Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1860-06-08

W
Whirtwind-Appollin Destruction-Loss
of Life at DE Wit, Clinton Canaan
che laid in Ruins-Fs0rfut Loss Of Life
and Property--Frdgnaents Of Buttosngs
carried eight mites-1,cfW Scenes! 81.
Eror, onr ovcbonocs of last evening we
s.....
giean inc ioiiowhig par'icu'als eoiieeinins
the tornado OF the 4th inst. Never were we
orrf,,, stor,,, o,a ,-o s;ncoro,v tr,,st thot
"",' .'o.' INV w sl 's .
suon p"ihiui uuV WIN "o'ei "o o'io "e"'i'
been killed outright, at our last accounts, be-
sides many missing and the hundreds that
-. ,nJoa ,aa,. oe ill.,, or.,u,, 81
10y "
millions OF dollars worth OF property destroy
ed. How far west the rayages of this fearful
Storm were felt we do NOT know hpt we have
:. -.
acoo'i''s " us l''VaSeS as iar "es' as llaiuih
Co. which will be found in this issue:
From the best information we have been
able to collect thus far. the track of the tor
nado extends from the heart of Linn county,
Iowa. near Cedar RAPIDS. the present termin-
us of the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad,
in generally northeast direction across Gin
ton county crossing the Mississippi at Canaan
che and Albany,-towns fronting each other
respectively on the Iowa and Illinois shores.
and thence maintaining its course towards
the centor of the State. across Whiteside into
Lee county, lis latest rayages heard from up
to present writing being Lee Center.
The entire distance thus traverscd is up-
wards of one hundred miles. and that through
a populous and fertile farming region. dotted
with thriving towns, some of which, as we
have below to record, fell in the path of the
DESTROYER.
The tornado came upon Camanche about 7
pm. An eve witness describes it in appear.
ance as resembling an inverted bay-cock, its
broad point sweeping the earth in it's fearful
march. As it came, peculiar moaning
sound struck the car. heard at some dis
lance on either side of the track.
Almost without warning it struck the de-
voted village, and in a track about a quarter
of mile wide the tornado passed across the
very heart of the town. Human pen or tongue
utterly fails to describe the scene of terror, Of
mortal peril and agony that ensued.
The air darkcned by the black pail that
trailed as minister of death from the heav-
ems, was filled with rushing torrents of rain,
fragments of crushed and shattered buildings,
and cries, and shrieks, and prayers for help.
All was over in less than three minutes, and
where, ere that brief interval, had stood a
thriving village all was now terror, desola-
ton and ruin. Not a single business build
ing in the town remained standing. The
large three story brick structure, the Willard
House, built and kept by H. G. Sessions,
formerly of Erie, Pa, was totally destroyed,
and rendered a shapeless mass of rubbish
In 'h,s building quite a number OF persons
Sof,itai,, on a;nad Th"ao s,"ros banooth
the hotel were DESTROYED with their contents.
The three churches of the town were destroy
ed
The entire LENGTH of Front street was n
scene of ruin. The dwelling of Mr., Waldorf
was demolished and Mrs. w. was killed
Several dwellings, standing on the brink Of
the river were blown INTO It and their inmates
drowned
A raft containing o. mon and two woman
was broken mn in the river and d men and
the two women wore drowned
Manifastlv amid sncb terrific violence and
ru;n tho lose of life must have heen ser;ons
and it was so. One account places the num-
Der killed at over fifty. Tn 10 "a. NJ. Mon
day morning thirtv.eipht dead bodies had
been recovered from the ruins and were be-
ing identified amid scene of grief and an
cuish that surpasses description.
AT Camanche there are about 1875 wound
ed, some mortally, and 10 missing.
At 10 o'clock A. NJ. the storm struck the
town Of Albany. TIL two miles north Of Cam
anche, With fuIl force destroying every build-
inc in town although hut five lives were lost
thirty five were seriously wounded
r.. - a. IT. vo lro.,
ii0n' an eNi" Vi NV MT '''''''' \i'""'
Ne'cs, issued June 4th:
When first seen, probably six Or seven
miles away, it had the appearance of large
black shaft or column, shaped like an upright
hour glass, extending from a tremendous
threatening cloud, which for some time had
been hanging over the west to the ground
Hundreds watched it as it swept on its course,
seemingly bearing directly toward Mt. Yer
non. 1t was attended with heavy roar, as
! of hundred trains of cars. Branches OF
trees could be seen in the air, while its chang
ing form and the fakes OF clouds thrown
from its sides, showed its whirlng motion.
When within two miles Of us, while peo-
pie were seeking safety in cellars, or, as in