The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-01-29
The Great Torn ado In Ohio.


ing
The Great Tornado In Ohio.
From the Cleveland Plain .al-r JAn Is
| THE TOWN OF BRANDON IN RUISs--GREAT pBsrRUC
TON OF PROPERTY.
The hurricane broke out not tar from 3 T. NJ. on
Friday, the 2Oth The tornado first manifested itself
In the western part Of Miller township, about eight
| miles west 4 south from Mount Vernon
The tornado passed over field or two, tearing up
fences neiDg the rails like straws for hundreds Of
yards, and dashed against double log cabin oceu-
Mrs. Turner and two children. who were standing
near huge fireplace, were literally swept into it,
but fortunately eecaped with slight burning. Their
preservation from death by the falling logs which
came ratsiDg about their heads, Is almost miracu-
lous. Just as they were swept into the fire an i'm
mense log was blown out from above the door which
lodged one end against the mantelpiece, above the
hearb, and the other restx upon the middle of the
floor. All the logs In the house were blown in at the
very next moment, accommodating around and upon
log No. l. Mrs. 7. and children were completely
prisoned there, and were afterwards taken out by
Mr. Turner, who hardly krows how he escaped, with
the assistance of neiRhbors. Mrs. It's arm WAS found
TO be broken and the children were sgh y scratched
p The storm next struck the house of Wainwright
Baxter, which it unroofed. An eyewitness says the
roof went straight up in the air. whrling about and
about till he lost sight fit No fragments Of it can
now be found.
The adjacent house Of Chester Colman was next
attacked 1t was RACED to the ground. Mr. Colman,
ST., outside the house at the time. He had just
presence Of mind enough TO catch hold of q clap
board by inserting his fingers under IL The storm
lift him up and down, and made him dance aboat,
n0lens ooleWs. But he still chung to the capboard
till he was torn from his hold, and nearly flung into
the well rear by.
was one and abalf story building, in cottage style.
1t was leve!led with the dust A large barn owned
by DR.. Wheaton shared the same fate. DR.. Wheaton
hearing the approach Of the storm, rushed out of the
h<rr lvaIH nf 1xsu hOvo oh
YARD, into the barn. He had hardly put them in
their stalls when he felt the stills of the barn moving,
and was at the same time knocked over the head by
q falling board He came to his senses after the
storm bad blown over, and with difficulty crawled
from the ruins Of the structure One arm proves to
be broken; otherwise he was unhurt His horses,
strange TO- say, were wholly uniDjured. The house
was not only blown to pieces. but almost entirely
blown away. Boards which are known to have be-
longed to it were picked up, the next morning, four
milee from the scene.
We should add that the storm entered Brandon,
when it struck Chester Colman's house, as above
stated.
Tie rext victim to the tempest was the old brick
Union Church; it was stretched along the ground.
The school house near by was next attacked.
Thirty mine children in it at the time, but by
some strange good luck only one was seriously in.
jured. boy eight years old, a son Of VIM. Patter-
son, was struck on the forehead, and some what
hurt on bis chest and sides. He will probably re-
cover Several other children were slightly thumped
and scratched. The injuries caused by timbers
falling from the roof. The entire building was not
blown down.
The new Presby terrain church, in the same village
Of Brandon, was unroofed, and part Of the ediice
blown in.
Two Or three old log cabins near by fell before the
the blast
wagon and blacksmiths shop were next pros
trated.
A large brick house and barn, at the north end Of
Brandon, were blown dorn. The remains Of che
house look like q ruined brick yard.
he 1,~un acfv n1a hall
mile long, and cut swath quarter of mile
wide from one epd TO the other. 1t looks as though
some giant bad gone through the forest with
sickle Almostevery tree is blown down fiat upon the
ped of their bougbs and branches and their trunks
are twisted till they look like whip cords.
Emerging from the woods, the tempest next struck
Lighthouse belonging to James Il. Fletcher and
tensnted by widow woman, Mrs. Young. It was
blown down.
Jacob sater's log house, and barn adjacent, were
also fattened Mr.. Slater was standing 10 the door
Of the barn at the time lie heard his wife cry out,
ard saw the roof of the house flying of, aud the
walls falling in. Just then, the barn ccme tumbling
over his head. Both husband and wife were only
slightly hurt COW standing in the yard was Lift,
with great violence, and died in consequence Of her
Injuries.
MIS- Slater, and another woman in the same house,
escaped by crawling under q bed. Tne tmbers fel.
upon the bed, covering it up for several feet.
The storm here entered q 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 path,
was unroofed, and Mr. Bakers house Was considers-
bly, damaged.
The tempest here crossed the Newark Railroad
track literally covering It with rails posts and trees
Instructions.
The twostory brick house of John Schnelby was
then blown down. 1t was unoccupied.
Tie storm passed through piece OF oak woods,
about opetuIth Of mile wide, with the usual result.
Two bouses, built Of hewn logs, were destroyed on
the Newsrk road.
mile of oak woods was next cut through, the
track still being about quarter of mile wide.
The barn Of Mr.. Gorsuch was blown down.
The adjacent house of Mr.. Smith was much in
jured Mrs. Smith hearing the Of the approach
ing tornado, opened the door, when she was struck
in the left arm by flying piece OF board. Her arm
was broken in tive places below the elbow, and
scmeHhat injured above. Mr. Smiths stable was
blown down.
The tornado then swept terribly on beyond the
Martineburg road, unroofed the house Of Daniel
Bostetler, and toyed usual with trees and fences
We emitted TO mention that the two-story brick
house and barn belonging to Mr. Squires in Brandon,
into the cellar, and escaped injury. Such was the
force Of the blast that cooking stove Ia Mr. Squires
house was carried several rods A large peach tree
was twsted up from the roots, whired high in the
air, and borne three hundred yards, when it fell to
the ground and was left standing straight as
ever
No language can do justice to the fearful magn-
ficepce OF the tornado as Il stslked wrathfuly over
the nd Those who saw it ~ere too terrified to OBJ
serve 1t closely. The frightened spectators can only
say II was "awful, 5" /" horrible ami looked as
though the day efjudgment had oome-little more.
1t seems to have worn the appearance Of mighty
black pillar, reaching from earth to heaven, IRA.
dated by blir ding flashes Of lightning, and accom-
panied In its devastating march by the music Of q
III nored cannon
The time occupied by the passage of the tornado
over 9py ODe eDpt yarOQsly reDregeDted a from
two to five minutes.
Tie town Of Brandon, which has sustained the
styeiest loss by the tornado is situated about six
lies from Mt Vernon, and is commonly known by
the nan of " Four Corners" The village contained
from thirty 20 forty houses.
The only storm ever oc ,uir;ng in Ohio which at
all resembles the Brand IN tornado is that known
as the BuIlin2 ton storm which visited the earth
in the fall of 1928 Il is curious that this storm orr
gipbted at q place called Burlington, near where
Brandon now stands II swept over an immense