The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1865-07-07
GREAT TORNADO IN vIR0QUA,
WISCONSIN.
Seventeen Persons Killed.
ONE HUNDRED WOUNDED.
Loss Of Property 100000
One Hundred and Fifty Persons in
Suffering and Want.
ONE HUNDRED WOUNDED.

Thursday afternoon we received notice that
on Wednesday storm of wind had swept over
portion of the village of Viroqua, the county
seat OF Vernon county. and that several were
large portion of the village was destroyed. At
halfpast six in the afternoon we started by
team, drove to the "Mills " on Coon Greek,
put up with Andrew Anderson for the night,
reaching Viroqua at nine on Friday morning,
arriving home on Friday afternoon, having IN
twenty-three hours driven seventy miles and
witnessed the most terrible effects of wind we
ever saw in this country, the particulars of
which we hasten to lay before our readers.
v1RoouA.
The county of Vernon, (till lately Bad Ak
adjoins La Crosse county on the south and
southeast Viroqua, distant thirty-five miles
from La Crosse, is the. county seat, and con-
tains about one thousand inhabitants. 1t is a
pleasant inland village, on high table land, in
the centre Of valuable farming district largely
under cultivation. The village had always
been quiet, steadily prospecting place. The
buildings, not large, bnt were 10 good taste
and repair, and especially in the south part of
the place, characterized by an air Oh ease and
refinement desirable to behold.
THE sroRM-CoURsE AND DURATION.
At four o'clock, black clouds rolling heavily
in the sky, betokened q storm. In few mo-
ments the wind sprang up, and almost imme.
diately could be seen coming from the north
the earth-dust, sticks, &C., filling the air. At
the same time there appeared another cloud of
like nature coming directly toward the village
from the tcest. The first current was passing
to the southwest and the points or ends met q
half mile west of the village, when it seemed
as If q mighty strife was going on between
millions of invisible spirits In the two currents.
fOr In f1o
whirlwind with shrek and howl kept on its
edst,odrd course, the larger current turning the
smaller one back, the two going on together
in their work of destruction. ~
In TWO MINUTES
Its fury was spent at Viroqua, and the SOUTH
ern portion Of the place (and the most beauti.
fuD was made q scene Of wilder and more ter
Yible devastation than we ever witnessed be-
fore. Us
THE FIRST HOUSE STRUCK
Was that of VIM. Vought which was totally
destroyed. Before attempting to depict scenes
or incidents, we give q
LIST OF THE KILLED o
j. G. Barstow ard wife, whose house was
crushed like an egg shell, and themselves 80 in
jured that they both died in an hour.
A three year old child Of II. G. Weeden was
found dead in the ruins of his house, which was
OcuOllSQ6Os
Lydia Gillett, killed while shutting door.
The house was carried some ways and dashed
to fragments.
Wife of DR.. Dean and her daughter, Mrs.
Moon, were killed. Mr.. Dean was seriously
injured.
Eliza Derby, a girl IL years old.
Two children Of James Daniels.
Two children of James Cook.
One child of Nelson Rhodes.
Mrs. Good, killed and mutilated.
SEVERELY WOUNDED.
Mr.. and Mrs. Drake, and son Phineas. Mr..
Drake is eighty-four, his wife seventy-six, and
Phineas thirty.five years of age. We doubt if
either of the three are alive now.
Mrs. Decker, thigh broken.
Wife of John Gardner. seriously injured.
A servant girl working for w. 8. Purdy, IA
tally injured.
j. NJ. Bennett, leg broken.
Mrs. j. Buckley, seriously hurt.
Dr.. Dean, badly injured.
DR.. Weeden and wife, badly injured.
Peter Hays, wife and four children, badly
wounded.
Mrs. W. 8. s. White, daughter and grand
child fatally injured.
&C. Smith, injured seriously.
Mrs. R. c. Bierce, seriously injured.
j. Dawson, badly injured.
Besides these are others wounded, but their
names we could not learn in the limited time
set apart for this purpose. DR.. Tinker in.
formed us that over 100 persons were hurt, 40
of whom are seriously injured, and about IL of
whom must die soon.
FORCE OF THE STORM.
Those who have not witnessed the scenes of
devastation can form no idea of the terrible
power of the whirlwind. The ground is torn
as if plowed. 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 were twisted from
stumps like reeds. Timbers sixteen inches
square and sixty feet long were hurled through
the air as if they were feathers. The scene OF
desolation is beyond description. The ground
over which the whirlwind passed Jocks as II .
mighty stream of water had carried doodwood
over it. Houses, outhouses, trees, shrubs,
fences, &C., swept away as if God had in anger
rubbed His hand over the spot. Houses were
lifted q hunded feet into the air-horses were
whisked of like swallows-rocks were broker
down like dry bread.
Twenty.six houses and barns were com.
pletely demolished, and about forty buildings
more or lees injured