The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1853-07-21
From tile Lansing (Illch.) Journal
Terrific Tornado.

On Thursday the I'd. inst, tornado,
resembling rather a tropical hurricane
than the tempests usual to this latitude,
swept over a portion of this country,
through the township of Alaiedon, &C.,
with irresistible fury, tearing up the for
estby acres, and prostrating houses, barns,
&c. A correspondent at Mason, furnish
ed US with the following account:
GAS we approached the path of ruin at
the clearing, near the former location of
the dwelling of Mr.. VIM. Childs, we could
see at a distance the shattered stubs of
unnumbered trees, standing at from 10
to 80 feet high, the tops of which had
been twisted and torn off. In the centre
of the current, varying from 10 to 20 rods,
as far as We could see, not solitary top
was left. The tornado passed a short
distance to the north Of the dwellings of
Messrs. J. and Leonard Pierce, which es-
capped with merely the loss of their cham
bers and contents, consisting of furniture,
wearing apparel, grain, &c. Their stout
frame barn being little out of the centre
of the current, was taken up, carried bod
lily some go or 70 feet toward the whirl,
and torn to fragments, not board or
shingle left on the original location. A
portion of their tanning mill was found
about two miles on in the course of the tor
nado. 1t crossed the Sycamore near this
place, tearing up the crossways, which
were built of logs on the bottom-lands,
together with the bridge, scattering the
logs, timber and planks in every direction,
and many of them were carried from so
to 100 rods, to the high grounds in the
line of the wind.
"Mr. Childs' house was upon the oppo-
posite bank of the stream near the centre
of the whirl 1t was very strong one,
built of heavy logs locked and pinned to-
gether. Hardly vestige of it is left to
mark its former location, merely one or
two of the bottom logs. 1t was whirled
in an instant into fragments, and with
its contents scattered on in the course for
miles.
We saw the torn and mangled bodies
of his hens, turkeys and sheep, which
were killed on his premises. Logs from
his house, foot in diamater, were carried
from 40 to so rods, and left standing one
end in the ground, with tunnel formed
in the earth, as though they had been
whirled thousand times after alighting.
A large cauldron kettle weighing half a
ton, nearly filled with water, was carried
about 10 rods, with its contents. His
grain, fruit and shade trees, with all his
marks of improvements, are in complete
ruins.
He, with two or three of his children,
barely saved their lives by fleeing to the
cellar. This tornado seemed to exhibit
its greatest force through this, Pierce's s
and Childs' improvement. Several per-
sons who stood short distance off, with
great difficulty saved themselves from be-
ing drawn into the centre of the whirling
mass of ruins produced by this terrible
tornado. Marvel not, therefore, that
Lemuel fancied the Day of Judgment was
passing, as he reached forth and caught
his lovely wife, to save her from being
drawn away by this powerful suction
A heavy drag was carried over 90 rods
(high in the air. and let down in the cen.
tire of the stream. | saw trees two feet
in diameter, which had been torn up BY
their roots and carried for rods in the
air. The trees near the edge of the patti
seemed to be drawn toward the centre
Heavy oak stumps were torn from the
ground, and carried to great distance
| saw large one which came from the
State Road, about mile to the south
west The small shrubs and trees that
were left on the ground looked as thougl
they had been violently wisped about il
the dirt and mud. This frightful lorna
do was first seen by the inhabitants o
this place in the town west of this it,
course being northeast, and between it:
place of origin and the place | have jus