Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-06-08

our western exchanges contain lull anu III
teresting details of the distressing calamity
which visited several of the towns on the Mis-.
ssissippi river, last Sunday night. The editor
of the Lyons City, Qowa) Advocate, a few
miles above Camanche, visited the scene of
the tornado, and gives the following account
of its dreadful results -
eve found the town literally blown to
pieces, and destruction and death scattered ev-
erywhere within the sweep of the devastation.
The first pile that met our eye was the RUNS
of the Willard House, a three story brick hotel,
and it could not have been more eftectually
destroyed had Il barrel of gunpowder been
employed within its walls. The inmates were
all more or less hurt Mrs. Davis and her
child, little boy Jour or five years old, were
taken out of the ruins dead. Mr.. Sessions and
his son. Anson are both very badly hurt in
wardly. A younger son has his lett arm brok-
en-, and several severe cuts about the face ana
neck. One man was taken out with both legs
broken, and otherwise hurt. Hardly house
was left uninjured, and many of them were
swept entirely away. Every business building
in the place is destroyed. Front street pre-
sents scene of ruin seldom witnessed; every
building on it is either unrooted or entirely de
stroyed. The dwelling and store OF MIR. Wal
and the family buried in the ruins. rs. Wal.
dorf and one child were taken out dead, and
two children rescued alive, and strange to say,
unhurt. The town of Albany, on the oppo-
site side of the river, and about one mile above
Camanche, was about as badly riddled as Ca.
manche. The loss of life was not so great as
at the former place. Twelve persons were re-
ported killed Two churches were blown down
entirely. Amid the great confusion that pre-
vailed it was almost impossible to obtain any
correct information. We could not learn the
names of those who were killed. but shall gath
er the full particulars for our regular issue this
week. The house of o. Mcmahon, banker, of
this city, was entirely demolished, but the
family escaped without injury. The loss OF
property in Camanche alone cannot fall short
of $3.50, 900, or 300000-in fact, whatever the
town was worth, less the real estate, is gone,
and it will be seen at once that aid must come
from some source to prevent those that are
left alive from suffering.
The track Of the tornado extended from the
heart OF Linn county, Iowa, northeastery
across Clinton county into Illinois, and thence
through Whiteside county toward the center
of the state. The entire distance thus trav-
ersed is upwards of one hundred miles, through
a populous and fertile farming region, dotted
with thriving towns, some of which fell in the
path of the destroyer. The hurricane came
upon Camanche with scarcely an instant's
warning, sweeping away everything in its
fearful march. The Chicago Press and Tri-
bune says
Human tongue or pen utterly fails to de-
scribe the scene of terror, of mortal peril and
agony that ensued. The air, darkened by the
black pail that trailed as a minister of death
from the heavens was filled with rushing tor
rents of rain, fragments of crushed and shat
tered buildings, and cries, and shrieks, and
prayers for help. ALI was over in less than
three minutes and where, ere that brief inter.
val, had stood thriving village, all was now
terror, desoation, ruin. Not single business
building in the town remained standing. The
large three-story brick structure, the Willard
House, was totally destroyed, and rendered
shapeless mass of rubbish. In this building
quite number of persons were killed, though
how many had not been definitely ascertaned.
Three stores beneath the hotel were destroyed,
with their contents. The three churches of
the town were destroyed. A noble brick
structure, nearly completed for business pur
poses, three stories high, and one hundred feet
front by eighty feet deep, was also totally de-
stroyed. One corrcs pondent who visited the
scene on Sunday night, writes that scarcely
a house is left in an inhabitabe condition in
Camanche, and more than half the population
are without place of any kind to lay their
heads. They are entirely destitute without
food shelter, or clothing, except what they
wore when they rushed from the falling build
ings to save their lives"
In the town of Albany, opposite Camanche,
all was the widest disorder, and shrieks ard
cries resounded in all directions Many were
,oJ nd nd Of no
number were women and children. Parties Of
men were exploring the ruins with lanterns.
Women were rushing trantically to and fro in
frenzied quest of their husbands. Children
were wailing in fright and terror Everything
was alarm, anguish and confusion Everything
was done in both Albany and Camanche dur.
ing Sunday night to administer such relief as
was at hand, and early Monday morning spe-
cial trains commenced running every two
hours on the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska
railroad, bearing medical attendants, nurses
and means of relief, and returning with loads
of sufferers to Clinton and Fulton, where more
could be done for their comfort, 1t is imposs.
BILE to estimate the loss of property by this ca
lamity To the farmers it will be immense.
Cattle and stock were killed in large numbers,
both at the homesteads and at pasture
Fences, houses, orchards and standing timber,
all were destroyed along the broad line of the
tornado's march. The very surface of the
ground was rent and torn, as by ploughshares
along the course of the destroyer. One eye
witness stated that the turf is in spots torn up.
One man back of Camanche on the prairie
was blown from his bed distance of t,centy
rods!
NATIONAL MEDICAL CoNvENTIoN.-The
thirteenth annual meeting OF the American
Medical Association convened at New Haven