THE NATCHEZ TORNADO. 339 



the roar of the approaching storm began to be distinctly 

 heard, the wind blowing a gale, N. E. 6. The roar and 

 commotion of the storm grew more loud and terrific, at- 

 tended with incessant corruscations and flashes of forked 

 lightning. As the storm approached nearer, the wind veer- 

 ed to the E. 7. At 1.45 the storm cloud assumed an almost 

 pitchy darkness, curling, rushing, roaring above, below a 

 lurid yellow dashing upward, and rapidly approaching, 

 striking the Mississippi some six or seven miles below the 

 city, spreading desolation upon each side, the western side 

 being the centre of the annulus. At this time a blackness 

 of darkness overspread the heavens, and when the annulus 

 approached the city, the wind suddenly veered to the 

 S. E. 8, attended with such crashing thunder as shook the 

 solid earth. At 2 the tornado 10, burst upon the city, 

 dashing diagonally through it, attended with such, murky 

 darkness, roaring and crashing, that the citizens saw not, 

 heard not, knew not the wide-wasting destruction around 

 them. The rush of the tornado over the city occupied a 

 space of time not exceeding five minutes, the destructive 

 blast not more than a few seconds. At this moment the 

 barometer fell to 29.37. 



The storm passed over, a comparative calm ensues. The 

 affrighted and terror-smitten inhabitants, arouse from their 

 stupor, breathe more freely, and see around them an ap- 

 palling spectacle. Every building in the city more or less 

 injured, many utterly demolished, and very many unroofed, 

 with their walls more or less broken and thrown down ; 

 every tree and fence prostrated, and 'the streets filled with 

 scattered fragments of every kind, and nearly impassable. 



The tornado, in its course, passed over Natchez under 

 the hill, and swept it with the besom of destruction, over- 

 throwing, crashing and demolishing almost every house, 

 shop and building, and at one fell swoop reduced that part 

 of the city into undistinguished ruin. Three steamboats 



