The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-05-30
The ereal Pralrle Tornado.
Full Particulars Of tlis lOoaderfa PbenOne'
non from The Chicago Times.

The Times of Thursday has the follow
ing:
GAwFUI. WHIRLwIADl-LIFE AND PRoP-
ERrY DEsrRoYED.-We learn from gen.
tleman who res des in the vicinity Of o.
Plain Station, on the Illinois and Wiscon-
sin Railroad, that an awful whirlwind swept
over that neighborhood on Tuesday after
noon last. Persons at O'Plain witnessed
about four O'Clock, spectacle like dense
smoke rising in huge column from the
earth, at a distance ofa few miles to the
west. The column extended upwards to
the clouds, when it became violently agita-
ted with a whirling motion, and commenc-
ed moving over the country towurds the
southeast. II bore so me resemblance to q
"water spout" but was more terrible In its
appearance and movements. Lightning
| flushed from the heavens and descended
through the column, contrasting streaks Of
flame with its dark outlines, and lending to
the whole an aspect truly fearful. s
The column continued moving in circu-
lar direction toward the southeast, through
a segment of about rortv.fve degrees, when
it suddenly broke in two and dsappeared.--
In few minutes, at the point where the
column went down. it was observed to rise
again, this time apparently but few feet in
diameter. 1t expanded as it went whirling
upward, until nearly as large as before, and
in reaching the clouds Ito appearance) NOV
ed back again towards the northwest over
almost precisely the same path as before
When about half way back to lis first start
} ing point, the column disappeared and was
no more seen.
This strange looking phehotnehon was 3
whirwind. On hear from the neighborhoot
where it was first observed to rise, (abou
twenty miles from this city) it was found t
: have been OF the most terrible character
uprooting and destroying everything which
happened to be in its path. The house o
, Mr.. Page, about mile south Of O'Plail
) station, was totally demolished, and four o
: the inmates were killed. Three Others
: the son and daughter-n. law of Mr.. Page
, and one Of their children-were badly, an
l our informant tells us, dangerously injured
! The persons killed were the wife Of Mr
Page, senior, and three of his grand-child
7 rem. Two other children were hurt max
ing nine altogether who were either kille
: or injured. by the calamity. One of tn
2 children was found twenty rods from wher
7 the house stood, its body mutilated in
! most shocking manner, and stripped of ev
g cry particle Of clothing. The house was
\ frame, and stood upon solid stone foun
+. daton, from which it was lifted bodl
. by the wind, and dashed to fragments.
: Farther west, the whirlwind demolishe
t large barn, and instantly killed a fin
d horse and a number of calves which wef
: inside. Fences were leveled, trees, uproot
ed and twisted from their trunks by tn
= awful power of the wind. The destfuctio
If along the path which it travelled must hay
It been very great. We fear that more hi
y man lives have been lost. The wind, it
l., said, was the most terrific which has eve
! been known in this region Of countr.
e where whrlwinds have not been an III
e common occurrence!
!, The wind was accompanied by a heaV
l. fall of rain and hail The accounts give
If of the size of hail stones which fell in Il
Il vicinity Of 'Oplain are almost incredibI
t. The conductor Of the passenger train, whiC
e left here on Tuesday afternoon, assures I
= that he picked up a hail stone at Pla
Station and carried it in the cars to FL
J. River, where it was still larger than
e hens egg. Similar facts are vouched f
or by other witnesses. In this city, hail fe
Or plehtfally, many of the stones being Il
u size of hickory nuts.