St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-06-14
A Terrible Tornado.

A Terrible Tornado swept over Linn
Cedar and Clinton Counties, in Iowa
and Whitcside County, in Illinois, OF
Sunday, the Sd inst, which was dcs
tructivc beyond description. Between
one and two hundred lives were lost
and property to the value of one mil
lion dollars or more was destroyed
The progress of the hurricane wa
from west 20 cast. There appear t
have been different branches of it
one originating in Hardin county
where much damage was done, an
another originating little west c
the Cedar River in Linn county. Tn
Mt Vernon (Linn County, News, il
describing the tornado, says:
When first seen, probably six OF
seven miles away, it had the appear
ance Of large black shaft or column,
shaped like an upright hour glass, ex-
tending from tremendous threaten
IlliI2 IlOu'l, NiliIli lOl SOlllc tlIilC
been hanging over the west to the
ground. Hundreds watched it as it
swept on its course, seemingly bear
ing directly toward Mt Vernon. 1t
was attended with heavy roar, as
of hundred train of cars. Branches
of trees could be seen in the air, while
its changing form and the flakes of
clouds thrown from its sides, showed
its whirlinG motion. When within
two miles of us, while people were
seeking safety in cellars, or, as in
some cases, running wildly about the
streets, it vcered in its course, and
swept by in full sight--sublime but
fearful"
When the tornado had passed Mt
Vernon, half-dressed man, bleeding
from wounds upon his head, and reel
ing upon his horse, rode furiously into
town calling for help. Talking inco
hcrcntly, he reported persons killed
and others injured, at little village
or hamlet l miles west of Mt. Yer
non. known as St. Mary's. In few
minutes hundreds were on their way
there, including several physicians
The wild scene Of dcsolation they
found beggared description. The ed
itor of the News says : 1--WE had i'm
agined the horrors of battle field
but never had pictured anything So
awful as the sight of those poor vic
tins, disabled, dying and dead. These
having been quickly carried to a
house and store near at hand, were
soon in the care of the physicians and
other Samaritan men and women"
When near Cedar Rapids, it appears
that the tornado divided and passed
on either side of that town--thcnce
in parallel course it passed on via
Mt. Vernon, Mechanicsville, Lisbon,
Onion Grove, Dewitt, Camanche, and
crossed the Mississippi river into
Whitcside county, Ill.,, where it spent
its force.
We have only room to detail some
of the more remarkable incidents. A
man near Bcrtram Station, on the Chi
cago, Iowa and Ne braska Railroad in
Iowa, was caught up into the air and
carried high above the timber till he
was out Of sight
At Mcchanicsville nine persons
were killed and nineteen injured. At
Dewitt twenty-six were killed and a
large number wounded. The town
Of Camanche, containing some 1000
persons was literally annihilated.
Fifty persons were killed and more
than one hundred wounded. 4 writer
in the Chicago Journal, describing the
scene, says:
"The day had been very hot and
sultry, but about seven o'clock the
sky was clear and gave evidence of
beautiful sunset. At seven o'clock,
the tornadoes were seen coming with
the rapidity of lightning The sky
assumed a yellowish, brassy aspect,
and the air seemed dead. The lorna
does themselves resembled huge bal
looms at first, about the size of bar
rel, bat gradually increasing and
swelling. At one time they rose and
fell to the earth, their black folds I'M
dulating and whiring with swapping,
cracking reports like volley Of mus
kerry, distinctly audible at great
distance. The interior of the airy
tunnels was filled with heterogene.
Gus mass of leaves, branches of trees,
timbers and stones, which seemed to
impart yellowish tinge inside the
black outer folds. There was but lit
tie time for gazing, however, for in
an instant, and with force incon-
ccivablc, the doomed town was struck
full in the centre, and the air choked
with fragments of timbcrs, bricks,
stones, furniture, and in many places
with human beings, who were hurled
about like straws. The atfrighted
horses and cattle filled the air with