The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-05-29

ery movcaDle tn1ng, tearing up trees an0
sidewalks, unroofing houses, burying in the
ruins numerous buildings and frames, and
rackiug others into unsafe positions. 80.
The storm was accompanied by an unhearG
volume of rain, pouring in such torrents al
to perfectly fill the atmosphere, concealing
the nearest objects, and making the air so
dense with water that respiration could with
difficulty be sustained out OF doors. The
ravages in our city are not yet entirely
known, but the greatest loss was the entire
destruction of the new and unfinished Church
of the First Congregational Society, upor
which $4,000 had already been expended
The spire, (the highest in central Illinois,,
was twisted from the tower and hurled upon
the central sections of the roof, crushing il
in to the basement floor and so rackiDg thu
walls that they soon fell, leaving only tht
end walls standing, which were Supported
by projections. The Church was beautiful
structure, being near completion, and its LOST
will be felt by the whole city. ...
The Catholic Church, good substantial
building, erected during the past year, wa,
entirely demolished. 49,. ~. as
The new College building (Knox College,
was somewhat damaged. The front gothic
window, two stories in height, was blown
in, admitting the storm and rain, damaging
floors, ceilings, &c. .-a..
Lombard University also sustained some
damages. 49,.
The new Female Seminary of Knox Col
lege was injured badly in the roofing, sashes,
cornces and chimney. .. ..... s..s .stE
The engine house Of the Chicago & Quincy
r. r. was crushed by the force of the storm
burying in its ruins engines and other rail-
road stock with considerable injury. Several
cars on the Peoria & Oquawka r. r. were
capsized near the depot and broken. A
large number of buildings around the depot
belonging to the companies, and, also, pri-
v,te dwellings, barns and out houses, in
that vicinity, were twisted about or over
thrown by the hurricane.
A new brick dwelling lately erected, be-
longing to Major McKoy, was badly injured,
the roof being carried away and the building
left uncovered to the torrents Of water which
poured in, and destroyed the interior to Il
great extent. The building cost 81 900, and
will be repaired at great expense.
! The tin roofs, cornices and chimncys of
our best business houses were torn away by
the storm, leaving the stores and shops un-
protected from the rain, which did great
damage. In some instances the tin was
carried in large sections several rods high
in the air, and thrown upon other roofs,
while the signs, to great extent, whirlcd
about at the mercy of the winds; and side
walks, in whole blocks, were carried bodily
for several rods. Carriages, wagons and
horses were whrled about promscuouslv.
and people thrown from them at distance,
being able to save themselves only by hold
ing to fences, and even then lifted from the
ground in spite of their utmost exertions.
The country around has suffered generally
by demolition of fences, barns, houses, &c,
and the groves, in places, have been nearly
uprooted.
Altogether, this storm has proved the
most terrible calamity that has visited our
country, exceeding by far the great storm of
| lS44 and the freshet has also done sad
havoc, widening the streams to the breadth
of rivers, in the course Of couple Of hours,
CARRYING away fences, lumber; and even
houses could not Withstand its force. The
! hail which preceded the storm has also done
is work upon the crops of grain, which were
very forward.
The damages sustained by the whole coun-
try are immense. The loss 10 our city alono
I
ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS.
We find the following additional particu-
lars and incidents IN the Galesburgh Free
! Democrat:
A lady who was walking on the square at
the time the storm commenced, was blown
from the sidewalk and injured severely. She
was found apparently lifeless, and carried
into store. where she soon recovered.
Four miles from the city near Centre
Point, many farm houses were blown down,
and horses, cows, sheep, hogs and poultry
were killed and blown about lndscriminate-
ly over the prairie.
A gentleman who was riding in buggy on
the piair.e was blown against the fence,
with buggy, &C.. piled upon him. He was
scratched after by two other gentlemen who
happened to be in sight at the time, but
could not be found.
From the Oguawka Plandcalcr Extra, 1sth.1
A black and dense cloud commenced gath
ering in the West few minutes after 3
o'clock, accompanied by severe thunder and
vivid lightning. 1t appeared to gather in
strength as it approached, and suddenly burst
upon us with powerful gale, the rain at
the same time. descending in torrents. The
whatever happened to lay around loose.
The large livery stable belonging to Ives.
Montgomery & Chaplin, was blown to the
ground, rendering i. a complete mass of
ruins. Mr.. Ives and his partners. together
with Mr.. Charles Fleming, Frank Carl and
Joseph Burr, were in the building Just as it
began to 20 over, bat all succeeded in ma
king their escape without injury. Those
who passed out tho West end were obliged
to crawl, SO strong was the wind against
them. There were some twelve or fifteen
hvrscs in the building at the time, and mar
vellous to relate, not one was seriously in
jured. Several of them were wedged in
between the broken timhers, but by the
prompt arrival Of our citizens they were ex-
treated. A number of carriages. buggics,
g., were almost totally destroyed. The loss
! to Messrs. Ives & Co., cannot be much short
of So 900.
The FIGURING Mill of Reynolds & Sweeney,
was unroofed, and portion of the east end
blown out. The damage to the firm cannot
be repaired short of $4,000.
The proprictors of the several saw mills
in town have met with very severe losses in
the breaking of their RATS and the floating
! of of logs. 1t is estimated that logs to the
amount of over twenty thousand dollars
have hoatcd off, but many of them will
probably be recovered. MIR. Charles Bandin
will be the greatest loser.
The new house Of DR.. Smelling on 3rd
street, which was not vet completed, was
blown to the ground, heap of ruins.
The warehouse of Mckinney & Son was
unroofed and otherwise injured. Several
reapers in the vicinity were smashed up.
| Some ten or fifteen other buildings were
more or less injured. Several were moved
from their foundations, and many unroofcd.
Chimneys were blown down, trees uprooted,
fences swept away, and general scene Of
destruction is exhibited. The general loss
to the whole town is estimated at over
$50, 900.
BUSHNELL.
Here there were was great deal of hail,
but no wind. Hardly whole pane of glass
remaining in the whole town.
TOWN OF OKAw DESTROYED.
| EDITORS TIMEs-GESTLEMEN: Yesterday
/ (Fridav) the thriving town of Okaw, on the
Chicago Branch of the Illinois Central Rail-