The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1865-07-19
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The WISCONSIN Tornado.

The Lacrosse Democrat gives q thrilling
account Of the destruction Of Viroqua, Wis
consin. by q tornado, about the last OF June.
Viroqua is the county-seat of Vernon coun-
ty, aud contains about ] 900 inhabitants. Il
is a pleasant inland village in the center Of
u farming district largely under cultiva-
ton.
At4 o'clock black clouds rolling heavily
in the sky betokened storm. In few
moments the wind sprang up, and almost
Immediately could be seen coming from the
northeast u cloud of wind, rolling at times
close to the earth, dust, sticks, etc, filling
the air. At the same time there appeared
another cloud of lii nature coming directly
toward tho village from the west. The hrst
current was passing to the southwest, and
the points or onds met half q mile west OF
the village, when it seemed as II a mighty
strife was going on between millions of in
visible spirits in tho two currents. People
ran for their houses in terror-the whirl-
wind with a shrek and howl kept on its
eastward course, the larger current turning
the smaller one back, the two going on to-
gether in their work Of destruction. In two
minutes it's fury was spent at Viroqua and
the southern portion of tho place was made
a scene of wilder and more terrible dev; q.
tltion than We ever witnessed befoie. Owe;
one hundred persons were hurt, forty of
! whom are seriously injured, and about
| twelve of whom must die soon.
In the school house there were twenty
| four children and the teacher. Eight chill
dren were killed. and all more or less cut,
bruised or manglcd.
Those who have not witnessed the scenes
of devastation can form no idea Of the terri
bic power of the whrlwind. The ground
is torn as if plowed. Huge rocks ton feet
square, were hurled distance Of forty rode.
Dwellings 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 though they
were feathers. The sceno of desolation in
beyond description. The ground over
which the whiriwind passed looks as ii "a
mighty stream of water had carried Hood
wood over il. Hnnses, outhousee, trees,
shrubs fences, etc, were swept away, aa
: if God had in His anger rubbed His band
over the spot. Houses were lifted hun
dred feet into tho air, horses wcro whisked
of like swallows-rooks were broken down
like dry bread. t
Horses, COWS, dogs, shoep, hogs, cats,
fowls, men, women and children wero
hurled 70 great distances. Dead cattle and
| OlUtl bEOCk 1tS W uV tuhtlh auOuNs
Fragments, such as broken furniture, torn
clothes, books, papers, contents of book
cases, wardrobos aud libraries, are being
brought in from the country, 80 torn and
broken as to be worthless and unclamable.
; Log chains, harness, dead hogs, pieces OF
furniture, broken plows and other agricul-
tural implements, feather beds badly ripped.
picket fences, rails, fence posts, door frames
and barn tinbers, dead chickens. calyes,
: sheep, and cats, and all the things imagin-
able, hang in the tops OF trees, bushes, etc,
The scene is one that beggars description
aud one which was never equaled i'll thia
country. The air was filed with fragments
Of houses eptire outhouses, broken tim
bers, log chains, rocks, cellar walls, stoves,
, tanning mills, hoes, plows, wagons aud
! horses. People half mile away, say tho
cloud of ruin which swept on east was
grand terrible, awful, and indescribably
terrific. j. A. Somerby hal his dwelling
house blown away, his printing office pied.
and the contents OF a hook store distributed
, for miles. The house of Colonel Rnsk was
in tho edge of the whirl; the front was
torn out and all the furniture in the room
sucked ont and carried niles away. a
People ran wild with terror, Men women
. and children, horses and cattle, were iiear-
I. y frightened to death. Tho terror was
indescribable People thought death and
tho final destruction Of the earth had come,
and gave themselves up Tor lost. Had il
been in the night, imagination only can
dwoh on tie scenes of horror the darkness
would have augmented.
There was neither rain, thunder nor
lightning at the time, though it rained tho
night following. One huEdved and htty
i persons arc left wounded aud entirely iss-
: fitufe.
Many Of the houses could be hauled off
in a hand cart, so badly were huildings and
> contents torn to pieces. The labor otyears
: was annihilated in two minutes, and every
thing was swept fTOlu many who must hav 0
r relief or die. ftsv
Nearly every house in town has ono or
L more wounded therein, some more or leSs
p, injured. The storm extended fourteen
miles, destroying everything before IL
Farm houses, harms, sCbOol-houseR, fences
cattle. crops trees, ctc., etc, all sng sH Q 4
away from spots, as the cloud rose aud Tell
from the earth.
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