--We are permitted, says the
Portsmouth Transcript, of yesterday, (Thursday,) to make the following extract from a letter dated
Gatesville, N. C., July 15:
‘
"I am sorry to say to you that we had one of the greatest hail storms to visit a portion of our county, on Saturday last, perfectly demolishing everything in its range.
Fortunately, though, it only passed through a very narrow slope, ranging about one mile wide.--There are farms that had crops on them on Saturday morning that were worth thousands of dollars, and in the evening not worth one cent.
Corn, cotton, peas, potatoes, &c., &c., completely destroyed.
When I say destroyed, I mean that there will not be a grain of corn nor a lock of cotton made.
It did not do much damage in this place, only one edge of it touching here.
The damaged portion is about a mile from this place north, and going through several of the best farms in the country."
’
A gentleman who reached
Portsmouth on Tuesday evening, and who was an eye-witness of the ravages of this storm, informs the Transcript that some of the hail stones were as large as walnuts, and fell in such profusion as to completely cover the ground.--He describes the scene to have been grand and terrible.