Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-10
Ths Illinois Tornado.
LFrom the Chicago Pross, June 2.l

Through gentleman who left Monmouth
Yesterday morning, we learn many interesting
particulars of the sad tragedy attending the
destruction of tAe village of Ellison by whrl-
wind.
Fourteen persons were killed almost instant
", one more than was stated ny the telegraph,
ten more it was supposed were mortaly wound
ed OF these latter, two died next three on
Monday evening, making nineteen in all.
Among the dead are Mr. John Hand, his
son about ten years of age. and babe, the
latter of whomis supposed to have been drown
ed. The whole family appear to have been
whrled with the fragments of their dwelling
quite up into the air and deposited consider
able distance from where the house stood near
a slough Mr. Hand was carried about fifteen
rods and in MS terrible flight received a fright
full wound in his side from a timber. He sur
'vved till next morning Mr.. Hand had her
infant in her arms when she struck the gronnd
but the conclusion compelled her to let go her
hold upon it, and it was tossed some distance
into the slough, where she heard its cry, but
owing to her severe injuries, was unable to at
tempt its rescue There remained all night
her person partly in water.and in the course of
its dreary watches ;hc dead body Of her infant
was drifted to the shore, and she had it in her
arms when discovered in the morning.
Another family named McWjIjiams suffered
terribly Miss Mary Ann NcWilliams, about
twenty-five her sister Harriet, aged about
sixteen, and her brother Thomas, about four
teen, are among the dead, and the poor Old
mother, eighty years Of age--the only remain
ing member of the family, except some older
children who were living at diStancc-was
very badly injured The boy Thomas was not
at first conscious Of having received any hurt,
and rescued the body of his elder sister from
the ruins soon after the catastrophe, but he
was so badly injured internally, that he died
the next morning.
WE Thompson, his wife and child Mrs
BraZelton and her two children, a son and
daughter Martin Wentworth, Levina Lacey,
Hiram johnson and child and two other per,
sons whose names We're unknown to the infor.
mant, made up the list of the fourteen instantly
killed, comprised in a special dispatch to Us
from Monmouth last evening.
As near as can be aScertained in the confu-
sion which prevailed about fifty persons were
very seriously and many more slightly injured.
The.tornado struck the village about haIf.paSt
five O'Clock, and during its continuance no rain
fell. The houses were frame structures -
There was tavern stand and three stores
those Of Samuel Johnson, Joseph Knowles and
another. The appearance of the dwellings, and
structures after the passage Of the whirlwnd
Is described by one eyewitness as if one Shoud
tear to pieces and scatter lumber yard or
roofs and walls, and the various structures
there was seen in many instances scarcely a
trace, as if q giants hand had reduced and
torn them to Shreds and Splntcrs They lay
scattered over the fields Here p.cce of
broken furniture, aud there a shattered door,
and beyond an undiStiugujshable mass Of tim
berS and boards, floor beams, ceiling and raft
CTS. Even the bodies Of the sufferers were
torn to pieces.
AS an evidence Of the fearful force Of the
tornado, it is mentioned in the telegraph from
our special reporter last evening, that Of the
victims, fragments of the bodies were scattered
in all directions.
An iron safe weighing nine hundred pounds
was taken from Johnson's store and carried
thirty feet
Horses, cattle and hogs were taken up by
the wind, carried in the air and dashed to the
earth killed by the fail
One COW was taken uN. carried several rods,
and killed by the fail. Her body lay at
distance from anything that could have iuilic-
ted wound or injury upon her.
y heavy cut stone doorstep the dimensions
OF which are given to US as being some seven
feet long by three in width, and several inches
in thickness was torn from its site and carried
more than its length, or about twelve feet
The first trace of this violence is noticeable
in Ellison timber, about mile west of the vii
lage, the place described by John McWiIliams
as " the meeting of the clouds" thence on
through the timber the evidences Of its force
were astounding.
The trees do not seem to have been prostra-
ted. They were only so in fact when released
from the grasp of the storm King. They were
pulled up by the roots, twisted, turned about
simply, and in places noticed by our informant
it seemed as if they had been torn up by
groups, as child would wantonIy twist the
tops Of adjacent weeds and tear them from the
ground. Trees foot in diameter were thus
made the sport Of the tornado, and were dashed
crushed and. broken to the ground