The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-06-30

The Great Tornado.
The Red Wing Argus of this week contains
q long and interesting account of the great tor.
nado of Friday last, from which we extract the
following:
At about four o'clock, q whirlwind was oh.
served from this city, in the south.south-w
having exactly the appearance of the water.
spouts as pictured in the old Biographies. For
few minutes preceding, distant roar, as of
heard. The sky In that direction and over
head, nearly to the northeast horizon, was CO.
vered with heavy black clouds. Here the air
was still when the whirlwind was first seen,
though in few moments fresh strong
breeze from the south-south-west came up.
In five or six minutes from Its first appear.
ance in the direction above named, it had
passed the city and appeared at the north-north
east, much greater distance of. During this
time it varied in size, shape and color several
times, -shrinking, swelling, now at the top
and then at the bottom or middle,-now rising
from the earth, then dropping down as if to
envelope it all-at first dark as the darkest
thunder clouds, then of smoke color and half
transparent, then dark again. During this
time moving objects were seen in the whirl,
large and small, carried around and raised up
circle by circle to the clouds, from whence
some of them were distinctly seen to drop
down. The whirlwind was fearful tornado,
moving with an irresistible force-in direct
line at rate not less than one hundred miles
to the hour, and in the whirl ct velocity
inconceivable. The stoutest oak trees, houses
and barns, cattle, barn-yard fouls, and even
cats were caught up by 1t and carried upward
and onward or thrown far out from the GEN.
trail whirl.
The Argus details the destruction of Mr.
LARsoNs house; the wounding of Mrs. LAR
SON by stick of wood the narrow escape of
Sheriff CHANDLER, whose horse and buggy
were taken up and swept away from him; the
destruction of Mr.. CHAMBERLA1N's house; the
fatal wounding of Mr.. MATTHIAS SrREErER, and
many other incidents, concluding with the fol
lowing observations:
The force of the storm may be judged from
the fact that the trees which stood direct in its
path, were all broken off or uprooted. We
saw two large oaks, one on Spring Creek val
ley bluffs, the other at the edge of Cannon
River valley, each ten to twelve inches in dia.
meter, which were twisted out of the ground,
the roots broken off two feet down and the
loOsened earth swept away. Each tree Law
few feet to the right of the place 1t Stood as if
it had been lifted up and tipped over. One oak
stub stands at the rear of Mr.. Chamberlain's
field, from which the storm broke off the top
and peeled all the bark down to and under the
ground, carrying the bark away with the top.
Other fallen trees lay in every conceivable di-
rection upon the hillside. The willows along
Cannon River were whipped and broken as
bad as the oaks on the high land. Nearly ev-
cry tree was bruised and barked by the objects
that had been hurled against it.
fho INN loft 1xyo
where Mr.. Chamberlains house stood, from
the way his scattered wood pile. what is left of
it, appears, and from the direction of the
break of trees it appears that the whirl was to
the left and not SO fast as the forward motion.
At Mr.. Larson's on the edge of the Vasa
five rods wide, and unaccomponied by q strong
forward wind. At Mr.. Thayers, two miles on,
the whirl was six rods wide, and the side wind,
astif breeze blowing directly forward, was so
strong that it bent trees and shook houses. At
Mr.. Chamberlain's the whirl was nine and
half rods wide, and the side wind, extending
for quarter Of mile each side, was gale.
As the tornado crossed the Mississippi river,
beyond Cannon river bluffs, it seemed to those
who saw 1t from Red Wing to present broad
front of which the centre was the dark whirl,
the wings shaded from dark nearest the whirl
to light and smoky at the edges of the seem.
ing front. Undoubtedly, the tornado increas-
lance 1t traversed so long as it was in view of
this city. When last seen, by aid of power
full spy glass, in the northeast, the whirl was
distinctly seen in the clouds, upon the hor-
lion.
The speed of the storm in its forward move.
ment may be judged from the time it occupied
in passing from the nearest it came to us
(three mies) in the 8. 8. E. forty. eight degrees
toward the north, which time, estimated by
the distance walked by person who has long
served in the army and thereby gained . regu-
lar step and time was some five seconds less
than minute, which would show that the
tornado moved forward full two miles to the
minute.
The movement OF the storm was in the d.
rection of N. N. E., and in a direct line. We
have rumors of angles and curves in its for
ward movement, but beyond the swaying of
the whirlwind column, which may have pro-
hs change aa Of d Te
direct line. 1t passed over hills and valleys in
the same direction.
Mr.. David Young, of this city, on Saturday,
in repairing the telegraph line by Chamber
lain's farm, found five poles Frustrated. One
at about the center of the tornado track had
were broken off at the ground. At that time,
nineteen hours after the storm had passed, the
wire was so charged with electricity, though
no main battery was connected with it that it
communicated q severe shock. The wire, No.
9, had been stretched by the storm full sixty
feet. From these facts, Mr.. Young concludes
that at the passage of the storm the wire be-
came so overcharged with electricity as to
heat it red hot. in which condition only could
it have been stretched.
We advise Mr.. Young to replace that wire
that became red hot and stretched fifty feet
The operator here SAYS it works 80 bad that
he knows the ID must have had hold of it.
and we are clearly of the same opinion.
Withdrawal of Belligerent Rights
from the Rebels.
WASHINGTON, June 19.-The Secretary of
State has addressed the following to the Secre.
tary of the Navy:
DEPARTMENT OR SrAru