreaming, of denger, wore in q fcw
escens to @ h' bs9 rsRd'fpa 1os b barely
Of the tornado seemed to DO from tho
northwest, and its truck was scarcely over aoy-
enty yards In width, perhaps not 50 much as
that, and lay through tho contro Of tho town.
leaving baro walls standing, twisted and dis
buildings and solid ohimneys were blown down.
Missiles sont through the air, such as timbers,
last night, al in about half a minutes time.
Mrs. Powoll's residence and ono occupied
BY Mr. sutherland, . noighboring cottage,
4. 9. Smiths residence, cottage next
a2,t to the o ?a Gom9toy .a t eo9sed sd}s%d Meth det
pied by colorod man and Els Inn
lily, ncar BY, wero uttor1y demolished. Tho vito
Of tho colorcd man vas buried boneath tho ruins
end instantly killed: coloroa 9G preacher WIS
at first reported.
number ot psopo St; TeFS hurt f. this nsfh
sa s r d Fl" I'd pssss pasea OF oasa 9ea 1bS bsSc T
Tho Poarce House is in ruins, aud the stores
and shops above it, ono Of which WAS q one-story
brlok store were leveloa TO- tho ground: Tho
galleries, and pillars al gono.. Dwelling
Kitchens and outhouaes wero, blown .ab-
sss sS3atsy and drw@y svoy 2a;s sp ssRt
and dogs-hago all vaniahod utterly, substari-
tial dwellings, wore torn from their foundations.
Heavily laden cars were blown from the track.
Hugo pieces Of timbor woro carrtod many hun
N1a a4fx $11 Nr1&n +1,Ayy all u
| tho earth. J. Il. powells kitohon md other out
houses wore demolished, and two ohimnoya Of
| his residence torn into Fragments. William Bald-
wins residence las tho root STAYED in.
windows, fonccs, &c., gonerally, is what was dono
| in.tho southwestern end OF tho town. II any
thing the damages on tho square and in the north
wost quarter Of tho town wore even greater.
appearance Of a wreck also Col. Jones' building,
| tho adjoining barber ahop, a one-atory brick
| Btoro, occupied ~ Mrs. 8u!m as Confectionery
and baker establishment, all arc mass of ruins.
| 11r. Z. Liedman, who VAS in HRS. sulm'a, had an
arm broken, tho othor inmateB escaping uahurt
| though tho house WAS utterly demolished. Tho
Iron fonee TINT inclosed tho courtyard Is partly
| down. It is twisted, bent, and broken opposite
and tho Court House itself, ono aide OF it, is nc
tually leauing eastward,' while its roofing is in
tatters.
Wo tako up the track Of tho storm, md IN
lud families shelterless and cottages piled
up In fragments. Mr.. John Ho"cott's house, q
| new and substantial building. WIS blown down,
| and either from lamp, Or being struck by light,
that remained Of happy homo and ita comforts
were, charred ruins. Scarcely anything was
saved.
Wo Visited tho spot whcro poor widow, Mrs.
Harrison, with her family Of Children, we're con-
templating tho. wreck Of thoir home It WAS
| lovelc1 to tho earth, and not timber WAS left
standing. The family bad provtdontlally escaped
by going to noighbor's on tho approach of tho
storm.
Everywhere in tho path Of tho tornado build
ings were rnzed to tho ground or loft roodess.
Last night, after tho storm, was scene Of the
! wildest disorder. Tho flames from Howcotts
tempest, which along tho edge had tho look Of
rcd iiro. Tho tlre-bell rang, and people rushed
hithor and thitller. Quantitios Of timbor and
troes obetruoted tho streets, and mon we're
detroas. The nromena we're bravely at their
post, ondeavoring to drag their engine to tho
scene of tile fire. Women, with Infants in their
arms, went about the street distracted, not
knowing whore to 60.
tion Of homes, whore houses with families In
| thom woro 80 destroyed TINT not ono stone Wns
loft upon another, only ono lifo was lost
Thoro waa miraculous escapes from sudden and
| frightful toaths. A number of persons wero in
| jured moro or loss. - =.
Thoro ia no calculating tho amount OF tho
damage dono to property. We stop our press to
give what We havo been nblo to gather at this
timo.
So far We have no nows from tho country.
Wo visited tho ruins Of . friond'a residence,
| hearing that his house WAS blown down, with the
view Of rendering assistance. He WAS standing
| guard ovor the pieces, and WAS the only living,
broathing porson or thing anywhere about, hav-
| ing removed his family. He greeted ua cheer-
fully claiming to bo the happioBt man alive, that
amid all TINT wreck (and he pointed to it) ho and
his family bud cscaped alive. He had boon
when he recovered, no found that no one else
was hurt His kitchen, out-houBoB, dogs, plgs
and poultry had all 'takon unto themselves
wings.
hurt. nlthonch her honae wns entirely dostr0yni
A.n,nnr ths mjrocu1ons escanos warc % thnan 81