Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-06-05
r,.. re,riae Tsrnaao a. EnIs0n

The Chiesgo Tribune contains irrther Parnc-
uiars of the Whirlwind which destroyed the vi
lace of Ellison, which We condense. The grove
west of Ellison is about thrss Riles wide, and
west Of this Is South Prairie, fourteen miles
aeross. About O'Clock, May 30th, the residents
of South Prairie noticed a funnel shaped cloud,
the fan or tail some five hundred feet wide,
moving with almost incredible velocity from
west TO east .nd so near the surface oil the
ground that at times it seemed TO strike the eafth
and rise again The cloud vas black, secom-
nauied With terrific thunder, hail and rain. It's
extreme length appeared TO be not over SIX or
seven hundred sect and its thickness orly some
fifty feet and at times the air was apparently
entirely undisturbed above and below Il In
sr,ssiup South Prairie fourteen houses were de-
stroyed, and number of persons were killed
or wounded. Four houses in one group were
tom 70 sireds and scattered Oyer the prsirie, but
the occupants saw the stOrm-fend approach
and took refuge in a root cellar, detached ircm
the houses, and escaped injury.
The family of Mr.. Vim. Johnston living near
the cast edge of the prairie, suffered severely
-. = .t->e -h'is'---' 80
leg broken, and cannot recover Ar. Hp,a .
tsnlsIs. rear 5y, were blown in all directions
AIR. Huri was hurled into the air and struck by
iyine tinbers. He died the next day. Mrs.
Hurd had her infant in her arms, butt was torn
from her grasp and killed Both mother and
child were thrown into slough, where they re-
Inained all night 1t is hoped Mrs. II. will re-
cover. a son of Mr.. II. was so injured that his
recovery is doubtful Mr. Rankin, who lived
farther out on the prairie was fatally injured,
but his family escaped with slight bruises
The path of the whirlwind through the grove
evidenced it, terrific power. The largest trees
were twisted of. snd in some instances when
left standing every particle of bark was stripped
of. even to the smallest branches and fbres-
Some places in its track the grass was crushed
into the earth as by the wheels Of heavily la
den wagon, and cedar posts set for a fence were
broken off or blown down FrOmthe grove the
cloud leaped upon Ellison, destroying every
building but four, on the outskirts ofits course
The village contained two stores, warehouse,
and thirty dwelling houses, besides bans, sheds,
&e. Seven persons were killed outright, and
every inhabtant, numbering some two hundred,
was more or less injured. Nineteen in all are
dead. The storn-cloud then rose and striking
the earth again three miles farther east destroy
ed few fences, after which it rOse again high
in the air and passed out Of sight
H.. in he yfIlara rVaS
the two stors frame store of Mr.. Knowles. 1t
was taken up, whiTled around few times m
the cloud, and burst to fragments. Not even a
yard OF the goods can be found. The next was
the large frame house of DR.. YOho. 1t was
lifted high into the air and shattered into thou
sand pieces. So complete was the destruction
of the buildings Of the village that not q vestige
Of them or their contents remain, save scattered
timbers and boards and here and there frag-
ment of a garment or broken piece of fuTni-
ture. The terror-stricken inhabitants had no
time to escape from their homes. One family,
Mr.. Godfrey's, succeeded in getting 10 the bot
tom of the cellar stairs just as the house was
lifted into the air and torn to fragments They
were only slightly injured Mr. W. E ThomP-
son was instantly killed, and his wife 50 badly
injured that she soon died. She held her IN
FAINT in one arm when found, the top Of its skull
torn of and its bowels tom out. Jacob Brazel-
ton, wife and son. were killed outright Mrs.
B. was found hundred yards from where the
dwelling stood, her bowels torn out and breast
bone broken. Miss Levina Lacy was killed
instantly, and her clothing was entirely stripped
from her body by the wind. The body Of Mar
tia WentEorfh was terribly mangled- During
the passage OF the cloud the water fell in sheets,
and terrifc thunder aud lightning added to the
horrors of the work Of destruction and death