Weekly Clarksville chronicle. [volume] (Clarksville, Tenn.) 185?-1857, 1857-06-26
From The Utica Herald, Monday.1
MYSTERIOUS MOVEMENTS OF AN ATMos-
PHERIc BODY.
LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY.

On Saturday afternoon very many of
our citizens noted the appearance of very
remarkable formation Of nebulous or
cloudy substance extended from the heav-
ems nearly to the earth, where it seemed
to diminish almost to point, but expand
ing gradually as it assembled, until the
This remarkable and funnel-like column
of cloudy mist, past over the city at about
four o'clock, and was remarked not only
by dts peculiar appearance, but by rush
ing, buzzing noise, as 1t swept off in the
direction of Deerfeld.
1t was watched for some moments, and
people generally believed it to be water
spout, as its conical form corresponded
with all ideas of such natural phenomenon.
1t soon passed from sight, and was made
the subject of sportive conversation for he
hour, without the least just conception of
what the body consisted, or its destructive
power. It's effects however, have been
most wonderful, and may justly attract the
attention and scrutiny of the scientific
world.
The conical mass first settled to the
earth few minutes past four in Decrfeld,
and in an instant scattered barn to pieces,
and tore up several trees on the opposite
side of the road, &C., &c.
Mr.. John Warren informs us that he
was engaged in his garden at about four
o'clock and saw the approach of the cloudy
object, as it threw up the trees. As its
course pointed in the direction of his own
house, he ran to the dwelling, caught two
of his oldest children and called to his
wife to save the other three and herself by
following him to the cellar. The husband
had descended two or three steps with his
charge, and the wife, with an infant and
two older children had reached the cellar
door, when the house was struck. The
whole frame work was lifted from the stone
foundation; the entire wood work above
the first floor was carried some twentyfeet
and then dropped in grand perfection of
ruin, while the first floor with the sleepers
attached which caught in the foundation,
was finally turned roof like over the entire
mass.
Mr.. Warren, with two of the children,
remained in the cellar enclosure, without
injury; Mrs. Warren was found on the
ground about ten feet from the cellar door,
almost entirely stripped of her clothing,
and so severely injured about her neck
and body that she died within an hour
after the calamity, although entirely con-
scious; her infant was found near by and
almost entirely free froia injury, vet ut
terly destitute of clothing; little boy
who was following his mother to the cellar
is now lying unconscious from the wounds
he received in the common wreck. His
recovery is very doubtful; an older girl
escaped without an injury. The dwelling
was two stories and substantially built
In rear of it was barn, distant about five
rods, which was literally sbivered into
splinters.
Next in the due southeasterly line of
its course it uprooted several large trees,
scattered the fences, crossed the road and
demolished large barn, belonging 20 Mr..
John M. Budlong. This building was of
recent and very substantial build, and 50
by 80 feet upon its base, yet the destruc-
tive element tore it TO pieces, scattering
large timbers about the fields at distance
of from five to fifteen rods, distributing
portions of the roof in various directions,
and actually taking up an iron cylinder
threshing machine, weighing perhaps four
hundred pounds, and depositing it at least
eighty feet from the barn. A COW belong
ing to Mr.. b., standing near the barn was
killed without any apparent outward
wound.
Beyond the premises of Mr.. B., for
about mile, PROSTATE trees and fences
evidence the track of the destructive mes
senger. 1t however seemed to have releas-
ed its hold upon the earth soon after leav-
ing the farm of Mr.. B., for it was distinc-
thy seen to rise from the surface and dis
solve its conical shape into general cloudy
form. The phenomenon was followed by
violent rain and wind. Two men at work
in field saw the strange apparition APP
proach and took to their heels, barely es-
Gaping its track as it passed on. 1t seem
ed to rise from the earth in four or five |
minutes from the time it was first seen,
and the evidences before us of destruction,
lie in district not over four or five miles !
in extent, in due southeasterly direction |
from where its first touch was felt, and in |
a track about fifteen rods in width. What
ever of material substance presented itself
in this track was swept away, and the ruin
presented is certainly fearful to behold.
Or what the destructive power was COM
posed we are not prepared to affirm, but
of its force We can truthfully attest. Huge
trees were tossed from their deep
rooted resting places as readily as a gard
ener would pull a radish from the sandy
earth; fences and even fence posts were
scattered in all directions as if they were
chips, and buildings offered no more re-
'istance than clapboard to forty horse
power engine, The moving mass Of ruin
5 represented by all who saw it to have
'ccn a vapory substance; il was not ac-