Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-01-30
The Great Tornado.

/ = Ks lt.N N
Ohio. and vicinity. on the 23rd inst, for the purt
pose of lie rning something about the terrific hurr
| cane reported by telegraph. 1t was probably the
fercest tornado that ever blasted over this con.
! tinent.
The hurricane broke out not far from p. NJ. )
OIL Friday, the 2Uth. 1t was proceeded by a hpht
ram which had lasted all day, accompnn;e0 Inv
wind and cold For short space be fore the storm,
lll'ue lis appearance, the weather is said to have
grown RAPIDLY warm, and the wind to have luiled
The tornado first manifested itself in the west
ern part OF Miller township, about eight miles
west OF south from Mt. Vernon. 1t seemed 10
spring into full life andjpassion at once. No Sc
nous traces are seen of its work until it blew
down The stable and unroo[ed the house of John
Robinson, residing in the west end of Miller town.
snip Mr.. RS loss is not known. The course of
! the storm ut this time was East by North East
which course 1t preserved tn the close. rf
| . The tornado passed over n field or two, tearing
up fences ninging the rails like straws. Cor hun.
dreds OF yards and dashed against double log
cabin occupied Ivy John B. Turner MIR. Turner, |
hearing the noise of the tornado, had just opened
the door 10 look out, when the full force of the
blast came against his house. Mrs. Turner, and
two children, who were standing near huge fire
place, were literally swe, into it; but fortunately
escaped with slight burning. Their preserva
ton from death by the falling logs, which came
raitling about their heads is almost miraculous.
Just as they were swpet into the fire, immense
| les was blown out from above the door, which
lodged on end against the nantel piece above
The hearth, and the other rested upon the middle
Of the floor. All the logs in the house were blown
IN at the very next moment, accumulating around
and upon the first log. Mrs. T., and childre n
were completely prisone1 there. and were after
wards taken out by Mr.. Turner, (whu hardly
knows how he escaped himself with the assistance
OF neghbors. Mrs. US arm was broken, aud the
children were Slightly scratched and bruised.
The storm next struck the house of Wninwris hi
Baxter. whit II nnToofed. An eye witness saws
the roof went straight mp into lhes air, whiting
about and about. I'LL he lost sight OF it. No lag.
] no &c inf / tnnsR frN,,.
The adjacent hnuSe of Chester Colman was
neAt attacked. 1t was raised 20 the ground. Mr.
C0nIan, SeEIor, was outside the house nj the time
he Ind presence OF mind enough to catch hold of u
clapboar'l, by inserting his fingers anderit. The
storm lifted him UP and down, and made him dance
about n0LenS uOlens. But he still hung to the
clapboard, till he was torn from his hold, and
nearly flung into we'll near by. The storm luck
lily Just then spent lis force, and he escaped with
out any serious injury.
Dr. Wheatons house was the next in course
1t was one aud half story building, III cottage
style. 1t leveed with the dust. A large
barn ow ned 10y DIR. Wheaton shared the same fate
DR.. w hcaton hearing tile approach. of the Storm
rushed out vi The house and led two of his horses
which weIe i'll the yard, into the barn. He had
l"rily put them in their stalls, when he felt the
lsof the barn moving, and was at the same time
knocked over the head by falling board. He
came o his senses after the storm had blown over
aud with officially Lrawed from the ruins of the
structure. One arm proved 10 be broken; other
wise he was unIurt. HIS horses, strange to say
were wholly nnirjured. The house was not only
blown 10 pieces, but almost entirely blown away
boards winch are known to have belonged to il,
were picked up, the next day, four miles from the
sceue
The next victim 10 the tempest was the old bick
Union Church. 1t was stretched along the ground.
The school house near by was next attacked.-
Thirty nine children We're i'll al the time, but by
some strange luck only one seriously injured.
| The entire building was not blown down.
The new Presbyterian church in the same viii
lase oil BEamdon was Inroofed, aud part of The ed
iice blown il. Damage from $500 10 $500.
| Two or tnree old log Ca; ms by fell before
| the. blast. l-fI
The tavern of Vim. Patterson was singularly
trehieC by Tue St"rnl iemd. 1t was turned about
loo. lIom lis former position. OtIerw Use the build
ing was juIetl, outside or uSlde. The tavern
! is two story frame.
y wagon and blacksmith shop was next pros
trated. Damage from 500 to 5000.
a large brIck house aud barn at the north end OF
| Brandon was blown down. Dam0SeS from $1,000
to $1,000 The re"lai0s oil the house look like
ruined Lrck yard.
Tie temarsis here entered piece of woods
| half n mile long, aud cut swartn a quarter of
mile Mi:e irUlu one emi 10 the other. 1t looks as
! though some giant had gone through the forest
with q sickle. Almost every tree is blown down
flat upon lie round. The few which remain
StundInG 1re shipped Ui tlieir buuGhS and branch
e aud tiei' trunks are twIStel I'LL they look like
'" hip'c :'i$. Tie appearance Df the pruSt. u Ii
w'uS is very CURIOUS. In The crlIt!e of the storm
| udCh lUc trees uIe along lue OF each other
parallel lines, with almost geometrcal regularity.
you 90 ont towards the edge on either side, the
trees gradually dyeIge from the parallel Till at the
last they lay quite at Ightange'S TO the central
| trlck-Some having iulen in different directions
-heads and points together. Most of the oaks
are tcom aud half to two feet III diameter
The width of the track is just about the same
" here the hurrCnn left the words where il en-
tered. 1t us little singular that, along the very
edges OF It's destroying path. the trees moi o
lnJuTed-Scarcelyth the most delicate twigs being bro
! ken of.
Emerging from the wCoiS the tempest next struck
| log house belonging to James H. Fletcher and
| tenanted by widow woman, Mrs. Young. Ii was
| blown down. Damage 5000.
| Jacob Slaters log house, and barn adjacent
were also tlnltene'i. MI Slater was standing in
| the door oil the barn at the time. He heard his
wife cry out, and saw the roof of the house Alvin.
| oil, aud the walls falling. Just theI the barn
came tIImbng over his head. Both husband AMI
wife were only slightly hurt. "A COW standing III
the yard was Ii tel high il: the AIR; and blown
several lods; she fell with great Violence aud died
III consequence of her injuries. Mrs. Slater anu
another woman in the same house. escaped by
crawling under the bed. The timbers fell upon
The bed, covering il for several feet. Mr.. Slaters
| loss is "a led and about $500. .
line storm here entered piece OF woods half
mile wide. The result and attending phenomena
were similar TO those already described.
|, The barn of Harrison Smooth, next in its pat,
was unroofed, and Mrs. Barker's house was con
Siderably damaded. +se5'
The tempest here crossed the Newark Railroad
track, literally covering it with rails and posts and
trees, which it Frustrated and carried along in its
awful course. The next train passing, was de.
layed some time by the obstruction.
The two story brick house of John Schnelby
was then blown down. 1t unoccupied. Loss
about $780,. Mr.. suffered much loss in trees and
fences His house is situated in Pleasant town.
ship.
The storm passed through piece OF oak woods,
about one forth OF mile wide, with the usual re
suit. ~
Two houses buitof hewn logs were Destroyed
on the Newark roa.. mile of oak woods was
next cut through, the track still being quarter of
mile wide. lsI. 80 E.-a l7azvag ue.TaF
The barn of Mr.. Gorsuch, was blown down.
Mr.. Gorsuchs loss is roughly estimated at abou;
$500: Mrs: Smith hearing the roar of the ap-