Litchfield Enquirer

Tuscaloosa, (Ala.) May 4.

Tremendous Hail Storm.—On last Saturday evening, we were visited by one of the most violent storms of hail, lightning, thunder, and wind, ever witnessed by our oldest inhabitants. It was more terrible and destructive in its course, than any we have ever heard of, (that of ancient Egypt excepted.) It approached us from the north slowly, against a brisk south wind, and little apprehension of the serious consequences anticipated, until its roaring artillery opened furiously upon us, in all the rage of elemental war combined, levelling and stripping every thing of a vegetable nature under its pelting vengeance—dashing the glass from the windows into atoms, on the north sides of the houses, so instantaneously that few were saved, the wind veering to the east and south, destroying nearly every window facing those directions, at the same time throwing inside a deluge of shapeless icicles, which on thawing completely inundated the interiors, doing extensive injury to goods, furniture, &c. In less than forty minutes, the promising gardens, orchards, ornamental trees, &c. of our citizens were entirely destroyed, and scarcely the vestige of a green leaf or blade could be seen. In this short time, the laden peach, the blooming rose, and culinary plants, had vanished from our vision, all around, seemed more the effect of magic than reality. We have understood the extent of the tempest was limited to a few miles of this place, but no where so violent. The damage is incalculable. The average depth of the hail is thought to have been, at least, twelve inches; in many places it measured six, seven, and eight feet, where it had been drifted.

Some of our, not temperance folks, we are told, were consoling, or rather, regaling themselves on ice punch yesterday, a luxury seldom seen here when the thermometer is at 80 Fahrenheit.