The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1855-06-06
The Great Prairie Tornado.

The Chicago Times of Thursday has the
GLOWING:
"AwTUL WIHRLwfEDl-LIFE AR PROPER
TT DKsrRoTED I'VE lsaIn frem a gentleman
who rssides in lie vicinity of o'Plain Sta
tion, on the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad,
that an awful Nbirlwind swept Ovir that
neighbOrhood on Tuesday afternoon last.
Persons at -0'plain witnessed abou. four
O'Clock a spectacle like dense smoke ris.
ing in a huge column from The earth, at .
distance of a few miles to the west. The
column extended upwards to the clouds,
when it became violently agitated with 9
whirling motion, and commenced moving
over the country tow ards the soatheast-
1t bore some resemblance to a water spout
but vas more terrible in its appearance and
movements. lightning flashed from The
heavens and descended through The column,
contrasting streaks of fame with its dark
outlines, and lending to the whole an aspect
truly fearful.
The column continued moving in a cir.
cular direction towards the southeast, thro'
a segment of about fortY-fiy degrees. when
it suddenly broke in two and disappeared.
In a few minutes, at the point where the
column went down, it was observed TO rise
again, this lime apparently but a few feet
in diamets ar. 1t expanded as i. went whir-
ling upward, until nearly as large as before
and i in reaching the clouds ITO appearance)
moved back again toward the northwest
over almost precisely the same path as be-
fore. When about half way back to lite
first starting point, the column disappeared
and was no more seen.
This strange looking phenomenon was a
whirlwind. We hear from the neighborhood
where it was first observed to rise (abou
twenty miles from this city,) it was found
to have been Of the most terrible character
-uprooting and destroying everything
which happened to lie in its path. The
house of Mr.. Page, about a mile south of
4| - EE8E#
O'Plain station, was totally demolished, and
four of the inmates were killed. Three 9TH
ers-the son and d&ughtef-inslSw of Mr..
Page and one Of tier children-were bad
ly, and our informant tells us, da ngerously
injured. The persons killed were the wife
Of Mr.. Page, senior, and three Of his grand
children. Two other children we're hurt,
making nine altogether who were either
killed or injured by the calamity. One of
the children was found twenty rods from
where the house stood, its body mutilated
in a NEST shocking manner, and stripped OF
every particle o. clothing. The house was
a frame, and stood upon a solid stone foun-
dation. from which it was lifted bodily by
the wind. and dashed to fragments.
Farther west, the Ehirlwind demolished
a large barn, and instantly killed a fna
horse and a mum Der of calves which were
inside. Fences were leyeled, trees uprooied
and twisted from their trunks by theaEful
DO yer of the wind. The destruction along
the path which it travelled must have been
very great. We fear that more human
lives have been lost. The wind, it 10 said
was the most terrific which has ever been
known in this region Of country, where
whirlwinds have not been an unccmmon
occurrence!
The wind was accompanied by a heavy
fall Of rain and hail. The accounts given
of the size Of hail stones which fell in the
vicini Of O'Plain are almost Incredible
The conductor of the passenger train, which
left here on Tuesday afternoon, be assnres
us that he picked up a hail stone at O'Plain
Station and carried it in lie cars 10 Eek
River, where it was still larger than a hens
egg. Similar facts are vouched for by 9TH
er witnesses. In this city, hail fell plenti.
fully, many Of the stones being the size Of
hickory nuts. E#AE1
a nn~o1~oIa F~..~IA #