Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1865-07-06
Terrible Tornado in Vernon County.
Appeal III behalf Of the Sufferers.
From the La Crosse Republican.

The terrible calamity that has fall
en- upon the people Of Vernon County
Wisconsin, will appal the stoutes1
heart. In an instant fifty families
were thrown from happiness and com.
fort into grief and adversely. About
4 o'clock in the afternoon of Thurs.
day, June 20, two angry looking
clouds approached each other from
the North and South, and met at a
short distance West of the village OF
Viroqua, Vernon County, Wisconsin.
The people watched the threatening
events with deep solicitude. When
those two forces came in contact,
they whirled off at a tangent and NOV
ed in an easterly direction, and pass
ed through the very heart of this
beautiful village, carrying death, de-
struction and danger in their pro-
gress. In a moment about fifty
buildings were demolished and scat
ss - :ls atessse;i peizsiss 6
Killed, and about one hundred men,
women and children injured. The
hurricane continued eastward in its
course, and it islyet unknown where
its havoc ceased.
For several miles east of Viroqua
it destroyed everything in it's course.
The total destruction of property is
estimated at two hundred thousand
dollars. The citizens of Viroqua and
surrounding country have done, and
are doing, what they can to relieve
the distressed; but it is an emergen-
cy that appeals ro the prompt beney-
olence of this and other places. Hon.
d. B. Priest, District Attorney, and
James Lowry, Esq, County Treasur-
er Of Vernon County, are in La
Crosse to day, as delegates from the
citizens meeting, over which Col. J.
M. Rusk presided, soliciting aid from
this and other localities in behalf Of
the needy sufferers. We are indebt-
ed to District Attorney Priest for the
following particulars, which are given
without exaggeration, and as the real
facts Of the case: ..--
J. q. Barstow and wife killed.
Ms. Drake, the father of Mrs. Bar
stow, and his wife are both fatally in
jured. Mrs. r. Dean and her daugh-
ter, Mrs. Moon, were killed, and DR..
Dean severely, and perhaps fatally in
jured. DIR. Weedon's child killed,
and DR.. and Mrs. Weedon and one
child severely injured.
Mrs. Lydia Giilett killed. Her
husband is in the army. She was at
the house of Cyrus Gillett, and was
in the act of tryiufi to shut the door,
when fragment Of Mr.. Graves
building crushed in the door and kill
ed her The family of Cyrus Gillett,
consisting of his wife and three chill
dren, escaped uninjured by taking
refuge in the cellar, while the house
was entirely carried away.
John Gardner's wife and child bad
ly injured. The large two-story frame
bnilding in which they were living
was raised up bodily forty feet into
the air, tnrned upside down, dashed
into pieces, and the fragments entire
ly carried away. ....... ...... ..... i
w. S. Purdy's hired girl fatally in
jured. Mrs. Purdy and her children
escaped by running from the kitchen
into the parlor. The house was rails
ed from the flooring and carried
away, leaving her and her children
sitting on the floor in safety.
Mrs. Buckley fatally injured, and
her sister, Mrs. Alison, badly hurt.
Mrs. Buckley was sick in bed at the
time. She was thrown against a
large stone nearly three rods south
ward, and parts of her bedstead were
found forty rods apart, southwest =
John Dawson, badly hurt, and his
wife considerably injured. Mr.. Daw-
son was in the act of running from
his store to his house to protect his
family, when he was Knocked down
by some fragments of building.
Mr.. j. NJ. Bennett, wife, and mar
ried daughter, Mrs. Toujee and two
children went into a cellar. Three
horses and harnesses were blown in
to the cellar, aud upon the family
Mr.. Beunet TasYery seriously Injur.