TERRIBLE HAILSTORM IN TEXAS.

Southland Times, Issue 1025, 21 September 1868, Page 3

TERRIBLE HAILSTORM IN TEXAS.

The ' San Antonio Express,' of May 21st, gives the following particulars of a late disastrous hailstorm :— Our city is a perfect wreck. Every house in it has received some damage; many are in complete ruins, with nothing but fragments of wall standing. The hailstones penetrated the best roofs, going through tin-roofs -like eannbn-balls. All .the windows facing the north have ! freen smashed in, even window-shutters and doors were broken down. The appearance of the city could not have been worse under a severe bombardment. Trees are stripped of their leaves and branches, .which lie piled up in the yards and streets ; the sides of houses exposed to the hail have the appearance of having withstood a' thousand discharges of grape and canister. The roofing of the entire city is perforated like a sieve. The hailstones were of irregular shape, and, all sizes, as if a mass of ice had broken above our devoted heads and been driven by the tornado to the earth. One hailstone ; was found weighing over five pounds, while a great many as large as a man's fist were picked up.

Many of the families whose houses were beaten down altogether, took shelter under beds and tables, and thus escaped bodily harm. We have only heard of one death, a negro boy : ; several had limbs broken, and were severely bruised, while the whole population was frightened almost to death. The damage is of every character, and 500 v OOO dollars will not cover it all; roofs were universally destroyed and windows brorken in, household furniture was entirely demolished in some houses, and in many stores the damage was great. The Menger. House .wais greatly damaged; the Kleop per Hotel is almost a wreck ; the convent buildings are terribly cut up. All the blinds and win-dow-glass on the north side are destroyed. French's building suffered greatly ; and,, in fact, all buildings having windows to the north. General > Mason's residence was unroofed, and his family exposed to ' the inclement storm. But the most distressing picure of all are the. habitations of the poor people— their. houses battered in, honsehold goods. destroyed, and their little gardens ruined. The corn patches and gardens are 'flattened to the.gounjd, and have the appearance of having passed tb rough a chopping- mill. All the fruit crop is destroyed.' ; ! The storm resembled a terrific battle, the. lightning flashed in fearful viyidnesjs, the thunder crashing like a thousand cannon, and the hail falling like shot; so fearful was the noise that no one r could hear unless they screamed in each other's | ears.- Never in, the history of this : eity, never in the memory of the oldest 'in-^ habitant, has just such a storm been experienced. : . : . . • |