340 PHILOSOPHY OF STORMS. 



break from their mooring; their upper works are blown off 

 as feathers ; two of them capsize and sink, and nearly all 

 their crews and passengers perish in the storm river flood. 

 More than sixty flat-boats, laden with up-country produce, 

 break from their fastenings, and with their crews dis- 

 appear. 



In the fall of buildings, on the hill and under the hill, 

 men, women and children are whelmed ; the unhurt citizens 

 rush to their rescue ; many are dug out horribly mangled 

 and dead ; very many wounded, and bruised, and broken ; 

 the dead are buried and the living crared for. As with the 

 heart of one man, physicians, surgeons, nurses volunteer 

 their services and are accepted ; money, provisions, and all 

 necessaries are collected ; hospitals opened, and every thing 

 and every act that could cheer the desponding, revive the 

 almost dying, heal the broken, are promptly administered. 

 In the midst of the gloom and wreck the bright star of hope 

 arises. 



The news of this calamity flies upon the wings of the 

 wind to the cities and towns, above, below ; the people rush 

 together; resolutions are passed, committees formed; money, 

 provisions, building materials are collected, and in swift 

 steamboats carried to the suffering city. The inland towns 

 and villages hear of the storm, and become one with the river 

 cities and towns, in their acts of humanity, sympathies and 

 brotherly kindnesses are tendered and accepted, seldom 

 equalled and never excelled, eliciting strength of character, 

 warmth of feeling, promptness in action beyond expectation, 

 The rubbish of fallen houses is cleared away, obstructions 

 removed, building materials collected, mechanics work with 

 a will ; houses are rebuilt, repaired and tenanted in short 

 time ; the hum of business begins to be heard in our streets ; 

 the city revives. 



The tornado in its course from the south west passed cen- 

 trally through the plantation of Walton Smith, Esq., on the 



