The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1864-08-24
Correspondence of the GArK CIrr.
PARTICUL IRIS OF THE TORNADO
AT CITY POINT.
CRY POINT, Aug. 10th, 1864.

PARTICuL sRS OF THE TORNADO
AT CITY POINT.
CRY POINT, Aug. 10th, 1864.
On Saturday morning, August 9th,
1864, about SIX o'clock A. NJ. this place
was visited by one of those fearful lorna
dos which are 30 common in the West
Indies and other portions Of the torrid
zone. The night before the storm bad
been very sultry. aud early in the morn
ing everything was calm and quiet. Some
dark clouds, accompanied With flashes of
lightning, gave premonitions of heavy
thunder-stor which commenced in the
country some minutes before the tornado
on the Point The flashes of lightning
were very vivid, aud the thunder came
with crashing and startling sound upon
the ear, and the forked lightning was seen
striking among the trees out in the coun-
try in various directions, and the rain
poured down in torrents. While this
scene was in progress several miles from
the Point, the tornado was discovered
rapidly approaching from the Virgins
shore, crossing the Potomac and nearing
the Point.
According to some accounts, one Of the
gun boats saw it and fred at it, hoping to
dispense it, but without success. /. came
on and reached the land near the new
wharf, where it commenced its work oil
destruction, first upon alargs pile of lum
Der, which was lifted up from its situa-
ton, scattered in various directions, and
large part of it carried up high in the
vortex of the wbirlwind and borne some
distance and strewed upon the waters O.
the bay Thesseamer Favorite, near The
wharf, was lifted up out of the water and
forced partly on the wharf. 1t was
hauled back into the stream by two Other
vessels, aud sustained no serious injury
This fearful whirlwind also unroofed two
of the Commissary buildings-in fact to.
tally demolishing them aud scattering
their contents far and vide; then il
passed on to the old wharf, carrying of
the guard house. At the same time i,
seized Corporal Kline, Of company G,
10th veteran reserve corps, bearing hiu
from the wharf and through the crack err
boxes of the ruined Commissary buildings
and bearing him near the road by the hos
pital enclosure, severely bruised him
With compound fracture of the leg
Another of the guards was wounded Sc.
verely with spike. Private Mead, Of
company II, Goth veteran reserve corps
was blown away and lodged in a crevics
between two buildings, and confined
there until the fury of the tempest bad
pAsed by. He escaped almost unhurt
Uartridge-box containing forty rounds
each, we're carried about like bits of pa
per; guns were hurled around like spears
one or two of which have not yet been
found. The dead house was taken up in
one solid mass, and the boards and timbers
split and rived into fragments in the air
One body was lying there awaiting prep
arations for the burial it was carried
away, and no traces of it can be found.
About half of another commissars
building near the old wharf was DESTROYED
and the contents hurled in various direc.
tions. A large number of bales of press.
ed bay we're raised from the ground and
part were carried high into the air and
landed on the other side of the point
In Its progress it next caught the Sutler's
store of Mr.. Donnelly lsveling il to the
ground, breaking bottles, smashing tin
cans and miogiing the stock of goods in
one mass of Confusion. Mr., Dopellv
succeeded In saving his money and mos,
OF his valuable papers, but was c.uoh,
by the roof As he wastryiug to eseape 81 d
was seriously bruised and cut abou, tbe
head. Mr.. Cunning. upholster for tho
General Hospital, with his son was passing
by the Suffers building At the tine. the
falling timbers struck his son on the head
falling hin to the groand and confininp
him for short time beneath the mass Of
ruins. He rcceived . very severe con,u.
sion on the head with cash CD one eide
above the forehead. TIE brain is very
seriously if not fatally injured. He had
not at the time Of sending this to press
renewed his consciousness or scarcely
s,oken word. He. lies most O! ,he.ime
In clnatrcs, pc ,ition. The father was
% SEVERELY bruised on the arme, legs and
various o.her parts Of the body, lie at.
tempted to regain bis feet but was carried
away BY the resistiesss tornado, solIino
over and over. finally stepping near Wand
6iKth. General Hospital. He is quite =.
verely bruised, but lie sble to walk abor,
little and will soon be we'll,
The tornado came rushing along Ike
the rambling of numerous vsRobs I'd
The aAivseed 6nbsu were soasine and
s~s ssa-sIzss