Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-03-25
RIENZI.
Farther Particulars Of the Destructive
KReeGs OF the Recent Tornado
Balls and showers OF Fire.
An Awful and Appalling Sight-A Viz.
Iage Laid Waste In Three seconds
Statement Of n Sufferer.

will swell the total damage to large
| amount. In this town and vicinity, a
fair estimate of the loss will approximate
one hundred thousand dollars. The
hotel, Methodist church and the stores
escaped with but little injury, but the
most of the best dwellinghOuses in the
! place, with valuable sehoolhOuses and
! churches, are totally destroyed; also the
colored population suffered severely,
| losing churches, schoolhouses and tif-
teen or twenty dwellings. Persons out
side the track of the storm represent it
as being terrific beyond description.
| The lightnings flashed incessantly. The
| whole elements at times seemed one
solid sheet of flame. Balls Of solid fire
would increase to great size, then burst,
presenting the appearance of shower of
| fire. But few of the sufferers discovered
the approach Of the stIrm until about
the time it came upon them. The roar
| ing was indescribable. The earth shook
for miles on either side. The track of
destruction was about quarter Of a
mile wide, though much damage was
done outside OF this limit. Where the
main force travelled everything was
utterly demolished, save now and then
the wind whirliDg around would leave a
tree standing, and in two instances the
whirls passed around houses, leaving
them secure, but clearing away the out
buildings and everything else in its cir
Gle. Large trees were twisted out of the
ground and carried away; tombstones
of solid marble were, broken, and marble
monuments destroyed. Large houses
were literally blown into spliHters; up
per floors and ceilings, and sometimes
lower floors, were carried miles away;
boards, shingles and fragments from
town are said to be scattered twenty or
thirty miles distant. The effects in the
way of literal destruction cannot be ex-
aggerated. In this immediate vicinity
there were twenty-five white families
and fifteen colored families, comprising
a total of more than two hundred per-
sons, who were inmates of the dwellings
destroyed, and strange to say, but four
were instantly killed, and only one
Mr.. M. B. Armour-has since died up to
this time. Not more than twenty others
were seriously hurt, and hopes are now
entertained that even the worst may re-
cover. The force OF the storm lasted
only from three to five seconds of time.
[ felt bout three waves or whirls, and
all passed on. First my house moved |
directly north twelve feet; then bursted,
falling in or rising into the air, and the |
fury was passed, leaving myself and !
family on the floor with some bedding |
and variety of rubbish, all mixed up |
promiscuously. Furniture all blown out |
and broken, yet none of US dangerously |
hurt. DR.. J. M. Bynum's residence,
with about six rooms, comparatively |
new and strong frame house, was blown |
clear to the floor, and the floor removed |
several feet, leaving the whole |
family unhurt. Judge Arnold and /
many others Jared similarly, 4!
as regards both houses and families. |
w, B. Armour's residence was also q |
large and good house. Stills, floor and |
all were moved, carried over bent |
down trees, ten feet above the ground,
and torn to pieces, leaving the sills at
about one hundred yards distance.
The husband, wife and six children
were scattered and left from fifty to one
hundred yards, where they were after
ward picked up more or less injured
some Of the children slightly, and the
wounds of Mr.. A. only as yet proving
fatal. The floor of the room in which
H. T. Johnsey and his wife and two
children were sleeping, was blown one
hundred yards, and the ends of the
J. was thrown out on the ground and
badly hurt; his wife, with the babe in
her arms, was thrown into the yard on
featherbed, and what is more astonish-
ishing, little Charley-the "big baby"-
who was sleeping in his little crib, was
found lying on the bed beside his
mother, and his little crib thirty yards
further down the hill, bursted into frsg-
ments. Outside of direct Intervention
of Providence, such occurrences as this
are not easily accounted for, and many
more mysterious occurrences and won
derful escapes might be given, forming |
chapter of variety and interest; but all |
cannot here be given even passing |
notice. Brickhouses have proven to be |
no stronger than frames, and much |
more dangerous to life in storms. Log
houses, also, show in this case a much |
larger per cent. of injury to persons than |
framehouses. In fact, of the four persons
who were instantly killed, three were
in longhouses and one in brickhOuse, |
while three-fourths OF all the
houses blown down were frame |
buildings of one description or another.
The wind was followed by heavy rain
which did great damage to scattered
goods, books, ETC., and caused great suf-
fering to the houseless people. To see
women barefooted and dressed only in
their night clothes carrying their child
rem and wandering through the drench-
ing rain. guided only by the lightning
flashes amid the fallen trees and general
debris, was indeed sad spectacle to be-
hold, but notwithstanding the surround
ings, those who had not lost a member
of their family nor near friend by
death, were comparatively cheerful and
contented. AS soon as the general dis
tress was known, help came in from
every quarter, and all was done that
could have been done to hunt up and
carry the wounded to shelters and re-
lieve their sufferings. Strangers stopping
at the hotel ran out in the storm and
rain, and did noble deeds, whose names
should not go unrecorded, especially
Mr.. l.. E Miller, q travelling salesman
in the Louisville trade, did not wait to
dress himself, but waided in water
almost to bis waist, and worked as long
as be could find ssuffeTer needing relief;
also, Mr.. M'Harvey and a young Mr..
Whiteside, strangers in the town, did a
noble part and have the deserved thanks
of the suffering people. DR.. Ellis, DR..
VIM. Taylor and DR.. Payne, of Boone
Vile, DR.. Sewer and DR.. Walker, Of
Baldwin, DR.. Gordon and Dr.. J. NJ.
Taylor, OF Corinth, and DR.. M'ElWain,
from the country, voluntarily came and
did all that they could for the relief Of
the wounded; also, DR.. w. 81. M'Dou-
gai and DR.. B. J. Stanly, resident ply
sicians, have been untiring in their at
tention to all the sufferers, regardless Of
their condition or color. Ali these
physicians have done nobly and deserve
to have their names enrolled high on
the temple of honor. Respectfully,
]. N. MARTIN.
The books of the internal revenue Of