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The Great Natchez Tornado
Topic Started: Mar 6 2010, 04:43 PM (389 Views)
United States of America
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May 8, 1840

A powerful tornado struck the town of Natchez, Mississippi yesterday, killing at least 317 people. The tornado formed southwest of Natchez and moved northeast along the Mississippi River, uprooting trees, devastating crops and destroying buildings in its path. Many ships on the Mississippi sank in the high winds, resulting in the majority of reported deaths: 269, mostly from small flatboats.

The disaster is the worst tornado strike in the history of the United States, affecting even the ongoing federal boundary survey with Texas.

One paper described the ominous approach of the tornado in detail: "The dinner bells in the large hotels had rung and most...citizens were sitting at their tables, when, suddenly, the atmosphere was darkened, so as to require the lighting of candles; and, in a few moments afterwards, the rain was precipitated in tremendous cataracts rather than in drops. In another moment the tornado, in all its wrath, was upon us. The strongest buildings shook as if tossed with an earthquake. The air was black with whirling eddies of house walls, roofs chimneys, huge timbers torn from distant ruins, all shot through the air as if thrown from a mighty catapult."
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The reports of the great tornado and its disastrous effects on life and property, rendered so eloquently and tragically in newspaper reports which have crossed the Atlantic, have stirred many hearts and minds in Britain and a number of prominent individuals have offered their condolences and some monetary assistance that cannot in and of itself compensate for the suffering and loss of life that has beset the unfortunate city of Natchez.

Offers have steadily been delivered to the Embassy of the United States in London, with accumulated sums of some 20,000 pounds pledged by dozens, coming from all ranks of society. Prince Albert has offered to match the publicly raised sum, being much moved by the description of the heavily damaged town and it's delightful trees.
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