The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-09-29

4
DEMOLISHED OR CARRIED AwAY.-On Fri
day the 18th instant storm near Swar
Lake, Nicollet county, came up from the
8. W., while stiff wind was blowing also
| from the 8. 8. E. The two clouds seemed
to come in contact at or near Swan Lake
near the Poorhouse farm, in this county
| some sixteen miles from st. Peter. When
the two currents of wind came in contact q
| singular phenomenon appeared. A portion
Of the dark cloud coming up from the ives,
seemed to detach itself from the darker
body of this cloud, and commenced rapidly
whirling and extending towards the ground
The whirling cloud was funnel-shaped, the
small point towards the ground, and whirl.
ing with terrible velocity. AS it passed
over Swan Lake the point Of the gyrating
cloud touched the lake, and the waters Of
the lake stSrted into the air as if by the
power Of magic. After it left the lake its
direction lay towards the houses of Joseph
Searls, Mr.. McCollum, and Simon Horner,
where threshers, some fourteen in number,
had assembled. The occupants had only
time to attempt to hold the, doors and win
dows from being forced in, when the house
itself left the foundation, and was in sepa-
rate particles circling with this strange
power SO frightfully inaugurated. In a
moment of time the house and barn had
gone from their mornings, and timbers lay
in utter confusion over and around the
living forms there PROSTATE.
Three persons at this house were outside
of the building when it left its foun dation.
They state that the sight was fearful beyond
description. The force of this form of ap-
piled power was such that man was no
more than straw. If by force of muscu-
lar power of the arms he could hold on to
any fixture in the ground, his body. was
dashed about as ribbon in the air.
Strange to tell, not an Individual was
killed. One shoulder was dislocated and
several bruises, some slight and others
severe, were inflicted. The horses in the
stable were left alive and unhurt, the
large timbers being around them in such a
form as to leave them protected. At this
| place three wheat stacks were taken and
removed to parts unknown.
/ At Josiah Horner's barn was taken of
and house left and to this house the
wounded were taken from the ruins of
Simon Horner's. At McCollum's, near the
lake, house and barn was taken off. Next
in order of attack, Joseph Searls's barn
was destroyed, and the upper story, or half
story of his house taken off. Here Miss
Woollum, school mistress. was somewhat
severely injured, but not mortally. All
her clothing, except that she had on, was
expressed on the wings Of the wind. She
can hear nothing of it. A small house at
Mr.. Zinn's, in the same neighborhood, was
destroyed, and several other structures In
the immediate vicinity. ........,
As general thing, all light articles, such
as bedding and clothing, were taken off out
of the neighborhood, and will never be
found. Every object in its way, such az
corn, potatoes, vines, and grass, were rooted
out and carried off. The threshed wheat
at McCollum's and Horner's was left on the
ground, and only injured by the rain, that
soon after fell in torrents. After leaving
Swan Lake settlement, the revolving en-
riue of destruction moved northeastward on
a line of ruin, varying from FIVE to thirty
rods wide as the small point of the pendant
instrument descended low to the ground Or
hung higher in the air. It's track is marked
by the torn forest and field, and PROSTATE
habitations of man, until it reached the
Minnesota, over between Ottawa and LIE
Sueur, near the Big Woods, from which
point we have not heard as yet. On the
way, in one place, it left Norwegian and
wife standing unhurt where his house once
was, but then was not. At George Briggs's,
in Lake Prairie, it tore his house and barn
into utter fragments, and sifted them over
an area of mile or more. Here 1t seemed
more violent than elsewhere. Its force was
such as to take up two-year old animal OF
the cow kind, and let it fall with such VIC
lence as to kill it. Beets were dug up and
carried off,. Mrs. Briggs was frightfully
hurt by a scalp wound. 1t is hoped, how
| ever, that she will recover. From this place
it went into the Valley Of the Minnesota on
its eastern tour. The house of Mr.. Brink
man and Mr.. Linden, as we understand,
we're carried off or destroyed. The whirl-
wind from these places passed down the
Minnesota into Sibley county, and spent It's
fury in the Big Woods.
The damage done in Nicollet county would
reach some 1000 or $4,000 In houses,
barns, grain stacks, goods lost, and fences
removed. That no human lives were lost
in such visitation, is one of the mysteries
unfathomable by human wisdom. What
| re1eCIlDp Hluu WOulu SfCl DCiiC'S eAioS o.
engine of that dangerous character could
be sent on a similar line, through popn
lous district, demolishing all human habi
tations in its way for distance of over
thirty miles without destroying single
human life. He alone who rides on thu
whirlwind, and directs the storm, could
from such an engine of utter ruin, protec
the life Of man.
Fortunately for humanity, these gyratine
engines of ruin are generally of small dia
meter. This one, in most places, did no
exceed ten rods wide, following tortuou'
line. bearing one general direction from
the southwest to the northeast.
We have heard of its effects at and neal
New Ulm, but in mild form, injuring thu
Windmill in that place, and doing othe'
damage along the river.
LYScHING IN IowA.-At Desmoines, Iowa
Sunday week, two men, named Kelly ALA