Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1858-06-19
A rEgR1n1E TORNADO IN 1111u us.

Ltudlit9 Ch6 NSStfACJion Oh LI6 Flllt96 vi
Ellison by whirlwind.
Fourteen persons were killed almost in
stantly, one less thar was stated by tele-
graph, and ten more it is supposed were
mortally wounded. Of these latter, two
died next day, and three on Monday eve.
making nineteen in all.
Among the dead are Mr.. John Hand,
his son, about ten years of age, and babe
the latter of whom is supposed to have
drowned. The whole family appear to
have been whirled with the fragments Of
their dwelling quite up into the air and
deposited a considerable distance from
where the house stood, near slough
Mr.. Hand was carried about fifteen rods,
aud in his terrible fight received 8 fright
fu wound ia his side from timber. He
survived till next morning. Mrs. Hand
had her iufant in her arms when she struck
the ground, 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 attempt its
rescue. There she remained all night, her
person partly in the water, and in the
course of its dreary watches the dead bod
Of her infant was drifted to the shore,
and she had it in her arms when discover
ed in the morning.
Another family, named McWillians,
suffered terribly. Miss Mary Ann McWil-
Hams, about twenty-five; her sister, Har-
riet, aged about sixteen and her brother,
Thomas, about fourteen, are among the
dead and the poor old mother eighty
years or age-the only remaining mem-
Der of the family, except some older chill,
dren who were living at distance, was
very badly injured. The boy Thomas was
not at first conscious Of having received
amy hurt, and rescued the body Of bis old
or sister from the ruins soon after the cat
astrophe, but he was so badly injured in
temaIly that Ii died the next morning.
w. E. Thompson, his wife and child,
Mrs. Brazletou and her two children, a son
and daughter Martin Wentworth, Levina
Lacey, Hiram Johnson ain child, and two
other persons whose names are unknown
10 the informant make mp the list Of four
teen instantly killed, comprised in special
dispatch to US from Monmouth last even
Ing These embrace all the names Of the
dead which we bave been able to obtain
AS near as can be asceltained in the
confusion which prevailed, about fifty per-
sons were vcr; seriously and many more
Slightly injured.
Iha only physicians in the place were
Dr.. Hswley and Yoke. The former was,
with his wife, among the more seriously
injured, and the latter, Dir. Y, was badly
hurt Both were thus iacapactated tron
rendering nuy assistance to their unfortu-
nate fellow citizens, and, As the nearest
point availa lie, medical aid was only pro-
tcured from Monmouth after the delays no
ted elsewhere
As soon as the first shock Of the calani-
~ had passed, and It's extent began % be
realized, special rnessonge Nc VIII
Iiains, brother Of Che Young lady and boy
nho were killed-was dispatched 10 Mon
mouth for assistance, whore he arrived a
bout o'clock on Monday morning. The
sad news spread rapidly, and the whole
town was soon a.tir. Doctors Hamilton,
IOversteel, McDil and Young at once vol
lnnteered their services, and by six O'Clock
thew, accompanied by six teams and about
Iff.y men on horseback, proceeded to the
scene Of disaster, which they reached about
ten A. El. The wounded, meantime, had
been conveyed t0 the, neighboring farm
houses, BY the uaiujured, and there The
Iphvsicians fastened to administer to their
relief.
When we revive what we have written
! it seems Ike a tale Of the horrors OF the
terrible elemental CONNEXIONS ofthe troP-
les. or the tornadoes that have swept the
islands of the torrid zone bearing destruc-
ton and havoc along their path. But 1t Is
Of cur own state, and the instance is the
second CT the kind, though much less IN
extent that has visited this region the pres
ent season. The instance we are now re-
Icording stands without a parallel, and may
lit never know one in our annals. A brief
description Of the locality visited by this
fearful disaster, will be Of interest to the
better understanding Of the same. Ellis
on is a village in township Of that name
living due south of the line of Chicago
Burlington aud Quincy Railroad, the near
est station of which, Young America is
FIVE miles northeast, and the Mississippi
river is about sixteen miles west.
The small stream known as Ellison
Creek traverses the township in direction
little north of west, aud becomes a trib
utary to the Mis- iisslppi
The village was farming community
and is one Of the older settlements Of that
section. The larger share Of the structures
some sixty or seventy in number thai
constituted the village were ranged on
single straight street running in direction
almost east and west being the main coun
ty road running to the Mississippi and Bur
lington. The road crossed the creek a
bout half a mile from the village, the
stream turning more to the westward nortf
of the road crossing.
4 Between the village and the stream
was belt of timber Of oak and walnut
e 4...o, fTT,sp bn- 90