The Daily Herald

From the Poughkeepsie Journal.

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.

On Saturday, about 6 o'clock, P. M. the town of Pine Plains was visited by one of the most destructive tempests this part of the country ever experienced. The day was very sultry, and towards 3 o'clock in the afternoon, clouds began to darken in the horizon, highly charged with the electric fluid, as was apparent from the incessant glare of lightning and continual war of thunder; the clouds mixed angrily together, which rendered the aspect sublime and beautiful, till about six o'clock, when the watery elements became more reconciled, and veered to the north of us, with little or no rain. At this juncture, our attention was arrested by the peculiar maneuvering of dark and heavy clouds a little south of west, appearing above the Stissing Mountains, about one mile distant.

As the black cloud arose, (it had the appearance and commotion of dense volumes of smoke bursting from a burning building.) light and windy clouds from all that part of the heavens, veered toward it with unspeakable confusion and velocity, apparently making it their common centre and were lost in its power. At our place of observation, in the village, a dead calm pervaded, which rendered this exhibition of Almighty Power, together with its deafening roar, an appalling spectacle to the beholder. After it crossed the Stissing our view was fairer. the dark cloud with its attendants kept close to the earth, extending upward about half way to the zenith, and as if unable to sustain its power was seen to burst some several times, producing new rains: where these descending gusts struck, such were their fury that nothing could resist; even the earth itself trembled at their terrific explosions,—trees, limbs, rails, hogsheads, &c. mingled with the heavens, as feathers before an ordinary storm; as it approached, our emotions were somewhat relieved, by hoping its course might be a little to our north, which proved so, from 80 to 100 rods; nevertheless, our village materially suffered.

A barn of H. C. Myers was destroyed and his fine orchard of fruit trees torn up root and branch. A large barn and sheds of J. Booth were felled and his dwelling much injured. The dwelling of John Decker was blown into atoms, some of the rafters and clapboards were carried nearly 100 rods—himself and family much injured. A large new Baptist church, almost completed, was literally piled into a heap of promiscuous rubbish; even the wall of its foundation was torn up some several feet; fortunately, Mr. Northrop, master builder, and four or five of his workmen, and three or four masons, left a few minutes before. Many of the buildings were unroofed. The premises of Captain Jacob Best, a mile and a half west of us, consisting of a large new barn, 40 by 50 feet square, and a shed 20 by 40 feet, attached to it, and other small buildings were entirely prostrated, even the foundation timbers were thrown several rods, split and broken in every possible manner; his house exhibited a melancholy wreck, unroofed, siding torn off and buried amid timbers, trees, and other promiscuous lumber; his wagons, carts and sleighs were found wrecks, from 30 to 40 rods whence they were taken, and one cart wheel was carried nearly one fourth of a mile up a hill; large apple trees were hurled 30 and 40 rods, and one was carried more than one half a mile by measurement; he had some cattle killed.

A Mr. Anthony Simmons, near Best's, was on the road with his team, loaded with a hogshead of sugar, (1250 lbs.) Horses, wagon and sugar were hurried over a stone wall into a perfect wreck, himself blown in an opposite direction about 15 rods, against a gate post and stones, where he clung fast. Isaac Crandall, Samuel Gribham and Daniel Sherwood had their barns destroyed and houses injured. Jephtha Wilbur had three large barns, cider mill, sheds, &c. torn away, so that one stick lay not upon another; his dwelling, three stories high, was stripped, except the floors; on the floor of the third story was found a cart wheel and axletree; his wagons and all his farming utensils were strewed about his fields in pieces; even hams that were in his smoke house, were found in divers places, some carried more than 60 rods distant; had horses, cattle, sheep and hogs killed. Much other destruction of buildings has come to our knowledge.

This tornado took its origin near the river, as near as we can learn, and coursed easterly through Redhook, Milan, Pine Plains, North East, and became partially exhausted in Salisbury, Conn. about 30 miles distance. Its width varied from 60 to 80 rods, as appeared from its devastated path, wherein trees, limbs, tops of saplings, rails, boards, pieces of roofs, were promiscuously scattered, without the least notion where they belonged. The amount of damage is incalculable: we learn no destruction of human life, yet many persons were seriously injured. These ruins are richly worth a visit; they cannot but inculcate a striking proof of ALMIGHTY POWER.

Pine Plains, June 5th, 1837.