Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1881-04-14
TUESDAx's STORM,
Its sweeping Path south Of Us.

to the city this forenoon on horseback
from near Commerce, forty miles south
of here, further advices of the Tues
day destructive storm are ascertained.
Mr.. Fly says that it set in near Com
merce about two o'clock in the after
noon Of TUESDAY last. 1t seemed to
originate from no particular direction,
but two opposing blasts or sweeping
storms ofwind, apparently from OPP
posite courses suddenly struck each
other. The path Of the tornado
or whirlwind was not more than a
couple Of hundred yards in width, and
in that lane fearful havoc was made
in a very brief period.
The path Of destruction through the
region about Commerce is marked out
by the total wrecking Of a dozen or
more cotton gins, numerous negro
cabins, fences and other property,
while the timber of the forests is pros
trated and twisted into splintcrs. The
uprooted trees lie in every possible
way, showing thereby that the blow
was from no particular course.
On Major Will Folks plantation
ten negro cabins were wrecked. Each
was occupied, yet strange as it may
seem, no one was hurt beyond a few
bruises.
The ginhouse of Mr.. Prior, also that
Of Mr.. Turner, half q mile from the
river, was destroyed. Mr.. Moore's
ginhouse, six miles above Commerce,
was also blown to pieces, and others
are reported destroyed, though no
names are ascertained.
The store of D. W. Fly & Co., at
Commerce, was unroofed. The goods
within, valued at $4,000, were wet and
damaged to the extent of from two to
three thousand dollars. On the Moore
plantation, which is four miles back Of
the river, many laborers' cabins were
wrecked, and though all were inhab-
tied, nobody was seriously hurt.
Jim Hunters cabin on Newsom's
place was blown down. Eliza Evans
was killed and two children stunned,
who have not spoken since. One
child was killed on the Banks place,
and Dan Glover and wife, its parents,
badly wounded. Mr.. Sykes johnson
was blown from his horse, which was
taken up in the air. One mar is said
to have been blown entirely away,
and another was whipped against
the ground until he was insensible.
Even chickens and rats were killed.
Several houses were picked up bodily
by the storm and carried some dis
lance. One particularly was left in a
swollen stream, and gradually washed
to pieces. A wagon, team and driver
were carried some distance and safe
ly dropped.
The path of the storm was marked
by a general prostration Of the forest.
T.zlber was torn out by the roots and
twisted into splinters. The debris is
lying in every conceivable direction,
as if the wreck was a whirlwind ofun-
usual force.
Passing steamers were unable to
land along the Mississippi side yester-
day, owing to the high winds, and Mr.
Fly came up on horseback in conse-
quence Of finding it impossible tC
take passage by river.
The following letter from Herman.
do, Mississippi, received this fore
noon, gives further details of the &C
ton of the storm zeal that place:
FERNANDO, April 10, 1881.
EDITOR LEDGER:-Y esterday eve
ming at 2:3O o'clock, a most terrif,
Cyclone swept the n%eighborheod tw,
miles north of this place Of everything
in its path. The damage cannot b
estimated houses, fences and a vas
amount of timber was blown down
In a scope of four miles there are a
least fifteen houses destroyed. Severa
persons we're seriously injured, tw
or three will probably die, n negr
killed. What damage it did beyon'
Lauderdale' s store, where every hous
was blown down and several person
injured. some perhaps fatally, "
have not yet learned. One Of the pc
~culiarities of the storm was that it
course was on a direct section line an
did not vary from it more than te
feet. The width was not over on
hundred and fifty yards. Ion.
Don't fail TO leave your order
for choice Lamb, Meats and Vee