The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-06
THF EISO0NSN TORNADO.
Details of the Terrific Tornado at
VIrOqua, wisconsin.

Details of the Terrific Tornado at
VirOqua, WISCONSIN.
The following, from the La Crosse Re-
pEbIieaa of July lst, gives some further
detsils Of the terrible Wisconsin tornado,
of which mention wss made by telegraph
We extract:
The terrible calamity that has fallen
upon the people of Vernon county Wis
conSin, will sppsl the stotest heart. In an
instant fifty families we're thrown from hap
piness and comfort into grief and adversely.
About 4 o'clock in the afternoon OF Thurs
day, June 18th, two angry looking clouds
approached each other from the North and
South, and met st 8 short distance West of
the village of ViroquA, Vernon Co., Wis.
The people Notwithstanding events
with deep solicitude, When those two
forces came in contact, they whirled on ct
4 tangent snd moved in an essterly direc-
ton and passed through the very heart Of
the beautiful village carrying death, des-
tructlon and danger in their progress In
a moment, about fifty bulldogs were de-
moIished and scattered TO the winds, sew
ent.en persons killed, and about one hun
dred men, women and children injured.
The hurricane continued eastward in its
course; and it is yet unknown where its
havoc ceased.
For several miles east of Viroqua it de-
stroyed everything in its course. The to-
tai destruction of property is estimated at
two hundred thousand dollars. The citi-
Gems of Viroqus and the surrounding
country have done, and are doing, what
thew can to relieve the distressed; but it is
an emergency that appeals to the prompt
b~enevolence of the citizens of this and
other places. Hon. D.. 3. Priest, District
%-vand IAmes LanrY ESQ. County
Treasurer of Vernon County, are in IL
Crosse to. day, as delegates from the eiti-
zsn's meeting, owe which Colonel j. NJ.
Rusk presided, collecting aid from this and.
other localities in behalf of the needy
sufferers. We are indebted TO District at.
torney Priest for the fJlJwing particulars,
which are given without exaggeration,
and IS the real facts of the case;
A list of killed and, wounded is given,
of which we subjoin 8 few, par era0lple;
MI. J.. NJ. Bennett, wife and married
daughter, Mrs. Toujse and two children,
went into q cellar. Three horses and hRr-
nesses were blown into the cellar, sndupon
the family, MI. Bennett was very serious
ly injured, MS leg OFOkeu anu Eluo OTulsous
Mrs. TOujee was slightly wounded. Mrs.
Bennett and child escaped without serious
harm The vehicles to which the horses
were attached have not been found.
W. s. Purdy's hired girl fatally injured.
Mrs. Purdy and her children escaped by
running from the kitchen into the psrlor.
The house was raised from the flooring and
carried away, and left her and her children
sitting On the floor in safety.
Mrs. Lydia Gillett killed. Her husband
is ia the army. She was st the house of
Cyrus Gillett, and was in the act of trying
to shut the door when a fragment of Mr..
Graves. building crushed in the door and
killed her. The fsmiiy of Cyrus Gillett,
consisting of his wife and three children,
escaped uniBjured by taking refuge in his
|lAthA house was entirely carried
John Gardeners wife and chIId, Uzuty n.
jured. The large two story frame building
in which they were living WAS raised up
bodily forty feet into the air, turned up
side down, dashed into pieces, and the frag-
ments carried away.