Plymouth weekly banner. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1856, 1855-05-31
From the Lapier Mich Democrat, May %.
Destructive Whirlwind.

btSLuttitC
The town of Maranthon, iii ibis county
was visited last Tuesday evening with
the most destructive tornado ever known
In this section.
1t came from a westerly direction. and
the first we hear Of 1t was at John Craw.
ford's. in the town of Forest. Mr.. C's
barr was unroofed. and he board. rafters.
&C.. carried to considerable distance.
Mr.. McKinstry's house was pnroofeG and
much damaged. John Blues house and
barn were unroofed, and the barn, a new
frame building was much racked. His
fields were SO much filled with falling
timber. old logs. rails. lumber and rub
bish. that it will require nearly as much
labor to clear it off. as il did 10 state
of nature. VIM. Merrill's house was
moved from its foundation and unroofed.
The widow Luther's house was entirely
demolished, and some OF her furniture
was carried off in the whirl. Her son, a
young man of Is or 30 years. was seen
to be holding on TO a wild plum :ree. bu;
after the tornado had passed. he was
found upon the ground some rods off. he
| plum Tree had been twisted OF, and was
laying across Mr.. Luther. who had one
arm broken in two places. and otherwise
] so seriously injnr-l- 49,. his r~rvrcEy 10
| very doubtful.
The school house was unroofed. Mar.
tin Valentines house was also unroofed
These ore the only buildings we have
heard octhat were injured.
The heaviest loss will be in the de-
s,ruction Of the valuable pine and other
timber in its course. So great was the
force Of the hirlwind that nothing could
withstand ii. The giants Of the forest.
which have wiihstood ihe storms OF a
hundred years, were wrenched from their
| firm roots. and tossed about like stra VS..
Even siumps. firmly imbedded in mother
earth, were torn up and CARRIED many
rods. Old logs which had lain on the
ground for years were disturbed. and
torn from their resting place. The air
was literally filled with fence rails, limbs
Of trees, boards. rafters. shingles. &C..
which were lifted to an immense height.
! The course Of the whirlwind was in a
nearly east direction. ranging from TWEEN
| ~ rods 10 a half miles in width. and
making clean s,reep as il went. We
have heard from over eight miles OF its
course, and it was still moving OH is
course Of devastation and ruin.
We have been told by those Who have
visited the spot, that the track of the
tornado presents most singular appear
ance. The trees growing in the center
were twisted off and thrown lengthways,
while those on each side were thrown
across the center. the tops pointing in,
and forming handsome window.
In some places even the culverts on
the roads were torn up By the tornado,
and the roads generally are filled up with
promiscuous assortment of timber and
rubbish of all kinds.
We hear rumors of the destruction of
other buildings, but hope they may no,
prove true.
Since writing the above. we have been
called upon by DR.. Griswold. who spent
two or three days In Marathon last
week and visited the scene Of the destruc-
ton. The Dr.. says the tornado first broke
upon log house in the town of Forest.
which was unroofed. 1t next struck the
log school house near Crawford's, which
i: utterly demolished. not leaving one
log upon another. Near Crawford's is a
small lake. abou. forty rods wide and
fifty or sixty long. the water of which
was raised higher than the tops of the
trees. leaving the lake nearly dry. From
thence it passed through a forest. NOW
ing its way, till il came to the town oil
Marathon. Blues house and barn were
unroofed. Mrs. Luther's house was en-
tirely destroyed. and her furniture smash
ed to pieces, and rendered worthless
everything in her house was ruined. and
! scattered in all directions. for half a mile
around. Jerrome's house was unroofed
and others much damaged. Near the
house of Mr.. Merrill. is what is called q
mound spring, from which stream Of
water sufficient 10 fill three inch pipe il
discharged. The spring forms a basin
ten or twelve feet in diane ter. and abou
eighteen inches deep Az the water wa.
drawn up, and those who noticed il say
that no water rose in the spring for sew
eral moments after the tornado passed. -
The roofs of the buildings were raised en-
tire to the height of 20 or 80 feet wheI
tina phirl would break them up, an,
scatter the fragments in all objections
In some cases the fragments have beef