The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1858-06-10
From the Chicago Tribune of the Sd inst.
The Late Severe storm.


From the Chicago Tribune of the Sd inst :
The Late Severe Storm.
Our telegraphic dispatches have fur
nished meagre account of the devas-
tations by the whirlwind which visited
Warren county on last Sunday night,
and entirely destroyed the fourishing
village of Ellison. As soon as the news
of the disaster reached this city, we
dispatched special reporter to Ellison,
in order to obtain all the par aculars
possible, but, owing to the running ar
rangements of the Chicago Burlington
and Quincy Railroad, it was impossible
to obtain his report in time for our issue
of Wednesday morning.
Ellison was handsome and pleas
antly situated village, containing some
two hundred inhabitants, fourteen miles
southwest of Monmouth, in Warren
county. 1t contained two stores, a
warehouse, tavern, and thirty dwell
lings, besides barns, sheds, &c. A
handsome grove bounded the village
on the west and south, while a large
prairie stretched away to the north and
east. The grove to the west is some
three miles in width, and still west of
the grove is South Prairie, about four
teen miles wide. .....
On Sunday evening, the 3oth of May,
about S O'Clock, the residents of South
Prairie noticed funnel shaped cloud,
the fan or tail about five hundred feet
wide, moving with almost inconceivable
rapidity from west to east and so near
the surface of the ground that at times
1t seemed to strike the earth and rise
again. The cloud was black, accom-
panied with terrific thunder and light
ming, hail and rain. Its extreme length
was not over six or eight hundred feet
and its thickness only some fifty feet
and those who witnessed its progress
assert that at times they could see that
the air was apparently entirely undis
turbed and clear above and below it.
This storm-6end-we know of nc
better name for the devastating cloud
destroyed fourteen houses in South
Prairie, killing and wounding number
of persons, and at few minutes past
6 o'clock burst with the fury of demon
upon Ellison, destroying every building
but four, killing seven persons outright
and injuring every other inhabitant
1t then rose and passed on to the east
striking the earth again within a dis
lance of three miles, destroying few
fences, then rose again high in the ali
and passed out of sight.
When we arrived at the ruined vii
lage scene of disaster presented itsel
which nothing we can write will exag
gerate. Boards, timbers and debris 0
every description were scattered in al
directions about the site occupied b,
the town, and over to the prairie to tn
east for distance Of two miles.
The first building struck was the tw,
story frame store of Mr.. Joseph Knowles
This was lifted from its foundation
whirled around two or three times il
the cloud, and carried across the street
where it burst into small fragments, an,
its contents were torn to shreds and s
scattered that not even a yard of good
has been found.
The next house destroyed was d.
Yoho's, large frame structure. ]
was carried to the opposite side of tn
street, lifted high into the air and shat
tered into thousand pieces.
In this manner twenty-three DIVE
lings, two stores and the warehous
were utterly destroyed, and so rapid
was this done that no time was permit
ted the terror stricken inhabitants t
escape from their homes. So thol
oughly complete was the destructio
that not vestige of the houses or thei
contents remain, save scattered board
and timbers and here and there frae
ment of garment or broken piece {
furniture. One of the residents, whor
we saw searching for his scattere
goods, informed us that he had bee
unable to recognize among the ruin
anything he had owned. Anothe
stated that he was quite certain tn;
nothing of his had escaped total d.
struction.
During the passage of the cloud tn
water fell in sheets and the thundt
and lightning was terrific. But fou
buildings are left standing in the towr
and two of these, although out of tn
immediate track of the storm, are s
shattered as to be uutenable.
As soon as possible the farmers
the neighborhood were apprised OF tn
disaster, and hurried to the rescue I
the wounded, many of whom WEI
found beneath the ruins or hurled b
yond them to the open road.
The wounded were conveyed to tt
nearest farm houses, and medical al
summoned as speedily as possible. II
bodies of the dead were collected in
temporary shelter and as soon AS Il
collins could be provided were burie
The people Of Monmouth and Youn
America Station, with noble generosi1
sent large supplies of food, clothing an
medicine for the sufferers, who we
stripped of everything they possesse
save the ground uponwhich their hom