Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-04-20
The Tornado at Urbana--Great De-
~strrction of Property.


On Monday evening, at about 9 o'clock, our
town was visited by a storm of wind and rain,
which, for force and fury, we have never seen
surpassed. The heaviest part Of the wind
seemed to entirely disregard straight lines,
and pursued It's own course, east. southwest,
southeast, and east again, tearing and break
ing whatever it could reach, even as though
they were but straws.
From the appearance of the buildings, and
their ruins, We are of the opinion that but one
heavy whirlwind passed over the town, accom-
panied by fearful blasts OF wind. This whirl-
wind, rising and falling, found no resistance in
anything it touched. and all that saved build
ings now entire, was the rising of the gust
The first building reached in its course was the
Collegiate Institute, on the hill north of town,
of which the west end was unroofed and 9TH
erwise considerably damaged. From there,
changing its course, it next demolished the
wood and engine house of the G.. P. & La. r.
r. Co. The wood house was completely de-
stroyed, and is the most complete wreck in the
town. 1t next blew down the iron chimney
belonging to Messrs. Bowers, lyon & Hits
mills, tearing off the roof and damaging the
walls of the boiler house, at the south side of
the mill.
Here it again changed its course, and Dip
ping here and there, oyerthrowing fences,
chinneys and s~hrubbery, and tearing away a
portion of a p%ortico, it carried away the roof
of the three story building occupied by Messrs-
7. II. Berry and Fl. Marsh. The roof was
covered with tin, which was torn off the whole
roof and together with timbers, brick and
heavy corLice stone was thrown with great
force against the buildings of o.. 1. Cundltf,
Immediately across the street. A portion of
the roof struck the third story of Cunditf's
block, thus showing the great force which
dealt with it. A large stone, the foundation
of an iron fence in front of Mr.. C.s yard, was
broken by the force of the conclusion. From
this place it pursued a southerly direction, Ia
king away the east end Of q small building
owned by Fl. Adair. The entire south roof of
the Market House was next blown of. Three
or four heavy pieces of timber were p%recipita-
ted dow upon the roof of the house oeeupi-
ed by Mr.. j. Carothers, and with such force
as to crush through the roof and the ceilings,
lodging in the first floor. The family CHANGED
luckily to be in another portion of the house,
lId NSNSIJCQ- III v NI1AIbN NlHN ONfhy "
Runkle & Beach's tannery were next dethron-
ed without any damage except to those things
themselves. a brick house owned by Rev.
d. Warnworth was completely demolished, and
also a small frame building adjoining.
The course which we have Eere marked out,
| seems to us to be the true course of the most
powerful current, and although it was accom-
! panied by other and similar currents, and a
strong undercurrent, no other was equal to it.
Whitehead, Moore & Co.'S Foundry was in
iured to some extent, but if the main current
had touched tie buildings, it is evident that the
damage would have been very considerable, as
the buildings are light. Many other build
ings were damaged to a greater or less extent,
by chimneys being blown down. The CHM
neys of Mr.. Marsh's building falling on the
roof of Busser i Smiths Tobacco Store made
a hole therein, s or 10 feet square.
The damage done to the farmers is beyond
estimate. Hundreds Of miles of fencing have
been leveled to the ground, and several houses
ard barns i'll the country were unrooied. AT
Texas and Mcchanicsburg the storm was Sc
we're, and damaged property to a great extent.
The damage in Urbana will not fall short
Of $1,000. We learn that the Nettle Greek
Baptist Church, in Concord township, was
unrooled, and the gable end blown in, and that
the destruction of timer. west of the Mad
river, was very great. A dwelling house, in
course of erection, by a son OF Mr.. Abraham
Powell, southeast from Urbana, was so badly
{ damaged that it will probably have to be ta-
ken down.