Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1874-12-12
A DISASTROUS STORM.

A correspondent writing from Tus-
cumbia, Ala, Of the frightful storm
which passed over that place, says;
The weather was warm, and more
like June than November. Toward
evening a soft, warm wind began to
blow from the southwest and thick
bank of dark clouds was seen TO form
IN that direction. At shutdown rain be-
gan to fall and lightning was seen in
the distance. Shortly after dark most
of the people were quietly seated
around their supper tables, when sud
denly sound like rushing thunder was
heard in the streets, and before the
terrified inhabitants were fully aware
of the danger that threatened them,
the storm had passed over. The peo-
pie, whose houses were uniniured, inn
mediately rushed into the streets.
They found men, women, and children
flying in all directions, their cries of
alarm mingling with the moaning OF
dying animals. Houses we're blown
down in many places, aud the streets
and roads were everywhere filed with
crumbiiDg walls and shattered timbers.
A few of the citizens hastily formed
themselves into an organized body, ap-
pointed a leader, and set about ascer-
taining the nature of the damage that
had been done. AS they were about to
set out, they were met by little girl
named Lille Elliott, who, with white
lips and trembling voice, told them
that her aunt's house had been COM
pletely blown down and that she feared
every one in it had been killed. The
party at once fastened to the house in
dlcated, and found that it was indeed q
ruin. Everything was still about the
place, and She men were about to turn
away fyom it when they heard the
voice of child crying for assistance.
3he call came from the middle of the
fallen building, and the arty, by this
time largely reinforced, set at once to
work to remove the brick and timber
near the place indicated. After fifteen
minutes hard work they wero rewarded
by finding two little girls, one FIVE and
the other eight years of age. One OF
the children was entirely unhurt, and
was easily removed. The other had
her arm firmly wedged in between two
beams, but with courage that was
marvellous in one 30 young, she called
ous to the men, "Get my mother out,
get my mother out, never mind ME. >
At last the beams were cut away and
the little one released.
Digging further into the rubbish O
terrible sight met the eyes of the work.
men. On broken bed lay the body OF
dead woman, two massive cross-tim.
bers resting on her neck. Under her
were two little children locked in each
others arms, both dead and crushed
out OF all shape. The lady was the
wife of State Senator Moore, who was
recently elected. Both her youngest
children were undzessed when found
and the little girls who were rescued
SAID That their mother was just putting
the children to bed when the house was
blown down.
Little Lille Elliott, who gave the
alarm, was niece of Mrs Moore's, anC
was visiting her little girls when the
storm came on. She says that she fell
the house falling all about her, but
strange as it may seem, she was un
harmed, finding herself on top of thu
fallen house. The bodies of Mrs. Moor,
and her two children were conveyed t.
the house of friend.
When the first shock of the tornado
had passed, John Hodgkins, a youns
man well known in the town, crawlet
into the hall of the Tuscumbia hotel
and stated that he had been thrown on
out of the second story window of hi
house by the force of the storm, tina
the house had been entirely blow
down, and that his brothers family wer
buried beneath the ruins.
A party at once formed, and, heade,
by Mr.. James Halsey, traveller for
New York house, proceeded to tn
residence of Mrs. Hodgkins. The
found the building level with tn
ground. Through an opening whic
had been formed through the fallin
timbers Mr.. Halsey crawled under tn
house, and discovered Mr.. Hodgkin
and his wife lying upon bed apparent
~ dead. His party at once set to wor
to remove the rubbish which had falle
upon the bodies. The side OF the falle
roof was cut through by willing hand,
and IN twenty minutes the bodies wei
reached. At the foot of the bed lyin
across It was Mr.. Hodgkins, beside hi
hls wife, and under them their for
children. The six were quite deat
The mother held her youngest child
her arms, and the father was lying as
he had died in an effort to protect Il
other children. The bodies were full.
dressed, and not at all mangled. The
had evidently died of suffocation. III
bodies were removed just as they wer
to an adjoining house.
Shortly after the finding of Il
Hodgkins family, party proceeded
the house of Mrs. J. W. Winston,
wellknown lady of Tuscumbia. I'll
house was one of the finest in the plac
having cost $40, 600 before the war
was entirely destroyed, and Mrs. Win
ton killed. AS the side of the hou
fell in she was driven against the stan
ing wall of the room on the seco1
floor, which she occupied, and hea,
wardrobe and other pieces of furnitu
falling upon her shewas killed instantl
Her son-in-law and his family, wi
were in the lower story, escaped u
hurt.
Later in the evening it was discover,
that Miss Bette Sherrod, young Lac
living mile out of the town, had be,
killed by the falling of the cottage