Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1858-06-11

Terrific WhiTlwind-
Destruction cf thirteen killed-fanncs
Of the dead and Wounded Full Particuiar7
ofthe Disasters
Ellison was a handsome and pleasantly
situated village, cea;aining soine t"o hun
dftd rnha5iinDis, fourteen miles southwest
from Monmouth, in Warren county. IL con-
timed two stores, a warehouse, a tavern and
thirty dwellings, besides barns. sheds, &c.
A handsome grove bounded the village on
lie ives; and south side, V lille a large prairie
stretched away 10 the ror,h and east. The
grove 10 fhe west is sGmc three miles III
width, ard siii. west Of the grove is Suu;h
Prairie, about fourteen miles wide.
On Sunday evening, The 3o.h Of May,
about 5 O'Clock, The residents .: South Prai-
rio noticed a funnel sha ped cloud. The fan or
tail about FIVE hundred leet vide, moving
with almost inconteivdble fapIdity from west
to east, and 80 near the surface OF The ground
,i,ut at times i; seemed to strike the earth
aud rise again. 1'ne cloud was buck, &C
aompanied with terrific thunder and light
ding, hail aud rain. lis extreme length
was not ov, r SIX or eight hundred feet, and
Us taickaets only some fifty feet, and those
who witnessed Hs progress assert that at
times tIa.y could see that Ike air was appar-
emily entirely undistufbed Gnd cleur above
and below it.
This storm fend-we know 70 better
name for iie devastating Il 'ud--desiFoyed
fourteen houses in South Prairie, killed and
wouudiug a nuuiheF of persons, and at q few
minutes past 5ucfvck burst with The fury OF
a demon up>n Ellison, destroying every
building but four, killing seven persons out
right and injurine every other iEhntiiant.
Il then rose aud passed on TO the east, str!k-
ing the earth aga:n within a distance Of three
miles, DESTROYING d few fences. then rose
again high in the air and passed GU, Vt
sight.
When we arrived at the ruined village u
scene of disaster presented itself which moth
ing we can write will exaggerate. Boards,
timbers and debris OF every description were
scattered in ali directions about the site &C.
cupied by the town. and over the prairie TO
the east for a distance OF two miles.
The first building struck was the two story
frame store of MIR. Joseph Knuws. This
was lifted from ia foundation. whirled around
two or three times in the cloud, and carried
across the street, where it burst into small
fragments, and its conteIts were torn to
shreds and So scattered that not even u
yard OF goods. has been found.
The next house destroyed was DR.. Yobo's
a large frame structure. 1t was carried to
the opposite side of the street, lifted high in
TO the air, and shattered into a thousand
pieces.
In this manner twenty-three dwellings,
two stores, and The warehouse, were utterly
destroyed, and SO rapidly was this done that
no time was permitted the terrnr-stricken
inhabitants to escape from their homes. So
thoroughly complete was the destruction that
not q .ves,ige of the houses or their contents
remain, save scattered bourds and tim
bers. and here and there Il fragment of a
garment or a broken piece ef iurniture.-
One Of The residents, whom we saw search
ing for bis scattered goods, informed US that
he had been unaoie to recognize among the
ruins any thing he had owned. Another
stated that he was quite certain that nothing
Of bis had escaped total destruction.
During the paszagc Of the cloud, the wa
ter fell in sheets, aud the thunder and light
ming were terrific. But four buildings are
left standing in the town, and two Of these.
although cut Of the immediate track of the
storm, are so shattered as to be un'enaoie-
As soon as possible the farmers in the
neighburllpod were apprised of The disaster,
and hurried to the rescue of the wounded,
many of whom were found beneath the ru-
ms or hurled beyond them to The open road
TIE KILLED M WOUNDED