The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1868-06-03
GREAT TORNADO In ROCK ISLAND.
TT STRIKES THE TOWN In FOUR
PLACES. -
SEVEN BRICK BUILDINGS in RUINS.
Damages in Various Places.

the sky was suddenly dsrkened py Immense
black clouds, betokeHing great danger. De.
| ;no son,awha, accustomed to watching The
| cjonds we lefs our office for the purpose of
ohserv;,p the coming tyrnado. We were in
a nossio1 to see clearly the movement of
the clouds and watch their effect. Thewind
was blowing a gale from the north, while the
tornado came from the west. The cloud
had that peculiar cone shape SO frequently
described, and, at times, reached down to
the earth, then suddenly rolled high mp in
the sky, the edges having a very scraggy
and angry appearance. We can describe it
to nothing but the movement of an ele-
plant trunk, only thousands of times larger.
L passed rapidly, in q zig gag course, to
the east, Tapping up and down with great
rapidity and power, and wherever il reached
to the earth, destroying everything it touched.
Fortunately fer Rock Island it ran high
enough to permit rs to escape its greatest
fury, but the outedge oft struck four times,
in town, first near Buford's pillow factory,
destroying fences, small buildings, uproot-
ing several trees, and lifting the roof of the
new portion of the pillow factory few inch
-es, dropping it back upon the wall again,
and leaving the walls somewhat out of
shape. It Immediately rolled up in the sky
and Tapped down again near the Coal Val
ley depot utterly demolishing wooden
building used ss q shelter fer passenger
cars; completely sucking out the roof of
Beauties two story brick -four store and send.
ing it in whirling mass in front of Mrs.
Cobb's residences, opposite Court Square also
lifting up and carrying over into Illinois
street the roof Of Lingle's new brick block,
smashing it into kindiing wood and rolling
up and running the tin. Up into the sky
again rolled the end of this huge black mass,
AID tapped down again upon Gus. Stengle's
Mississippi House, Kelierstrsss & Vogele's
story brick, throwing the debris whirling
against Union Block, and the rear OF Mr..
Kellerstrass' residence, smashing in the end of
Union Block, injuring the roof, aad consid-
Rolling up again into the sky it tapped
down upon Babcock & Andrews,s tsnnery,
carrying away large portion of the roof
Rolling up again in passed rapidly east and,
up to this time we have heard no news from
it. The strong gale from the north was not
of itself sufficient to unroof single building
or pros trate fence. but when these roofs
were sent whirling into the air it aided
materially in carrying them over other build
ings into Illinois street. All this occurred
in much less time than the reader consumes
in running his eyes over this account.
Immediately after its passage Rock Is
land presented, at several quarters,
singular aspect. From the levee to the
Hermann House, Washington street was
covered with the wreck, including brick,
timbers, roofing, ect., while the buildings ad-
Joining presented much the appearance of
having sustained a vigorous eannonading.-
Roofs wesa disuantled, walls were shattered,
and passage ways closed up with fallen ru,
ms. vast roll of tin roofing, stripped
from Kellerstrass & Vogele's warehouse, as
by the power of some mighty and dexterous
machinery, had been carried hundreds of
feet through the air, and dropped in front of
the Hermann House, crumpled and battered.
The sidewalks were INSTRUCTED in many
places with heaps Of broken material
Farther down, in front of Palace Row, the
roof of Lingle Sons new building had
been thrown over into the street, and por-
tons of the roof of Beattie's -four store scat
tered all the way up to Orleans street. Ia
every direction, signs were wrenched off and
shade trees twisted and broken, together with
all the minor evidences of one of natures
most dreadful throes.
As a general thing, people had expected a
tempest. The threatening aspect of the sky,
for some moments previous to the outburst,
had foreboded the direst calamity. Those
whose occupations confined them to the
higher stories of buildings, lost no time in
descending 10 the streets. There the widest
confusion prevailed. Stores and dwellings,
were being hurriedly closed. People were
rushing hither and thither, some in search
Of safety, and others to secure friends and
little ones. In five minutes the storm passed
amid a terrible fall of rain, which failed to
drive the excited spectators within doors.
The strength of the storm cannot be esti-
mated. The main current of air, which ac-
complshed the destruction of so much prop
erty, was, very fortunately, elevated, when it
dipped downwards, it swept everything that
offered the slightest resistance. Had it
reached the ground, it would undoubtedly
have laid waste the main portion of our city.
The direction of the storm was hrst from
the northwest then veering to the northeast,
it described the usual terrible circle, touch
ing at different points along our river front,
but providentially not SO low down as to ere.
ate that devastation which It's awful power
might have eliminated in. Within twenty
minutes, a calm ensued, and the sun burst
through the clouds with great splendor, as
though nothing had occurred. Amid prea.
reJoicings, and much wonder, it was soon
ascertained that no lives had been lost, or
serious injuries received, although many
narrow escapes had been made.
1t is impossible to estimate the exact
amount of damages received, at this time.
At the upper end of the city. near the foot of