Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1858-06-18
a WHOLE VILLAGE DEsTROYED
BY & TORNADO.

We leasn that tie village OF Ellison, Ill.
has been entirely destroyed By Tornado
Fifty persons were injured nineteen Of whom
are dead. Ellison is situated on level prai-
rie few mites from Monmouth, and is skirted
with belt Of timber
Tie following extract. from the Chicago
Press will give some idea of the terrible force
of these western storms
Tue Tornado struck the village about half
PAST five o'clock and during It's continuance 10
rain fell. The houses were frame structures
There was large tavern stand aud three
stores, those Of Samuel Johnson, Joseph Know
elsand another. Tic appearance of the build
ings and structures after the passage OF the
whirlwind Is described By one eye witness Gas
if one should tear to pieces and scatter Ium-
Der yard. /" OF roofs aud walls, and the va
rious structures there was seen in many in
stances scarcely trace, as il a gant's hand
had reduced and torn them to shreds and spin
ters. They lay scatteled over tue folds. Iiere
piece Of broken furniture ana there shat
tered door, and beyond au undstinguishable
mass of timbers and boards, floor beams ceiling
aud rafters. Even tae bodies of some of the
sufferers were torn to pieces.
An iron safe weighing nine hundred pounds
was taken from JoAnson's store and carried
thirty feet
Horses, cattle, and hogs were taken ap by
the wind, carried il the air and dashed to the
earth, killed BY the fall.
(,ne COW was taken up, carried several rods
and killed by the fall. Her body lay dis
tanee from anything that could have inflicted
wound or injury upon her.
A heavy cut stone door step, 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 car
lied moro than lis length, or about twelve
feet.
The first trace of this violence is noticeable
about mile west of tue village, the place de-
scribed by John McIVilliams as 'sthe meeting
of the clouds,' thence on through the timber
the evidence of its force were astounding.
The trees do not seem to have been prostra-
ted. They were only so 10 fact when released
from tie grasp of the angry Storm King.
They were pulled up By the roots, twisted,
turned about, simply, aud iE places noticed by
our informant, it seemed as ii they had been
tern up by groups, as a child would wantonly
twist the tops OF adjacent weeds aud tear them
from Tue Er0unu. Trees Eo0l III ula4uater
were thus made the sport of the tornado, and
we're dashed crushed and broken to the ground
The track of the whulwind seems not to
have been very wide, nor was its course long
one Scattered farm houses about the village
in various directions still stand, aud though
the wind was high, we're uninjurcd, but Of the
village property only three small cabins or
shanties which were to the southward Of the
line of desol4ting destruction, were spared, aud
they alone remain Of the ill-fated village Of
Ellison.
Knowing that the people Of Ellison had lost
everything that they possessed even to their
wearing apparel except what they had on, the
citizens of Monmouth, with praiseworthy be-
nevoence, on Tuesday morning started several
teams laden with provisions, bedding, clothing
aud other necessaries to their relief The
movement was spontaneous one, suggested by
the pressing exigency of the case, no formal
consultation having been held or committee APP
pointed.
Mr.. Henderson, U. S. Senator from Texas,
died at Washington City, on Friday week.
Ex-Secretary Stanton is in Kansas, and in
tends cauvasSiug the English Lccompton bill