Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1855-06-02
TERRIFIC TORNADO !
THREE PERSONS KILLED-4 HOUSE CAR
OF TIE W.HLRL LWZND.
rTrom the Chicago Tribune Of May al

RED Up THuF ~ AMTHuF;AsLR-TERRIFIC Y EFFECTS
rTrom the Chicago Tribune Of May al
Never before has it been our duty to record
so awful calamity as that to which We now
sit down to write. The scene of the tragedy
is still before oar minds eye; the wrecks of
the tempest are still lying scattered about but
were it not for the unimpeachable chaaacter of
our informants, eye-wtnesses of the dreadful
calamity, we should be inclined to believe that
they had been laboring under some mental
hallucination, and that what we are about to
relate was but dream of the Imagination
The reality however is too true. The bodies of
the three victims and the wounds of the other
persons constitute evidence too palpable to be
set aside
Our readers will remember the violent hail
storm that took place in this city yesterday af-
ternoon between and o'clock, and the op-
pressive heat of the rest of the afternoon At
the same hour the events to which we allude
took place in the town Of Jefferson, near Jelfer-
son Mills, sixteen miles distant
A cloud of peculiar shape was first observed
approaching from the northwest and termina-
ting in funnel-shaped point, the apex toward
and nearly approaching the earth. As it came
nearer it was discovered to be q whirlwind,
rapidly revolving and whirling up various OBJ
jects, in which were plainly seen large sticks Of
wood boards, small trees and chairs 1t was
coming toward our informants but did not
reach them, but turned to their right, descrb-
ed Sem-circle, and fell upon a large frame
house. In an instant and with Il crash, the
roof was torn off, aud Immediately the whole
house was lifted from its foundation, literally
torn to pieces, and carried up in the hOrrid vor-
tex. The furniture in the house, all of it,
shared the same fate, the weight of the art-
Giles appearing no obstacles to their ascent what
ever.
And now We come to part of the narrative
sad indeed to relate. In the house were nine
persons. They were all drawn up into the air,
and fell, at different distances, with great vio-
lence to the ground. The wife of one of the
eyewitnesses, Mrs. Page, and two of her chill
dren, were instantly killed. All the otherper-
sons in the house were greatly injured. The
injuries, with two exceptions, consist of Singu-
lar and heavy bruises all over the body One
man had his arm broken, and another bis wrist
badly sprained. Mr.. Page only saved himself
from being drawn up into the air by holding
on to large rock. The house stood upon four
large granite bowlders These were all moved
several feet from their places.
The whirlwind went on and passed diagonal
ly across post-and-ralfence. Of this it tore
up twenty rods SO effectualIy that there is not
the slightest vestige of fence remaining
From this it passed to the barn, tore away one
side of it and threw it against horse, causing
its death. The side of the barn then fell down
on three calves and injured them so badly that
they died during the night.
The whirlwind seemed to pass off in south:
ward direction.
Many Of the fragments of the buildings,
&c, fell to the ground from great height
In coming down they fell nearly perpendcu-
larry and entered the ground like stakes
Hundreds of these were counted By our infor-
mant,
The force Of the storm was tremendous
Not only were the boards torn off from the
beams to which they were nailed, but the beams
themselves were wrenched asunder.
Tho whirlvxind ooovni,uuicd Wy storm
of hail, many of the hail-stones being the size
of walnuts. Some of them were nine inches in
circumference