The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1868-08-27
TIE WISCONSIN CYCLONE.
One Woman Instantly KilIed---A Little
Child taken up in Whirl-
wind and is unhurt---
Great destruction
of Grain
Of train.

of Grain.
From the GAINESVILLE (Wis) Gazette, Aug II 1868
On Saturday evening about six O clock,
a most disastrous tornado passed over
the towns of La Prairie and Chiffon, in
| this county. On visiting the scene, yes
terday, we learned the following particu-
lars.
a few light clouds were seen flying from
a northwcsterly direction a greater part
OF the afternoon. no one in that vicinity
fearing any danger from the storm. at
about SIX o clock alight cloud was observ-
ed coming from the southeast, moving at
a very rapid rate. At the same time
large black clo1d passed over Mr.. Jacob
othencks 1aTm. 1t seems that as these two
| clouds approached each other they set
tied down to the earth, low, heavy
noise was heard, resembling the moving
OF a heavy tral Of cars accompanied by
terrific peals Of thunder. The cyclone
70 mel IN shape something similar to a
large balloon, with large trunk extend
Ing to the ground. At this time it had
reached the farm Mr.. Holmes, occupied
by Mr.. Thomas Monahan. The
| first damage done was tearing down of a
| few rods of fence. then to granery, lifting
1t some twenty feet IN air, landing 1t on
he opposl side Of the fence. Next came
barn, i2x25, which vas taken up and
torn completely to pieces, the most COM
| plete wreck we ever saw. just before
| the tornado struck the barn, Mrs. Ellen
| Monahan, an infirm lady, IS years nf age,
went out to take care of a li.t.iic pcy, who
was in the barn with l...s sister, about
nine years of - Mrs. NJ was taken
IN =. ne whirlwind and instantly killed.
/ he girl was taken up also, Incredible as
it may seem, to height of fifty feet,
some who witnessed it, say 100 feet, J
her clothes were torn completely off and
carried quite distance, doing her no bodi-
ly injury. When asked how high she
was blown she answered ''Oh, sir, |
was up almost to the sky
The storm then took an easterly direc-
ton, dropping quit down to the earth, so
low that men stacking a short distance
away could see over the whole Of it, and
III lis progress, llfed some eighteen stacks
Of grain, carrying some OF it a distance OF
forty rods, undoing the. bundles, and COM
plesely threshing the greater part as it
went
The cloud was about the size of a large
circus tent, and after leaving the farm OF
Mr. Holmes, did not again strike the
earth until it reached the farm of Mr..
Briggs, near Turtle creek, where it met
terra fcrnlu for the last time, scattering
few stacks Of wheat, doing no particu
lar d image. From Mr.. Briggs farm
the cyclone took on aerial fight, making
in appearance grand balloon as nea
assemble described assertion passing rap
| idly to the southeast The results %
this catastrophe are not known. Mr.
| Monahan' loss, besides the family atfiic
ton is very great, losing his entire crop
: and every building on the farm, save thu
; farm hou e. The funeral of Mrs Monahal
was to have been to-day, at the Catholic
| Church At no place in its path did
, cover more than three rods in width, an(
when at distance of three miles from
the scene Of its earthly career, 1T seemed
5 to roll over on the side Of the huge bal
! loon, now and then sending nut u wolfe
r of chained tightening, accompanied wit
: loud and long peals of heavy thunder
i and passing away Ill the distance leavln
little or no rain.