The Weekly Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, O. [Ohio]) 1861-1???, 1866-10-19
TORNADO IN INDIANA.
Great Destruction of Property ana Los,
Of Life.

A correspondent Of the indianapolis
Herald, writing from the town Of Franklin,
Indiana, under date Of October ., gives the
following description Of . violent tornado,
at that place
The little excitement attending our cleo.
! tion this evening, gave way to larger one,
consequent upon the unexpected visit Of
| tornado to our city.
Our Inspector had Just announced the
closing of the polls in hiteen minutes, when
the attention OF the writer Of this who was
at the time standing in the Court House hall,
was attracted by a peculiar roaring Noise,
which he for the moment imagined to be
caus ed by team Of running hOrNos. Pass.
ing from the hall to the yard, = fearful scene
presented itself. La the west, y spiral col
umn, composed of shingles, plsuks, stcks
brush, etc, proclaimed the spproseh of
| the tornado. This column rose TO the hight
of two hundred feet or more, and Gs the
| Ayi@g debris marked the spiral currents,
aud the whole moved on with frightiul
speed, bearing every obstacle down with
irresistible lorce, the view was awful, yet
grand.
After the storm was over, which was in
far less time than it has taken to write the
above, wO paid the track of desolation" "
visit and the following is y brisf synopsis
Of what we saw:
The column entered the city at it's west
boundary, at point adjoining aud immedi-
ately north of the entrance of the Blu6 Road
into the town. Here = strip of scattered
wood land had been crossed aud the track
of the current was marked by tho fallen
timber. At the entrance OF the town the
current was about alty yards in width, snd
right here it struck small frame barn
which it completely wrecked aud carried
away. The sills were found seventy Eve
yards distant. In the immediate vicinity
it swept away two other stables, aud a
wood-houSe. The current WAS moving at
this time about fifteen degrees north of east
and it's center Was on the ulley, which
occasioned the demolition OF the stables
while the dwelins s.aouses on either side
escaped. Al the noxt tier of lots greater
damage WAS done. A small heWe6 log
house ~as uurooted, aud immediately east
another house was laid in ruuS. This Wa
small frame structure, tbs south Sua oi
which, being more Immediately in the line
OF the current. was completely torn cut. The
inmates were in tho north side, aud though
noLe were hurt, yet Que cab but wonder ~
the miraculous escape they made.
At this point the current seems 30 have
swooped to the north some forty feet or
more, where it raised the root OF . smal
brick house. From thence thers was all
open space Of one hundred yards or more
through which coursed II small run. On
tho eastern bank stood brick house, the
residence Of John High. fhis was one
story building containing four main rooms
besides kitchen aud clubhouse. In the
, dwelling was Mrs. High an old lady, lying
on sick bed, and Mrs. Gibson. her sister
The storm here seemed to rage in its great
, eat fury. Bricks and mortar orumbled like
dust before it. The roof was carried away
, the walls fell inward the ceiling and sl
came tumbling down. Mrs. High was GOV
cred with bricks, while portion of tbs
josts rested upon her bed. Mrs. Gibson
who was on the aoor, was found in . sittug
posture, buried in debris TO her shoulders
Both were severely, aud as was supposed
fatally injured. Not chair, or cupboard
or other article of furniture that we saw
but was broken in pieces save the clock OF
the mautel, which continued to tell minutes
aS though tue devastating storm had never
been.
From this point the current swept OH q
distance Of some Fifty yards or moret when
it struck the corner of new two story
frame, which it threw on the foundation
and one end showed around. Here new
board fence was pushed down, the posts c
which were actually laid level with the
earth. Two stables and wood-house were
, razed here, when the storm passed over
/, another reach Of some one hundred yards
without doing damage to any buildings
save shop and an old log stable. But 81
this place the saddest tragedy Of all was
enacted. Some four or five little boys were
at play on the commons, and took refuge
; from the storm in an old stable. One o.
these, bright little fellow, only four Year,
old, waB killed by the wreck. Stepping in
} TO the sorrowing home, which stood olos,
at hand, for moment we left with all soh
+ ting heart to track still further the lineo
destruction.
The tornado had now swept through
Wost Franklin, aud was about to ente
, Franklin proper. The objective point wal
, similar to the place of entry originally. 1--WE
. stables placed upon the rear Of lots Wer'
fattened, and large and comnOdous bari
, was left mass Of ruins, together with al
the sheds and out-buldings.
A two-story frame. standing close a
, hand, was unroofed, whom the storm crosset
; Main street, being at this place little owe
. a squares distauce from the court house
, and less than that from the maiu part o
, town. Three buildings, standing on thu
east side of this street, all received injury
, Doors and windows were broken, besideI
|, the roof of one-E. II. Moor's-b being
forced to one side. In the rear Of thes'
, buildings new stable was laid over, TO
gether with other damage to outbuildings
One square east, frame house was un
rooted, and two or three stables demolished
Another square, and DIR. GilPS house wal
unshingled, and little further on the ex
tensive staOling known al" Begg's Stables
were left "crush of matter" Just cas-
and across Railroad street was the Jeffer'
sonville depot, which, receiving the full
force OF the storm, lies heap OF bricks ard
mortar.
The current kept on to the east from
here, but as it was growing late when we
arrived thus far in our course, we did not
follow its line any further We learn thai
some three or four houses were injured
more or less ere it left tho town, and thai
Mr.. John Bowlss' residence, half a mile
east, was visited and badly damaged
Where il came from, and whore it ia gone
We have not as yet ascertained. Perhaps
in this instance we may realize the force Of
the proposition, "The wind bloWeth wher,
il listeth, but thou eanst not toll whence i
oometh or whittier il goeth"
-
Row AXoN0 TUE DEAD LANGUAGES. -
Several Of the newspapers having perpe
trated jokes on the travels and exploits o
/ .. O.. Tt-oo.;fH uhoro f.ns - an1 .,o.f..