The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1860-06-14

which WAS considerable, as he was an unusu-
ally powerful man. The whirlwind, however,
as quick as thought unwrenched his grasp,
as one would snap a pipe stem, hurled him
into the air, and dashod him TO the ground,
and twice and thrice repeated it, of course
leaving him 4 corpse. Another man, as es-
tabiished by aftidayits of respectable citizens
of Bertram, the first station east of Cedar
Rapids, was caught up from the town plat,
hurled in the air, and carried high above the
timber, until he was out of sight. Cattle.
horses and sheep were also drawn up in the
airy MaelsTom, whirled terrifcally about and
dashed to the earth again with a force which
reduced them to r mere pulpy mass. The
Prairies between Cedar Rapids and De Witt
were literally Strewn with the carcases of cat
tie, and the loss in stock alone must be i'm
nense. There is scarcely Il farmer between
the two stations, a distance of forty miles, but
has suffered the loss of either part, or the
whole of mis- stock.
A" At Lisbon, the large brick and frame
grain warehouses belonging TO merchants of
that town, and the freight depot of the c. /.
and n Railroad were utterly demolished and
their contents scattered. Ten freight ears
were hurled from the track and broken up
One of them heavily loaded with lumber was
lifted into the air and turned over twice. fin-
ally descending with such force as to com
pletely shiver the car aud its contents into
fragments.
THE most terrible effects of the tornado
were felt at Cananche, Iowa. There, at
O'Clock, the tornadoes were seen coming with
the rapidity of lightning. The sky assumed
yellowiSh, brassy aspect and the air seemed
dead. The tornadoes themselves res"mbled
huge balloons ut first, about the size of bar
rel. but gradually increasing and swelling
At one time they rose and again fell to the
earth, their black folds undulating aud whirl-
ing with swapping, cracking reports like n
yolley of musketry, distinctly audible at
great distance. The interior of the airy tun-
nels was filled with IL heterogeneous mass of
leaves, branches of trees, timherS, and stones
which seemed to impart a yel0wiSh tingc in-
side the black outer folds There was but
little time for gazing. however, for in an in-
Stant, and with a force iuconceivable. the
doomed town was struck full in the center
and the air choked with fragments oftimberS.
bricks. stones, furniture, and in MANY places
with human beings, who were hurled about
like straws' The affrighted horses and cattle
filled tie air with their terrible ard shrill
screams but above all was heard the snap
ping and cracking Of these fearful besoms of
destruction.
The scene beggars description. and one
after gazing upon, only wonders how a single
person was left to tell the tale There are
bst one or. two buildings in this town of 2 1000
souls which were untouched all the others
are ShapeleSs mass Of run n. In many places
for several acres every remnant of a house is
gone, and only few scattered Sliyers mark
the spot where they stood. a singular fea-
ture of the scene is the fact that from one end
of the town to the other not a yestise of the
furniture can be found Here and there
few shreds of clothing or Il mattress torn into
ribbons, tell that the town was once inhab-
ited.N