The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1895-01-17
A. Stray Leaf from the History
of Bellevue.

|
I have an old Journal in which I
have noted the events in my life, and
in its connection events in the history
of others. lam poring over that old
book now, while sad memories are
stealing over the soul. Names appear.
minglipg with recorded, events
names of cherished ones and noble
hearts-that have passed away from
earth, leaving dear memory of their
many social excellencies. Alas! we
have passed into new circle, but it
lacks the soul, the nobleness of the
old.
I am reading now from the page
containing the events of the Goth day
of February, 1851.
The District Court had been in
session, but had adjourned the day
before. A few of the convivlal ones,
Of our own parish, and several attor-
neys of our neighboring towns, were
detained in our now quiet village
among that few, I remember poor
"Hurricane" Martin, Nat Currier,
Judge Peets and Major Terrill. The
day had been remarkably still and
warm one for February, a dull mist
of rain falling perpendicularly to the
earth.
In the evening, about l o'clock,
Nat came into my room, took book
and reclined on a bed to read away
so dull an evening, but soon fell into
an uneasy sleep. In fact it was that
kind of weather that makes barome-
ters of us all. Soon low rumbling
sound was heard, like the reverbera-
ton of distant and continued thunder.
Nat awoke, in kind of instructive
alarm. "That's trees falling" "No,"
I answered, "it is distant thunder" ="
He however got up, threw cloak on
and went out in the rain, but return
ed in moment, with true, wild alarm
in his countenance, ''we are going to
have an awful storm, hear the trees
falling" 1t was hardly spoken before
in bolted Fort, Fuller and Ben, like
frightened animals seeking the near
est covet, each expressing alarm
Then came the storm in dread earn
estness. Nat and Fuller sprang to
the door which remained open, and
caught the facing, and clung to it
like drowning men, while their feet
were lifted and their bodies futtered
out nearly horizontal with their hold.
The temporary arbor at the door
foated off as if on a current of water.
Ben bore wildly all his strength
against one of the walls, as if to hold
the house up, while Fort stood ready
to leap out at the first opening that
might be made by the turning house.
The door and drawers of my desk
and document case opened wide as
impulsive things of life, and the
papers took wings as birds loosened
from the cage. Every window broke
from it's bolted fastenings, the house
rocked like skiff on the waves, and
sounded as if pelted by hail stones
while the din without was almost
deafening-we could scarcely distin-
guish each others faces in the dark
ness of the moment.
| But as it came in moment so it
was gone in moment; and the re-
tiring tornado was seen in all its
awful strength and majesty. The
irmest pine, the most sturdy oak or
hickory snapped and fell before it as
the merest dry weed, falling and
mingling together in all directions,
while some huge tall pine. would spin
around in the air like a top when
shot from its string.
"My God!" was the general cry
among us, "the whole town is in ruins
and many must be killed." And ther
| hrnakiner ont lilo wild mon 4tha fret