Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1865-07-14
THE TORNADO AT vIROQUA, VERNON
COUNTY. WISCONSIN. IL

COUNTY, WISCONSIN.
The Lacrosse Republican Of the LIST inst.
gives the annexed particulars. Of the fearful
tornado at viroqus, Wis, Of which we have
had brief mention by telegraph:
" About o'clock in the afternoon of
Thursday. June 30, two angry looking clouds
approached each other from the North and
South, and met at short distance west of
the village of Viroqua, Vernon county, VIA
eonsin. The people watched the threatening
heavens with deep solicitude. When those
two forces came in contact, they whirled off
at tangent and moved in an easterly direc-
ton and passed through the very heart OF the
beautiful village. carrying death, destruction
and danger in their progress. In moment,
about fifty buildings were demolished and
scattered to the winds, seventeen persons
killed, and about one hundred men, women
and children injured. The hurricane contin-
ued eastward in its course and it is yet I'M
known where its havoc ceased. For several
miles east Of Vroqua it destroyed every thing
in its course. The total destruction Of prop
erty is estimated at two hundred thousand
dollars"
The following are the names of the killed
and badly wounded, several of whom have
friends in Vermont:
" j. g. Barstow and wifi killed. Mr..
Drake, the father Of Mrs. Barstow, aged
eighty four years, and his wife aged seventy.
six years, are both fatally jlred. Mrs. X.
Dean and her daughter, Mrs. Moon, were
killed, and DR.. Dean severely and perhaps
fatally injured. DR.. Weeden's child killed,
and DR.. and Mrs. Weeden and one child Sc
verely injured. Mrs. Lydia Gllett killed
John Gardeners wife and child badly injured.
The large two-story frame building in which
they were living was raised up bodily forty
feet into the air, turned upside down, dashed
into pieces, and the fragments entirely carried
away. VIM. s. Purdy's hired girl fatally in
/ jured. Mrs. Purdy and her children escaped
| by running from the kitchen into the parlor.
] he house was raised from the flooring and
carried away, and left her aud her children
sitting on the floor in safety. Mrs Buckly
fatally injured. and her sister, Mrs Allison,
badly hurt. Mrs. Buckly was sick in bed at
the time. She was thrown against a large
stone nearly three rods southwark aud parts
| OF her beaCstead were found forty rods apart
southeast. John Dawson badly hurt, and
his wife considerably injured. Mr.. J. NJ.
Bennett, wife and married daughter, Widow
IouTjee, and two children went into a cellar
Three horses and harnesses were blown into
the cellar, and upon the family. Mr.. Bennett
was very seriously M ured, his leg broken and
side bruised. Mrs. Tourjee slightly wounded.
Mrs. Bennett and young daughter Of Mrs.
! IOurjee, escaped without serious harm. The
vehicles to which the horses were attached
have not been found. Register Whites wife
and granddaughter were fatally injured, and
his daughter, Mrs. Davis, badly hurt. Col.
g.. :. 1 a.
child hurt, and Phneas Drake, who was in
the employ OF Col. Bierce, was fatally Injured.
Mr.. George Goods wife was killed. and his
mother, between sixty five and seventy years
old, was seriously and perhaps fatally injured.
AT the school house, which was totally de-
molished, about half a mile east of the village,
eight children we're killed, and all the others
including the teacher and about twenty schol.
lars were more or less injured. Many other
persons, whose names have not been reported,
have received fatal injuries, the precise effects
of which are yet unknown.
Those who have not witnessed the scenes
of devastation can form no idea of the terrible
power of the whirlwiud. The glound is torn
as If ploughed. Huge rocks ten feet square,
were hurled distance of forty rods. DWELL
ings were RACED to the ground, and hurled
rods away. Huge oak trees we're twisted
from stumps like reeds. Tlmbers sixteen in
ches square and sixty feet long were hurled
through the air as though they were feathers
] he scene of desolation is beyond description.
The ground over which the whirlwind passed
looks as If a mighty stream Of water had ear
ried hoodwood over it. Houses outhouses
trees, shrubs, fences, ETC., were swept away,
as II God had in his anger rubbed His hand
over the spot. Houses, we're lifted a hundred
feet into the air-horses were whisked on like
swallows-rocks were broken down like dry
bread.
Log chains, harnesses, dead hogs pie ces of
furniture, broken plows and other agricultu-
raj implements, feather beds badly ripped,
picket fences, rails. fence posts, door frames
and barn timbers, dead chickens calves
sheep, and cats, and all the things imag inable,
hang In the tops OF trees, bushes, &c. The
, scene is ons that beggars description, aud
one which never was equaled in this country
The air was filled with fragments of houses,
entire outhouses, broken timbers, log chains,
rocks, cellar alls, stoves, tanning mills, hoes
plows, wagons and horses. People half a
mile away, say the cloud of ruin which swept
ON east was grand, terrible, awful and in
describably terrific. j. A. Somerby had bis
dwelling house blown away, his printing Of
ice pied, and the contents Of bookstore dis
tributed for miles. The house of Col. Rusk
; was in the edge Of the whir the front was
torn out, and the furniture 10 The room suck ed
out and carried miles sway
People ran wild with terror. Men, women
and children horses and cattle were nearly
frightened to death. The terror was indies.
cribable. People thought death and the f.
nal destruction of the earth had come and
gave themselves up for lost. Had il been in
the night Imagination can only dwell on the
scenes Of horror the darkness would have
augmented.
The loss Of property will exceed too hun
dred thousand dollars. Persons are left sick
and penniless, and appeal in their behalf
to all the benevolent ones-to the business
men-to the chuIches--to the philantrophic
here and elsewheTe--for aid for the now poor,
needy aud doubly deserving La Crosse DEM
| ocrat.
JEFF. DAVIS TRIAL.-The rumors tina
IaH navto Il 20 h, - L.f.w ~.