The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-08-09

EE.#. 50
Property.
From tho Kapkekes tIll.) Gazette, Augusta.
We arc indebted to J.. Milk, Esq., for
details of q frighttul and destructive tor
uado that occurred on his plantation,
fifteen miles from this city, on Saturday
evening, July u. The storm took its rise
apparcntly in the heavens a little north
west Of the residences of Mcssrs. Charles
Rcynos and Jacob Conrow, al about G
o'clock, =. NJ, and proceeded in Il direct
southeast line, straight as an arrow, and
faster than any horse could run, sweeping
and whirling by their doors with "A terrible
sound, dcmoIisiing in an instant their corn
cribs, stable and c%ow-yards, scattering
their fragments in every direction. 1t
, then passed through a ix-hundrcd-a and
iorty-acrc corn-iicld to the new and OK
~,cnsive buildings of Mcssrs. l.. Milk, OF
! this city: William F.. Bancroft, and Leo
nard Soaring, of Cayuga county, n. Y.
1t being Saturday evening, the workmcn
had left for their homes except three. ~
the storm was seen approaching in terrible
fury, W or three rushed out for the open
prairie, but one sought protection and shell
ter III the corn-crib, which was very
strongly built with heavy timhcrs. There
he remained until the storm was over, and,
As it happened, came out nnhurt, although
the crib was lifted and churncd up and
down, rs it were, ani Wa. rackcd and
twisted in all shapes, threatening his life
every moment. There were two horses
and Il colt in the stable, but they escaped
without injury, though this stable wa
lifted from over them, and hurled in count
less fragments through the air.
The duration of the storm was only
seven or eight minutes, yet in this hricI
time it destroyed property which cost oven
four thousand dollars within the last two
months. Between fifty and seventy acre
of corn were destroyed.
The tornado passed over 10 the corn,
field of McSsrS. Milk y De Reamer, con
tanning Sc~vcnty-fvc acres, ole-half I"
which was laid waste, and then again
across the pasture fence, blowing dowl
two miles of the same in all, and destroy,
ing fully onc-half of it. 1t then, in pass.
ing on, struck the southwest part %
"Milk's Grove" Selling and twisting down
every large tree in its way, and hurting II
back hcadiorcmost to the rear. When ",
state that these trees averaged from on'
and a half to three feet in diameter, ano
were literally torn and twisted to pieces, nl
were swept back like feathers and lalo
PROSTATE in the track of the destroyer
sometimes many feet from where they :
moment before stood, some idea may b'
formed Of the prodigiois and fearful force
Of this "wild freak Of nature The patl
of the storm through the Grove was fifty
wards or more. Smaller trees were bent
Hat 10 the carth as if they had been prc>Scc
down by solic vast weight, or ~ "if tn,
world itself lad rolled over them" as al
eve witness states.
Several large hickory trees were com,
plctcly peeled or skinned for nearly hal
the length of them. Earth was carried iol
thirty or forty rods, and such was the force
with which it was borne along, that it struck
the trees and stuck there rs if it WAS &C,
mcnt or plaster, thickly covering then
with a "coat of mud.'
The next objects Of the storm were Mr.
Compton's house and stable. The houS'
was taken up bodily and borne a 4 istanc,
of eight rods, and then set down again all
good order" not Il person hurt, nor i sin
gle piece Of crockcry nor anything els,
displaced. The stable was torn into atoms
but the horses that were in it were left un
hurt. From this point the storm con
tinucd in Il direction south Of Clifton, 81
the Illinois Central railroad, and Soon dis
appeared, and it i>hopcd forever, since no
thing has been heard from ii up To thi
time.