Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1866-04-02
ODblo Statesnarr.
[From tho Evansville dnd) Courier, March Goth. ]
MOST EXTRAORDENAR IBIS
ASFEEE EVER RECOR DEED!


Terrible Tornado in Johnson County,
IIIlnOis-Great LO D of Life-HOuseS
Trees and Wagons IA Mile High i'm tn c
Heavens. Whole Families and f a rms
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Grandeur of tn c
Storm as witnessed from an Emf
nence-SeeIKinR the Lost.
Many remarkable and most strange eff
fects of the grim Storm King in Illinois
have from time to time been recorded
Accounts have been given OF the tearing up
of the very turf on the prairies Of that State
but the facts we are about to record have
no parallel in the history of destruction by
the elements that we are aware of.
We were yesterday visited by Mr.. Wm
Brill, an old and respected farmer of john
son county, Illinois, and one of the most ex-
tensve in that county, who furnishes US
with a succnct and detailed description of
a tornado that passed over that neighbor-
hood on the 20th, which caused terrible
loss of life, and the total destruction OF
everything in the line of its march, entirely
uprooting whole farms, carrying away
houses, trees, wagons and everything above
the ground, and bringing misery and
mourning into !he happy homes of many.
Mr.. Brill's farm house rests upon an emf
nence sufficiently high to give him view
of the section y rough which the destruc-
ton passed, ard on the day of the Goth, he
and his family had a perfect view of the
sublime scene which the angry elements
were enacting in valley only half mile
south of his house.
lie describes the appearance of the storm
| as the most terrific ever witnessed, or that
the mind can conceive. A dense blaCkness
enveloped the valley below, while it was
quite light on the hills around, and this
added to the distinctness of the whole
| The most terrific roar, rumbling and moan
ing filled the air, and the smell of sulphur
was very strong. The unearthly noise SEEM
ed to drown the voice of speakers close to
each other.
| As itadvanced, apparently with the mod
crate speed of locomotive, Mr. Brill OBJ
served high in the air the most eXtraOrdi-
nary spectacle of trees, crushed houses,
wood, rails and objects that seemed to him
to be horses and cattle, borne on by the
storm in dense volumes of dirt and dust. all
in the most inextricablc confusion. The
very heavens were filled with the contents
of farms! Every object seemed torn from
the earth and folded upward Splintered
timbers were torn up and heaved upward
Houses were taken up bodily and dashed
overhead, and perfect desOlation spread
! over the valley.
The portion of the valley where this tor
nadO passed was in the neighbOrhoOd of
Tobacco Postollice, and within few miles,
if we understand him rightly, of GOloOnda.
| The tornado moved from west to east,
and appeared to keep in chosen path
The country is very broken, but those
living in the small valley seemed to suffer
most.
As the tornado advanced the indications
of its course were very deceptive, appear
| / g to point in all directions. This effect
probably came from the revolution going
on in the volumes of dust and sulphuric
smoke that enveloped everything in the
valley, and which. at times, seemed to roll
aud spread in all directions.
The whole country was inundated, and
the soil in many places washed down to the
sub-stratum of clay, as though the clouds
had burst and flooded the earth with oceans
of water at once.
The following is the lisU of lives lost and
total destruction as far as named
Joseph Harper was mOrtally injured,
| three of his daughters were killed outright,
| and five others of his family of nine NOR
tally wounded. His home and every OBJ
| ject of his place was entirely carried away,
thing. A wagon load of flour and meal in
sacks was taken up by the tornado. and no
trace of it atterward found Thirteen
thousand dollars in money was also blown
away with the house.
M. b. Bayne'S house was also taken up
and blown to atoms. His stock of boots,
shoes and dry goods were carried for miles
and scattered over the country. Every
| thing totally lost.
Esquire Worley had nine in family; one
killed and eight supposed to be mOrtally
injured. Houses and every thing on the
place swept away.
John Jones lost a child. Every thing to-
tally lost.
Jonathan Waters farm was literally,
| torn up and carried of. There is not an
object lett.
| Louis McGOwan's farm was also totally
destroyed. Houses, barns and every thing
gone.
Woodson Vests farm was entirely de-
stroyed, and every thing on itswept off.
Orchards were pulledup BY the roots and
carried five miles.
Every one who escaped destruction in
the line Of the tornado, as well as those
who were killed, were blackened as though
by soot
Mr.. Brill was one of the fortunate few
who lived off from the route of the tornado,
and thus escaped with a slight loss.
| He tells us that the scene, after the tor
nado passed over, was one of the most
heartrending it had ever been his misfor-
tune to witness. Every farmer who lived
in the path OF the angry elements is home
less and totally broken up. Destruction is
to be seen every where. He is of opinion
that the hurricane at Natchez many years
ago was no worse in its effects.
The three daughters of Mr.. Joseph Har-
per, afterward found dead, were locked in
each others arms.
Cows, hogs and farming implements in
some cases, were found at great distance.
OF course, nearly all live stock in the line
of the storm was destroyed.
This tornado, in less force, visited many
parts of the country, being what is known
as the 'equinoctial Storm" but its violence
in johnson county is without parallel.
Were such a tornado to pass over a city
built like Evansville, there would be cause
of mourning indeed.