Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-06-09

ANNHNA ~ sllla ~ ill
More Of the Great Tornndo---bEsatSrssslhS
scenes az Camanohs---rWeury Or MOre'
Killed in Linn COuuty---Graphio Details
Mr.. A. A. Terrell, after visiting Camanche,
writes from Sterling, Ill.,. June 9th, to the
Chicago Press as follows. 1t will be seen
that the track Of the tornado is marked by
complete devastation. .... g..
We returned yesterday from the late city
Of Camanche. While there the sight that
met the eye was perfectly horrible to look
upon. and no pen is adequate 70 the task Of
conveying the most faint idea Of the disas-
trous effects Of the tornado, as It passed over
that place.
Horses and cattle are lying in every direc-
ton, killed from the effects OF the Storm
The buildings look as though they had all
been torn in 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 iif-
teen bodies, some mangled in the most fright
ful manner, and only wrapped up in a sheet,
and put into rough box, ready for burial.
~ AAuMNAlf VI LAANullf AHANAAAN4 10 AAAhA
from Sunday evening to Monday noon he had
visited Rinety-oHe wounded, and set toeaty-
three broken limbs
We saw tlceay-eigAt dead bodies and there
were eighty-two that require strict medical
attendance, and as many more that are more
or less hurt yet are able 10 be around. In
addition TO this number twenty-eight were
swept from a raft in the river that was pass
ing at the time, and ten are yet missing from
the town, that are supposed TO be buried in
the ruins, or are blown into the river and
drowned.
With the exception of half dozen houses
on the north side Of the town, eUery single
building is either torn down, unrooled, or 9TH
erwise damaged.
A worse sight no human eye ever beheld,
and the heart grows sick in seeing such de-
structiOn Of life aud property. The town is
entirely ruined, and we do not see how it can
ever be rebuilt There are whole blocks Of
lots that are vacant, entirely, with nothing
1 but the cellar to indicate that a house ever
stood there.
We saw part of a wagon, consisting Of
I the forward axletree and one hub, and no
more Of it 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
seven o'clock, and in less than ten minutes
/ the whole was in ruins After it had passed.
| the town was all afioat with water; all that
could began to run from place to place
! screaming at the top of their voices, calling
for friends and iOr children. In every pile OF
rubbish, and from every demolished house,
! the groans Of the dying and wounded were
/ heard, and as the sound came from every
/ part of the town, no one knew where to so
1 first. The darkness Occasioned by the black
clouds, the air being filled with rubbish Of ey-
| cry conceivable character, and the near ap-
proach of night, rendered the scene still more
| appalling, and such wall Of lamentatiOn,
sorrow and woe never went up from any
place in the history of tornadoes, as did from
this ruined and destroyed city. Nothing
could be found to bind up the wounds of the
suffering, no medicines were to be got, and
the walls of the mother over her dead child
ren, the anguish Of wife over the liieless
remains Of a husband the father over his
slaughtered children, hunting in vain for his
wife-all 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 where a fence board had been forced
clear through the side of house, end ways
and hundreds Of shingles had forced them
selves clear through the clapboards of house
We visited the grave yard, and saw t'0eRtg
eight graves side and side, all dug, waiting Il
! -o,,;v-o Tba roY,rrh bovau containing fhn 70
mains Of the slaughtered people.
The whole atmosphere around the town i
sickening, and a stencil is pervading tn
whole path of the storm that is almost i'm
possible to endure.
The loss of property is immense, and can
never. be known to its full extent.
We have Just learned that three of tn
men on the raft have made their appearance
They state that they were blown from tn
raft clear on to the Illinois shore beyond Al
bany, and for long time were unable t
move or stir, but after recovering from tn
shock succeeded in crawling to a house wher
they were kindly cared for. They knoN
nothing Of the rest of their comrades, nc
having seen them since they were on the RAJ
together.
; In this vicinity, near Sterling, the wounde
are dying almost every day, and every farI
house is a hospital for the dying and wOunt
ed
The Mt Vernon News, published in Lin
county, Iowa, states that the tornado passe
2 one mile South Of Mt Vernon,at 6 o'clock
: the afternoon, from West to East and thu
describes its appearance and destructive pow
: er: tasI SSH. .t
d When first seen, probably six or seven mil,
q away it had the appearance Of large blac
I, shaft or column, shaped like an upright hou
= glass extending from tremendous threateI
!. ING cloud which for some time had been ham
ing over the West to the ground. Hundre'
= of people watched it as it swept on its cour
seemingly bearing directly toward Mt. We
: non. 1t was attended with heavy roar {
of q hundred trains of cars. Branches
trees could be seen in the air,while its chan
: ing form, and the flakes of clouds blow
/ from its sides, showed its whirling motion.
When within two miles Of us while pc
pie were seeking safety in cellars, or, as
some cases, running wildly about the street
it veered on its course and swept by in fl
sight-sublime but fearful.
hardy uau u pasScu eIo d HtlI-u N 20
. man, bleeding from wounds upon his hes
a and reeling upon his horse, rode furious
into town, calling for help. Talking incOh
D rently, he reported persons killed and othe
" injured at a little village or hamlet mil
in west known as st. Mary's. In a few mi
~ utes hundreds were on their way there,
g Guiding Drs Carhart, Belden Gordon a
le Carson. The wild scene of desOlatiOn tn
ID found beggars description. We had imagi
ed the horrors of battlefield, but never b
pictured anything SO awful as the sight
those poor Victims disabled, dying a
II dead These having been quickly carr
Is to the house Of Mr.. Harvey Gillet near
Of hand, were soon in the care Of the ply
H. clans and other Samaritan men and womer