Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-05-10
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Violently Distarbed, and Let.
ting Themselves Ont.

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During the past four days the rain
fall over this city has been within a
traction Of seven inches. and of this
nearly four inches fell yesterday aud
last night.
This four-day waterfall amounts TO
about $50 tons to the square acre,
therefore over 1900 tons has descended
over Court Square. and over half q
million tons over the city, counting its
area at 1000 square acres.
The worst storm of the period CO.
CURED near five o'clock last evening.
The blow was unusually violent, and
carried considerable destruction with
it, especially to fruit and shade trees
and shabby buildings. The wind had
been rather brisk and irregular from
the east for several hours previous, but
the clouds which drove this damaging
blow ahead, came up from the south
and southwest. A fierce blueish black
line was discerned at first moving
slowly from the lower edge Of the hori-
zon towards the zenith. Roars of
thunder and flashes Of lightning sue
ceeded each other in rapid order, and
the rushing wind when it broke,
twisted tree tops into splinters, up
rooted many, and filled the air with
flying twigs and objects Of various
kinds. There is scarcely a cluster Of
shrubbery, or grove in the city or its
vicinity, which is not more or less torn
and injured. A number Of handsome
shade trees along Vance, Lauderdale
and Shelby streets were seen lying fat
this morning, and out on the
johnson avenue neighborhood over
a hundred were destroyed.
The creeks and rivers around US
have been in state of freshet for two
days past. Yesterday morning Non
connah creek was out of its banks,
and had overAowed the adjacent
bottoms, while newly plowed ground
in all directions was washed level,
scarcely vestige Of furrow being left
anywhere. Last evenings rain torrent
made deep gullies in fields and across
roads, and converted our public streets
into flooded waterways. In many
places the tracks Of the city railway
was covered a foot or more
with the water, and for an hour
after the rain ceased they we're still
under in many places, while the gut
ters we're rushing foods for some time
later. The main bayou and its afflu.
ents we're chuck full nearly all night.
1t has been several years since a storm
SO severe or a rain 80 heavy has been
experienced here.
During the worst of the blow and
while the water from the clouds
descended in sheets, a rafting hail
tumbled from above, and icy stones Of
all sizes from that of small bullet to
sslarge as birds eggs camO down, lit
orally knocking fruit from orchard
trees, and breaking window panes in
some instances. The peculiar charac-
ter of the clouds, their color and
course, afforded an awe-in-
spring spectacle, while the ter
rife wind squalls, crossing from side
to side, first driving from the
south and west, then from the east,
excited the apprehensions Of every
observer, and afforded a topic for COS
sip all Of last night and to day. Heavy
showers continued at intervals through
the night, and peals Of thunder with
plenty of lightning accompanied. At
sunrise the storm had passed to the
eastward, and Nashville was catching
it with as much force as We did last
evening.
News from the west is to the effect
that all tributary rivers are rising
rapidly, and a food is feared in the
White. Arkansaw and adjacent
streams. As far as heard no damage
befell vessels on the river, all having
sought safe harbors and moor
ing places. Wolf and other streams
on the east side Of the Mississippi are
flooded, and the mill and lumber
owners expect to sustain losses by hav.
log their RATS washed away.
This morning news was received
that the Wolf river food had washed
away several hundred yards Of the
levee at Raleigh, nine miles east o.
the city. The levce was built by the
Shelby coupiy authorities three year.
ago at cost Of some Ave Thousand
dollars, and it served as a roadway
I
across Wolf river fats, its length beinl
a half mile or more.
Besides trees torn up in variouI
parts Of the city, the telegraph anC
telephone wires are wrecked in man!
; places, mainly resulting from limb
falling across them. At numerou
corners the wires can be seen to.da.
, rolled up near the foot Of telegraph
posts. The wires were down all owe
Northern Texas early this morning