The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-06-15
TERRIBLE TORNADO IN ILLINOIS
AND IOWA.
SEVERAL TOWNS ALMOST ENTIRELY
DESTROYED.
Fearful Loss Of Life.
SIXTY PERSONS KILLED, AND OVER ONE
HUNDRED WOUNDED.

HUNDRED WOUNDED.
One of the most terrible tornadoes ever
known in the West passed over portions of
Illinois and Iowa on Sunday night last. 1t
appears to have taken course almost due
east from the Mississippi to Rock river
Scarcely house or barn on the direct track,
which was about half mile in width and
eight miles in length, is left standing. From
all accounts, probably not less than sixty
lives are lost. The extent of the damage to
stock and property, which is very large,
has not yet been ascertained. The towns of
Albany, Illinois, and Camanche, Iowa, on
the Mississippi, SIX miles below Clinton,
were completely demolished, and in the lat
ter place thirty dead bodies were recovered
on the day after the storm, and il the for
mer six. We give below the telegraphic
and mail accounts received.
From the Chicago Times Correspondence.
CLINTON, Iowa, June 4, 1860.
Yesterday afternoon. terrific tornado
passed over the towns of Camanche, on the
Iowa, and Albany, on the Illinois side of
the Mississippi river, six miles below Gins
ton, completely demolishing the buildings in
both places. Some thirty dead bodies have
been found at Camanche, and it is feared
there are many more. In Albany six bodies
have been taken from the ruins, and none
others are missing, though the wounded in
both places are numerous The citizens of
Clinton and Lyons Immediately went to the
assistance of the sufferers, on special train
from this place and the steamer Queen City
from Lyons The tornado moved in north
easterly course, and appeared at distance
to be an immense haystack, bottom up,
moving with the rapidity Of lightning, and
destroying every hing in its course.
From the Lyons City Acknowledgment.
MONDAY MORNING, June 4, 1860.
Last evening about o'clock, man came
from Camanche, nre miles below this city,
on the Mississippi, with the thrilling and
heart-rending intelligence that that town
had been visited by tornado, and that
many of its citizens had been buried in the
ruins. The alarm spread from house to
house, and in very short time hundreds of
eur citizens were on their way to the scene
of the disaster, both by land and on the
steamer Queen City, which Captain Bristol
Immediately put in sailing condition.
We were among the first to arrive at the
scene of the disaster, and our pen fails en-.
tirely to depict the sight that met our view.
We found the town, as the messenger had
reported, literally blown to pieces, and de-
struction and death scattered everywhere
within the sweep of the devastation. The
first pile that met your eye was the ruins of
the Willard House, occupied by II. G.. Ses-
sions, formerly from Erie, Pennsylvania.
This was three story brick hotel, and it
could not have been more efectually de-
stroyed had barrel of gunpowder been ex-
ploded within its walls. The inmates were
all more or less hurt. Mrs. Davis and her
child, little boy four or five years old,
were taken out of the ruins dead. From
this we proceeded to look about the town,
and we found that hardly house was left
uninjured, and many of them were swept en-
tirely away. Every business building in the
place is destroyed, including the large brick
block recently erected. About sixty feet of
this, including the cupola, is demolished,
and the remainder is nearly all unroofed.
Front street presents scene of ruin seldom
witnessed /; every building on it is either un-
rooted or entirely destroyed. The dwelling
and store of Mr.. Waldorf, three story
brick, is entirely demolished, and the family
buried in the ruins. Mrs. w. and one child
were taken out dead and two children res.
cued alive, and, strange to say, unhurt.
Mr.. w. had not been found when we left,
at 2 o'clock, A. M.
Soon after arriving at Camanche, we
learned that the town of Albany, on the
opposite side of the river, and about one
mile above Camanche, had been visited by
the tornado, and was about as badly riddled
as Camanche. Upon the arrival of the
Queen City at Camanche, she Immediately
put back to Albany, to learn the truth of
the rumor, and found that scarcely build
ing in that town was left uninjured but
from what we could learn the loss of life
was not SO great as at the former place.
Those who returned reported twelve killed.
Two churches were blown down entirely.
The gale commenced about 7 o'clock in
the evening. Its course was from the south
west to the northeast, and we may hear of
further ravages in Illinois. 1t is rumored
at Camanche that the farmers had suffered
severely, southwest from there, by having
their buildings and fences destroyed, and
stock killed. 1t was also stated that large
raft was passing Camanche at the time, and
that every man, numbering apparently about
twenty. were swept off into the river.
The condition of the survivors of these
two towns is such as demands the warmest
sympathy and aid of every one in this com>
munity, as we'll as elsewhere. Many of them
are left without house above them, and
scarcely garment to wear. Their dead
are to be buried, and their wounded cared
for, and it is the duty of every one, so far as
is in his power, to minister to their relief,
for who can tell how soon we may neei like
service.
The loss of property in Camanche alone
cannot fall short of $250,OOO or $780, 900
in fact whatever the town was worth, less
the real estate, is gone.
MORRISON, June 4-l.2O P. M.
A tornado passed through the town o.
Lyndon and Mount Pleasant, about five
miles south of Morrison, passing in an east.
erly direction, accompanied with heavy
thunder storm, sweeping everything in it,
course. Killed-Mrs. Richmond, Mr.. ani