The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-06-27
The COmetfn Oneida Co., N. Y.--Singular
and Destructive Phenomenon.

The Utica Herald of Monday, gives an &C.
count OF the appearance in that city and
county on Saturday afternoon, of peculiar
atmospheric body, conical in form, with its
point toward the earth and spreading ont I'M
til lost in the clouds, apparently nebulous
or vapory body, passing so swiftly as to cause
buzzing sound. In its course through Deer
field, it Frustrated fences, aud tore up trees.
and when it reached Schuyler, it settled lower,
and destroyed the barn of Mr.. Budlong, in q
twinkling. Rev. Mr.. Warren, the Baptist
minister, saw the object approaching his house,
and ran at once home, took up two of his
children, and told his wife to follow him with
the babe and two other children, into the Gel
lar, for safety. Mr.. w. was saved, but his
wife had only reached the cellar door when
the ruin came,-the house was lifted from its
foundations and dashed into fragments Mrs.
Warren was found on the ground about ten
feet from the cellar door, almost entirely strip
ped of her clothing, and so severely injured
about her neck and body that she died within
an hour after the calamity, although entirely
conscious; her infant was found near by and
almost entirely free from injury, yet utterly
destitute of clothing A little boy who was
following his mother to the cellar, is now w.
ing unconscious from the wounds he received
in the common wreck. His recovery is very
doubtfnl an older girl escaped without an in
jury The dwelling was two stories, l8X26
feet, and substantially built. In the rear of
it was barn, distant about five rods, 25x32
feet, which was literally shivered into splin-
tiers.
Several barns were destroyed as the water
spout, or whatever the powerful body was,
proceeded, and a COW on the farm of Mr. Bud
long was instantly killed, without showing any
exterior wound. Two barns belonging to
this gentleman were destroyed and very lit
tie of the lesser one could be found anywhere.
A mile beyond this point, the singular body
rose into the air, with rapid whirling mo-
ton, and its destructive effects were no more
witnessed. A violent wind and rain succeed
Ell. Its career was confined within district
not over four or five miles in extent, in a due
sOuth-easterly direction from where its first
touch was felt, and in a track about fifteen
rods in width. Whatever of material sub
stance presented itselfin this track was swept
away, and the ruin prosecuted is fearful to be-
hold
This moving mass of vapor was charged
with electricity, in the opinion of some, and to
the shock occasioned, is attributed the death
of Mrs. Warren. A young man engaged in
making baskets in the barn which was the
first building destroyed, was found some time
after in commissions. The bark appeared to
be burst asunder, as if BY an internal explo-
sion. A woman and girl seeing the roaring
cloud approaching, ran to get outside it's
track, but were lifted off their feet and thrown
across the fence, with bruises and torn dresses.
An elderly man escaped by throwing himself
upon his face ON the ground, while an apple
tree ten feet from him was torn from the
earth. Fragments Of timber were thrown a
great distance, and as before stated, one barn
seems to have been carried away entirely,
scarce fragment remaining, while another
was crushed down upon it's foundation as if
mighty weight had fallen upon it. A heavy
iron machine was thrown many rods from its
place.
The phenomenon is described as at first as
Stunning the appearance of la &c whitish
cloud, riding in the heavens towards the south
east, from which an arm or cone-shaped body
extended downward till it reached the earth,
and in its course carried destruction. Its pro-
gress was at the rate of a very fast railroad
tran-one says mile per minute, and anOth-
er mile in three minutes. AS it went, it
maintained whrling motion, and the noise
is described as a buzzing sound. 1t was not
accompanied by any wind or storm, no rain
and hail falling until half an hour after it had
passed away. Had it descended in the midst
of a city, the destruction must have been ter
rible The Herald says -
What agency could produce such results
except electricity we are unable to compre-
bend; and yet the strange proofs of destruc-
ton exhibited cannot we'll be explained on
any other popular theory connected with this
wonderful agency. The trees are still green
in the leaf and healthful in the bud, and nei-
Their wool or metallic substances with which
the clement came in contact bear the slight
est marks of heat, or show the usual marked
effects of atmospheric electrical contact as a
destroying power.