Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-02-09

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The hurricane broke out not farfror
8 P. NJ, on Friday, the Goth. Tn
tornado first manifested itself about
miles west of south from Mt. Vernon.
The tornado passed over a field o
two, tearing up fences, finging the rail
ike straws for hundreds Of yards, AMI
dashed against double log cabin occu
pied by John B. Turner.
Mrs. Turner and two children, VIII,
were standing near a huge fireplace
were literally swept into it, but fortu-
nately escaped with slight burning
Their preservation from death by the
falling logs, which came rafting about
their heads, is almost miraculous Just
as they were swept into the fire, an i'm
mense log was blown cut from above
the door, which lodged one end against
the mantel-piece above the hearth, and
the other rested upon the middle of the
floor. AL the logs in the house were
blown in at the very next moment, ac-
cumulating around and upon log No. l.
Mrs. T. and children were completely
prisoned there, and were afterwards ia
ken out by Mr.. Turner (who hardly
knows how he escaped, J with the assis-
tance of neighbors Mrs. T.'s arm was
found to be broken, and the children
were slightly scratched and bruised.
The storm next struck the house of
Wainwright Baxter, which it unroofed.
An eyewitness says the roof went
straight up in the air, whirling about
and about, till he lost sight of it. No
fragment of it can now be found.
The adjacent house of Chester Cole
man was next attacked. 1t was razed
to the ground. Mr.. Coleman, Sr., was
outside the house at the time. He had
Just presence of mind enough to catch
held of a clapboard, by inserting his
fingers under 1t. The storm lifted him
up and down.
DR.. Wheaton's house was the next in
course. 1t was a one-and-a-half story
building, in cottage style. 1t was level
ed with the dust. A large barn owned
by DR.. Wheaton shared the same fate.
DR.. Wheaton had an arm broken;
otherwise he was unhurt.
The house was not only blown to pie
ces, but almost entirely blown away
Boards which are known to have be-
longed to it were picked up four miles
from the scene.
The. next 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-nine children were in
it at the time, but by some strange good
luck only one was seriously injured. A
boy eight years old, son of VIM. Patter-
son, was struck on the forehead and
somewhat hurt on his chest and sides.
He willprobably recover Several 9th
ef children were slightly thumped and
scratched, The injuries were caused
by timbers falling from the roof. The
entire building was not blown down.
The new Presbyterian 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 blast.
A wagon and blacksmith shop was
next prostrated.
A large brick house and barn at the
north end of Brandon were blown down.
The tempest here entered a piece of
woods, half mile long, and cut
swath quarter of mile wide from one
end to the other. Almost every tree is
blown down fiat upon the ground. The
few which remain standing are stripped
of their boughs and branches, and their
trunks are twisted till they look like
whip-cords. e ~
Emerging from the woods, the tenn
pest next struck a log house belonging
to Jas. H Fletcher and tenanted by
widow woman, Mrs. Young. 1t was
blown down. ~ y n 81 II
Jacob Slater's log house and barn ad-
jacent were also fattened. He was on.
ly slightly hurt. A COW standing in the
yard was lifted high in the air, and
blown several rods. 3 siss4-s f.tfT +
Mrs. Slater and another woman in the
same house escaped by crawling under
a bed. The timbers fell upon the bed
covering it up for several feet.
The storm here entered piece of
woods half mile wide. The result
and attending phenomena were similar
to those already described. Il oh
The barn of Harrison Smooth, next
in its path, was unroofed, and Mrs. Bar
ker's house was considerably damaged.
The two story brick house of John
Schnelby was then blown down. 1t
was unoccupied. as s9yad
The storm passed through piece of
oak woods, about one-fourth of mile
wide, with the usual result ob Ua
Two houses built of hewn logs were
destroyed on the Newark road. -
A mile Of oak woods was next cut
through-the track still being about
quarter of mile wide. .as ID. 0o
The barn of Mr.. Gorsuch was blown
down. IGflITyGaGa IT0T
The adjacent house of Mr.. Smith |
was much injured.
Mrs. Smith, hearing the roar of the
approaching tornado, opened the door,
when she was struck on the left arm by
ahying piece of board. Her arm was
broken in two places below the elbow.
Tha tornado fbar, N q.