Litchfield enquirer., 1858-05-27
A TERRIBLE STORM.

A TERRIBLE STORM.
The gale on Thursday evening was, says the Chi
cago Tribune, in some portions of the State of un-
territory, and every where its track is marked with
painful damage to property, and perhaps further
intelligence will show, loss of life It seems to have
crossed the Missis ippi near Oquawka, and to have
extended eastward ut least far as Mclean County,
where VIC hear OF SEINE of its disastrous effects. In
the West there was much hail accompanying the
wind, and everywhere great fall of rain. go
AT Lexington, on the line of the St. Louis Alton
and Chicago Road, the storm was terrific. In let
ter below told of its freaks with the up train
and an informant at our elbow says that nearly
every house in the village was unroofed or blown
down. The air was loaded with the wreck which
was made; the heavens were black with clouds
which were pouring out destruction, and more than
who there felt that the end of all things
at hand. Ii xington has escaped without great
loss OF life the fact IS most wonderful of all.
AT this point there was a copious rain and some
thunder and lightning, but nothing to indicate the
ers let port usual and though the gale high,
1t was not unusual. Later in the evening the wind
increased but before 10 o'clock all was still again.
Below we print a lasty letter from Lexington.
LEXINGTON, May 3D. 1853
g This evening about i o'clock, we were visited
by severe storm, accompanied by the most fearful
thunder and lightning ever experienced here The
storm lasted about ~ minutes and after it had to
all appe nance, cleared up it succeeded by the
mo terrific wind ever known in this section OF the
State The rain fell in torrents, and nearly every
house in Lexington was unrooted and number of
them blown down,
The passenger train from ST. Lous, by which l
send this, Was p0wn from the track, and cars tip
ped over but with the exception of few slight
flesh wounds, the passengers were uninjured. Be-
fore the train capsized all the car windows, on the
windward side, were blown out. the engineer and
| fireman were both blown from the engine. and a
brakeman vas also blown off one of the cars. The
storm struck the train short distance north from
here.
Il have time to write only few particulars, but
you will doubtless learn of widespread and severe
disasters in this portion of the State
We learn from a a passenger on the above capszed
train thai great damage was done by the tornado at
the junction of the Peorie and Oquawka Roads with
the st. Louis, Alton and Chicago Railroads Both
station houses were unroofed five or six empty
freight cars were blown from the track, dwelling
houses were unroofed, moved bodily twenty thr-
ty feet or entirely demolished and yet, amid this
wide spread disaster he could learn of no one seri
olsly injured,
We cut from the Journal of last evening an &C.
count of the effects of the storm at the West which
agi ees with information received by later trains
GALEsBURG.-The storm severe along the Chi
cago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. At Gales.
burg it was terrible. The engine house of the rail
road company, and two churches just completed,
were blown down. and nlnber of dwelling houses
were unroofsd. Three cars standing on the track
were blown off and turned upside down. The
amount of the damage at Gslesbirg is estimated at
$4,000 No lives lost.
OQuAwKA.-Two steam-mills were ruined at
Oquawka and ten houses unroof,d, beside other
damage done Damage estimated at from $40, 600 to
SIS 600. SO far asecrtained no lives were lost.
GALvA.-At this place large two story dwelling
house was rendered a complete ruin portion Of
Mr.. Babcock's dwelling also blown down.
Nearly all the outhouses in the village upset
The wiad carried large boxes. lumber, barrels &c.
into the air as If they were paper large church
was moved from its foundation about foot The
storm ragged hardest between 6 and o'clock
MENToDA.-Here the storm was also furious, and
while in progress the railroad engine.ho caught
fire and was consumed together with the locomotive
Rocket.
We hear Of much damage done in the country
but with the above exceptions have no particulars
We shall probably have further details by tomor
row.
hail poured down in perfect sheet. 1t was truly
terrific We have not yet heard Of any disaster on
| the lakes
| PEoRIA.-From one Of our citizens. who was in
Peoria at the time, learn the following particu
lars of the ravages Of the great storm that place
The hurricane struck the city at about o'clock in
the evening. In the twinklng of an eye. fifteen OIL
twenty houses were unroofed. every church spie in
the city blown down, three canal boats loaded
with lumber sunk, and the steamer Olin, with q
passengers on board made a complete wreck, he
| cabin being blown entirely away. And what seems
really miraculous is the fact that but one life wa,
lost in all this furious dsorganzation Of matter ant
utter demolition of structures 1t il said that lit
| tie child lost from off the wrecked steamer -
The lumber in the yards blown all over the city
the gas lam ps all blown down. and the signs
were sent flying in every direction windows ant
gable ends were smashed in. wholes trains of car
were blown off the track, and the beautiful colleg
| building upon the bluff utterly demolished W,
shall probably get extended particulars by the
mails Our informant was obliged to take refuge il
the Court House square. to avoid the general des
! truction which threatened the city. and to excap
the flying signs boards boxes and other missile
| with which the air was filled.