FLOODS AND TORNADOES

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 12, 1858

FLOODS AND TORNADOES.

The present is peculiarly a season of terrific aerial visitations. It would seem as if “the prince of the power of the air,” was doing his utmost to set heaven, earth and the sea in commotion. About four o'clock on last Monday afternoon, this city and vicinity were pretty severely handled by this aerial tyrant, wind, rain, hail, thunder and lightning all combining to produce terrific effects. One hundred and fifty feet of the Flint Glass Company's Works at Hunter's point, were blown down, burying twenty-five operatives in their ruins. Only two, however were killed. Rev. Mr. Hoyt's church, (Episcopal,) which was nearly completed, was razed to the foundation at a loss of $15,000. The roof of the Seventh Avenue stages' stables was blown down, one man being killed and another at the same place struck with lightning. Two men on West 17th-street were dangerously injured by a falling chimney. The chimney of the Methodist Book Concern was blown over crushing the roof of a contiguous house, and injuring an old lady. Fences were blown down, ships dragged their anchors, and an unknown amount of mischief was done in various ways. It was a mere gust, lasting only about a half an hour, when all was bright and beautiful again.

At Baltimore and vicinity in the storm and flood on the 9th ult., not less than twenty bridges were carried away, a horse and carriage were swept into the water, two negro women and a white man were drowned, and many stores were flooded. A large number of fishing-smacks off the coast of Newfoundland have been destroyed by a storm, and it is supposed that 300 fishermen have perished. In Niagara Co., all the water-courses are overflowed and lowland crops injured, to the great dismay of the farming interest. The canal is greatly endangered. Great injury has also been done by the rain in Illinois and other Western States. At Dubuque the Mississippi rose three feet in twenty-four hours, and at Boonville the Missouri rose four and a half feet in a day.

Much apprehension is felt at St. Louis lest the Mississippi should forsake them by cutting for itself a new channel through Illinois.

Bloody Island opposite the city was nearly submerged, Cahokia, a French settlement a few miles below shared the same fate. The storm of the 12th of June almost laid the whole prairie land of the

West under water. The Wabash and all other valleys are converted into lakes. The river has risen so high above its banks, that every wharf and levee, beginning with that of St. Louis, is under water.

On the upper part of the river, the papers contain accounts of twelve towns or villages which are either partially or wholly destroyed or submerged. Cairo is a mere wreck; the Illinois Central Company must have lost their workshops, stores, cars, track and wood.

It is estimated that in Louisiana alone the loss of sugar caused by the inundation, is equal to $3,000,000, and that of cotton $4,000,000, and that the total damage by this Spring's inundation is not less than twenty five millions of dollars.—N. Y. Chronicle.