The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-06-21

/ however, Tor In an instant, and with q
force inconcoivable, the doomed town
was struck full in the center, and the
air choked with fragments Of timbers,
bricks, stones, furniture, and in many
places with human beings, who we're
hurled about like straws. The alright
ed horses and cattle flled the air with
their terrible and shrill screams; but
above all was heard the swapping and
cracking Of these fearful besoms of
destruction.
The scene well nigh beggars doscrip-
ton; and one, after gazing upon it, only
wonders how q single person was left to
tell the tale. There are but one or two
buildings in this town Of 1000 souls
which were untouched: oil the others
are a shapoless mass of ruin, in many
places for several acres, every remnant
Of house is gone and only few scat
tered slivers mark the spot where they
stood. A singular feature of the scene
is the fact that from one end Of the
town to tho other not a vestige of the
furniture can be found. Here and there
a few shreds of clothing or a mattress
torn into ribbons, tell that the town was
onCe inhabited.
At this place, 20 persons were killed,
30 wounded, many Of them seriously,
and 10 arc reported missing, three of
whom it is supposed were blown into
the river.
Many Of the incidents connected with
the tornado at Camanchc almost surpass
human belief and will hardly be credit
ed by those who have not seen the ruins.
We noticed an oak tree, on the river
bank, by measurement twenty-cight
inches i'm diameter at the base, which
was torn out of the ground and strip
ped of all its branches, leaving only the
bare trunk, from which the bark was
nearly all peeled off, A light pine
shingle was driven from the outside
through the clapboards, lath and plas.
ter and projects two inches from the
inside wall of a dwelling house Nc
other known force could have accom-.
Iplishcd this. A common trowel sucl
as is used by masons, was driven through
a pine knot in the side Of barn, pro.
S jecting full two inches.
The Millard House, a threc-story
, brick structure, fronting north, was lift
ed up from its foundation and turned
completely round, so that the front doc,
faced the south 1t then collapsed ant
D seemed to fall outwardly as if in Z
e vacuum, and, strange to relate, out of
b, seventeen persons in the house only two
, were killed One house upon the bank
, was lifted from its foundation anC
% whirIcd into the river, crushing as i
r fell, and drowning three persons, the
inmates.
- The effects upon some Of the houses
G near Camanche, which were in the quite,
G edge Of the tornado, were very curious
G Upon some roofs the shingles were strip
ped off in fanciful shapes, a bare spo
D upon one roof exactly resembling the
4 figure g. Some roofs were entirely un.
e shingled, and in some cases every clap
!, board was torn off. The sides of some
= houses were literally perforated will
2 boards, splintercd timbers and shary
+, stakes. In some parts of Camanohe
S where houses stood thickly clustered
together, there is not a vestige Of ont
o left. Another tract of about forty acres
y is covered with spintors of about two
10 feet in length. The lower stories of
!, some houses were blown out entirely
b leaving the upper story upon the ground
Other buildings slid from their founda
tions and we're carried along for severa
o feet. Chickens, hens and turkies were
q stripped of their feathers and left as
e bare as if ready for market, and on the
d prairies, prairie chickens and small
. birds were found in the same condition
It and in some cases, nothing but the
s bones left, the flesh being stripped from
G them.
a The ferry-boat which piled between
+. Camanche and Albany was completely
q wrecked Her engines looked as if SOM
S giant had seized them at top and bottom
and folded them into a hard knot, S,
e twisted aud tangled were they.
- We might cover this paper with Incl
p dents of this kind, almost miraculou
:. in their nature, and impossible to b.
s believed by one who has not witnessed
!. the fearful desolution which sits upor
G those deserted villages. The facts az
D., above related, were the results of ou
d own observation, and detailed to us b,
the most prominent gentlemen Of Ca
o manohe and that vicinity. They ma,
be relied upon as strictly true
s The effects Of the tornado in Illinoi
were almost as fearful as in Iowa, al
e though its course was chiefly through
f the country; missing most of the town
@ and villages. Farms were devastated,
j. number of persons we're killed and
j. still larger numb wounded.
10 A reporter of the Chicago Press (
o Tribune, writing on Wednesday, says:
We returned yesterday from the lat
f city of Camanche While there th
a sight that met the eye was perfect
b. horrible to look upon, and no pen i
,- adequate to the task Of conveying th
most faint idea of the disastrous effect
7, Of the tornado as it passed over tina
Is place,
Il Horses and cattle arc lying in ever
IS direction, killed from the effects Of tn
g storm, The buildings all look as thong
l. they had all been torn in small lrag
f. ments, scattered over the whole couu
.e try, and feathers from the bedclotho
.e line the ground, and then all had bee
d oyorswept with rushing waters,
1- Wowentinto one building whero wer