The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1860-06-14
Ghe Terrible Tornado.

ne teEegrACn tO.u us tue OLuSs
the awful tornado that passed over pat of
towns, and killing about l5O pc ople. but its
meager details could give but poor idea
OF the horritle wreck and ruin that was
made. A correspondent Of the Chicago
Press and Tribune recently visited the town
of Cananche, in Illinois. where the hurri
cane crossed the Mississippi, and gives the
following aceoun, of the appearance Of the
place after the storm, and of the damage
done. 1t presents the most affecting pic
ture Of this awful calamity we have yet
seen:
Horses and cattle were lying in every d.
rec;ion killed from the effects of the storm.
The buildings look though they had all
b. en- torn lii small fragments. scattered over
the whole country. and feathers from the
bed clothes line the ground, and then all
had been over swept with rushing waters.
We went into one building where were
fifteen bodies. some mangled in the most
frigh,ful manner. and only wrapped up in a
sheet, and put into rough box, ready for
burial.
Dr. Howell, Of Fulton, informed Us that
from Sunday evening to Monday noon he
had visited uuety-one wounded, and set
twenty-three broken limbs.
We saw twenty eight dead bodies. and
there were eighty two that required strict
medical attendance, and many more that
are more or less hurt, yet are able 10 be
around. In addition TO this number TWEEN
ty eight were swept from raft that was
passing at the time, and ten are yet missing
from the town. that are supposed 10 be bu-
ried in the ruins. or were blown into the
river and drowned.
With the exception of half a dozen houses
the north side of the town. every single
baiiding is either torn down, unrooted, or
otherwise damaged.
A worse sight no human eye ever beheld.
and the heart grows sick in seeing such =
destruction OF lie AMI property. The town
is entirely ruined. and do II It see how it
can ever be rebuilt. There whole blocks
of lots that are vacant. entirely. with moth
iny but The cellar to indicate that a house
ever stood there.
We part of wagon consisting Of
the forward axje,ree and one hub, and no
more of il could be found.
Out of the contents Of three dry goods
stores not one cents worth of the goods
have ever been found.
The tornado struck the town little past
z o'clock and in less than ten minutes the
whole was in ruins After it had passed,
the town was all afoat with water. All
that could began to run from place to place
screaming at the top of their voices, calling
Tor friends or children. In every pile of
rubbish. and from every demolished house.
the groaus of the dying aud wounded were
heard. and as the sonnd came from every
part OF the town, no one knew where to go
first. The darkness occasioned by the black
clouds the air h.inn fii-a ~iih ,"hhi~h of
every conceivable char recter. and the near
approach Of night, rendered the scene sill
more appalling. and such a wall of lament
alton, sorrow ana woe never went up from
any place, in the history Of tornadoes. as
did from this raned and destroyed city
Nothing could be found 10 bind up the
wounds OF the suffering, medicines were
to be got. auI the walls Of the mother over
her dead chidrea, the anguish Of wife
over the liteless remains OF a husband. the
father over his slaughtered children, hunt
ing in vain for Iii, wife-ali these are scenes
that cannot possibly be described.
In one family all that was left were three
little girls. the father and mother and two
children having been instantly killed. We
saw w ere a fence board had been forced
clear through the side of house, end wise,
and hundreds of shingles had forced them
selves clear through the cl.pboards of a
house.
We visited The graveyard and saw twenty
eight graves side aud side all dug, wAiting 2
TO receive the rough boxes containing the
remains of the slaughtered people.
The whole atmosphere around the town
is sickening. and stencil is pervading the
whole path Of The storm that is almost i'm
possible 10 endure.
The loss of property is immense, and car
never be known To its full extent.
prrr.S The FL