Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-08-10
The Biggest whiriwind of the sea.sn.
7 Prom the X An kskre III 4nzet,e AurustJ

We are indebted TO L. Milk, Esq, for details
of a frghtful and destructive tornado that &C
Cured az BIS plantation, IS miles from this
city on saturday evening, July 22d. In man y
respects II was a most unprecedented storm III
wind, hail. lightning and thunder, and in Us
pecuhar operations, that has ever been our for
tune 10 hear Of
The storm took its rise in the northwest, al
ABOUT o clock p. m. and proceeded in a direct
southeast line, straIgh, "a an arrow, and faster
than any horse could run, sweeping and whirI-
ing by their doors with terrible sound, de-
molishing in an instant their corn cribs, stables
and COW yards, scattering their fragments in
every direction.
1t then passed through a 640-acre corn field
l. Mild, of this city; William T.. Bancroft and
Leonard Soaring, Of Cayuga county, New
YORK.
1t being Saturday evening, the workmen had
Ieit Tor their homes except three As the orm
was seen approaching in terrible fury, two OF
the three men rushed out for the open prairie,
unwilling to hazard their lives in the build
lnfs which they knew would not stand such
storm, but one brave fellow, named Robert
Martin, sought shelter and protection in the
corner b, which was very strongly built with
heavy timbers. There he remained until the
Storm was over. and. as it happened, came out
unhurf, although the crib was lifted and turn
ca up and down, as il were, and was racked
arc twisted in all shapes, tbreate ming his life
every moment. There were two horses and
colt in the stable, but they escaped without
injury, though this stable was lifted from over
them, and hurled IN countless fragments
through the air.
SO terrific and powerful was the storm that
the pieces of the demolished buildings were
hurled and scattered over two hundred acres
OF me prairie, all around where they stood,
many more appearing in the re II of the storm.
than IN lis van, as /: drawn and sucked back
as the storm advanced in its awful whirl and
contortions. The duration OF the storm was
only seven or eight minutes.
Alter dong its work on the premises named,
tne tornado, IN passing or. struck the south
west part Of Milk's Grove" seIzing and
twisting down every large tree in its way, and
hurting IL back head foremost, in the rear.
lhese gigantic trees had the appearance Of
paving fallen towards the storm, and not, as
Is usual with 1t IN the direction IL was going.
when we state that these trees averaged from
one-and-a half 10 three feet in diameter, but
were literally torn and twisted to pieces, or
We're swept back like feathers and laid pros
ua'e IN the track of the destroyer, sometimes
many feet from where they stood towering in
their majesty and strength, some idea may be
obtained of The prodigious and fearful force of
TINS - Wild freak of naturp''
1 he path of the storm through the Grove
was my yards or more, smaller trees were
bent NAT 10 the earth, a If they bad been
pressed down by some vast weight. Several
large hickory trees were completely peeled or
skinned tor nearly half the length OF them
tarth was earned tor thirty or forty rods. aud
such was the force with which IT WAS borne
along that II struck the trees and stuck there
a. II IL was cement or plaster, thIckiy covering
them with 4 "cCat of mud -
L he next objects receiving the "attentIon'' of
The storm were Mr. Commons house and
stable. he hnnse was 81 by 81 feet. two
stores nigh, in which were himself and tami.
II. but II vas Il ken up bodily and horne a dis
lance OF eight RODS, and then ct down again
IN Hcod order nor person hurt, nor q
single piece OF crorkery nor anything else dis
PLACID The stable was torn 20 atoms, but the
norses mat were IN ~ were Icit unhurt. From
thls point the storm continued in a directio
south OF Clifton, on the Illinois Central Rail-
road, and soon disappeared, and. il is hoped,
forever. since nothing has been heard from IL
up 70 this time.