Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-08-18
Terrible Tornado in Indiana.

The Lafayette lind Courier, Of the 5th
inst, says:-A terrible tornado passed over a
portion of Sheffield township, in this county,
on Wednesday last, prostrating houses, barns,
trees, and sweeping off fences, hay, and wheat
stacks, like feathers before the wind. A large
amount Of property was destroyed, but fortu-
nately no lives were lost, nor was any one Sc
siously injured
The conclusion saxhded like the roar of ar
tillery in the djstan6Es aud the clouds, ia dark.
heavy masses, were piled over and under each
other, and, after d spiral movement which
brought the clouds still nearer to the earth,
the tornado descended. It's approach sounded
like the Gathering Of a railway train. In leGs
than two minutes it had passed to the east
ward, leaving ruin and devastation in its
course. The largest forest trees were twisted
to splinters, aud every movable thing bore ev-
idence of its fury. "A dwelling house occupied
by James Foresman, was caught up by the
whirwind. lifted from its foundation, and com
pletely demolished. The furniture, beds, car
pets and cooking utensils were literally scat
tered to the winds. All the out-houses, hay
and wheat stacks were caught up and swept
off. Happily, Mr.. Foresman and his family
were absent from home. Had they been in the
house, they must inevitably have been crushed
to death.
Next in the direct course of the furious
whirlwind was the house of Mr.. Ryecraft, a
wcll-known farmer. Nearly every member of
his family was sick in bed, but as if by a prov
identiai j~pterEx1saa the tornado swerved
from a d~ifect@4NE. and passed within twenty
feet Of the rear door yard. A smoke house
was demolished, all the fences Frustrated, and
every movable article carried off. 1t is a sin
gular fact, that the large dam in Wildcat
Greek, near the residence Of Mr.. Ryecraft, and
directly in the course of the tornado, was
6aled almost dry. Mr.. Bull vouches that a
large turtle was found the same evening nearly
a mile from the creek. The next house en-
countered vas that of VIM. Rizer, on the east
bank of Wild Cat. 1t was a substantial frame
structure. but the fury of the storm shivered
it to fragments in the twinkliDg of an eve
Warned by the rumbling noise which preceded
the whirlwind, the entire family by a common
impulse sought refuge in the cellar, and escaped
uninjured. His fine orchard was almost en-
tirely destroyed
Fruit trees, twelve to sixteen inches in d.
Ameter, were taken up by the roots and car
ried over two hundred yards. The strip of
country laid wastefs about two hundred yards
in width and thfee miles in length. The tor
nado had sg16f ftsforce before reaching the
comfy Tine dfCyfdyon, anddid no further dam
age. This was the first tornado experienced
in this section Of country within the memory
of the oldest inhabitant, and considering its
extent and duration, was perhaps more de-
s~tructive to property than any on record in
the West.
The approached the tornado was marked
by a singular appearance of the clouds. A
gentleman running on the Lafayette Railroad
told me that they appeared to be almost red.
Twenty-four trees were blown across the track
in a distance of a half mile or SO, and thou
sands were Frustrated on both sides as far as
the eye could reach In many cases the tops
of the trees, at Shout twee. feet from the
ground, were twisted off a Et'9-u through
the air for considerable distq'-IoqThe only
hqsMms -, % 2Jobne, was