The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1860-06-07

THE TORNADO IN IOWA AND ILLINOIS
THE TOWNS OF CAMANCHE, IOWA, AND
ALABAMA, ILL, ENTIRELY DESTROYED
GREAT LOSS OF LIFE.
The following, from an extra of the LYONS CITY
Advocate June 4, gives us the first newspaper ac-
count of the terrible tornado that passed over the
northwestern part of Illinois, and the eastern Sec
ton of Iowa on Sunday night last.
1t becomes our painful duty to record the most
distressing calamity that it has fallen to us to
witnessthe effects of the tornado, and the conse-
quent loss of life and property. Last evening,
about nine o'clock, man came from Camanche,
nine miles below this city, the Mssissippi with
the thrilling and heart-rending intelligence that
the town had been visited by tornado, and that
many of its citizens were buried in its ruins. The
alarm spread from house to house. and in a very
short time hundreds of our citizens were on their
way to the 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 pen fails entirely to depict
the sight that met view. We found the town,
as the messenger had reported, literally blown to
pieces, and destruction and death scattered every
where within the sweep of the devastation. The
first pile that met our eye was the ruins of the
Willard House, occupied by II. G. Sessions, for
merly from Erie, Pa. This was a threestory
brick hotel, and it could not have been more eff
fectually, destroyed, had barrel of gunpowder
been exploded within its walls. The inmates were
all more or less hurt. Mrs. Davis and her child,
little boy four or five years old, taken out IF
the ruins, dead. Mr. Sessions and his son, Arson,
are both very badly hurt inwardly. A younger
son has his left arm broken, and several severe
cuts about the head and neck. A daughter of Mr..
s. was the only one that escaped without serious
injuries. One man was taken out with both legs
broken and otherwise hurt. From this we pro-
ceeded to look about the town, and we found that
hardly house left uninjured and many of
them swept entirely away. Every business build
ing in the place is destroyed, including the large
hp,nl
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 unrOofed entirely de-
troyed The dwelling and store of Mr.. w adort,
three-story brick, is entirely demolished, and the
family buried in the ruins. Mrs. w. and one child
taken out dead and two children rescued alive,
and, strange say, unhurt. Mr.. w. had not
been found when We left, at two o'clock, A. NJ.
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 bad
ly 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 building in that town
was left unn ured but from what we could learn
the loss of life was not so great at the former
place. Those who returned reported twelve killed.
Two churches were blown down entirely. We did
not visit Albany, and consequently can speak only
from report with reference to it. Amid the great
confusion that prevailed, it almost impossible
to obtain any correct information. We could not
learn the names of those who were killed, but
shall gather the full particulars for our regular
issue this week. The house of o. Mcmahon,
banker, of this city, was entirely demolished but
the family escaped without injury. The gale com
menced about 7 o'clock, P. NJ. Its course was from
the southwest to the northeast and we may hear of
further ravages in Illinois. 1t is rumored at Ca
manche that the farmers had suffered severely,
southwest from there, by having their buildings
and fences destroyed, and stock killed. 1t was ass
stated that large raft was passing Camanche at
the time, and that every man, numbering appa-
rently about twenty, swept off into the river.
We shall give further particulars as we get them.