The New York herald., 1868-05-09

4
! e,g Fearful 6cene In q Church.
We have already published brief kilograms con-
cerning q terrible tornado or cyclone which swept
over portions OF Illinois and Iowa on Sunday the sd
Instant Our Western exchanges furnish full par
tculars OF the event, which we append. Full &C
counts OF the more recent hurricanes in Davidson
ana Williamson counties, Tenn, have not yet been
received. % l.j nrr1 l--a A.lE
The most serious visitation was in the nourishing
town OF Shanghae, Ill.,, where fifteen dwellings were
totally destroyed and many more removed from
their foundations. "Many Of them," says one
account q were picked up by the whirlwind,
and then, seemingly with demonlac fury, dashed
10 the ground and shivered into q million of
fragments" A new and elegant school building.
twenty-iour by thirty-six feet was lifted from its
foundation and dashed into pieces. The only two
churches in the place. both less than year old,
over the prairie for long distance
correspondent or the Chicago Republican thus
describes the scene at one OF the houses OF wor-
Services commenced in the Second Advent church
"a new building completed last fal at four O'Clock
way from their farms and cottages to church the sun
was brightly shining, although clouds were seen
ans n tss state T. was tss d not
year. The pastor Of the church. Rev. G. w.
Hurd, ascended the sacred pulpit and commenced
nearly through when the evidences OF the coming
disaster began to be apparent First 1t was perfectly
still. and then noise was heard In the distance as
began 10 shake and some one called out from his
seat I'M mt hurd, bad & storm is coming upm The
day coming when there will be q storm compared
through SOON" just then the hail and
lights, and in almost an instant the win
dOw5 OF the church, sash and all, were torn
and HarrQ0n WiyQr M IN Wora
instantly killed. The building reeled like drunken
man, but none could make their way out. Wives
brothers and sisters to each other, and despair was
depicted upon every countenance. Suddenly the
crash came, and with deafenng sound, mingled
with the shr1eks OF the pent up people, tmbers,
scantlng and all came down with q sudden crash
upon the devoted heads OF the congregation, men,
women and children. Some had skulls broken,
others arms, others received internal injuries from
which they can never recover There several who
did not receive scratch, but nearly all more
less injured. Services were to have been held at the
same hour In the Methodist church; but owing the
non-arriyal Of the minister the services post
pOned. This church was also entirely demolished.
The following were the dangerously wOunded:-
mrs. Joseph n Wood, since dead; Truman Lord,
John Jack Miss Lucy Ward, Miss Alice Wixon,
george talbot, Mrs. WeSS and two children, Albert
Wess, Daniel Churchill, wife and son, Jackson Rir.
den and wife, Albert Rirden Peter Antimer, Luther
Hbbard, Joseph P1ttard, Henry HOlcomb, Carrie Hol-
comb, Charles B. House, Emma Churchill, Mrs A.
NJ rage, one son and daughter wounded and son
The tornado extended to Iowa, and occasioued
great loss OF property In the vicinity OF Muscatne.
The Journal Of Monday gives the following par
About three O'Clock yesterday afternoon the most
terrible tornado In this section OF the country since
1874 visited this vicinity describing, in its destruc
tive course, almost q semi-circle around this city
coming at some points, within two or three miles
Of the place. Many OF our citizens had their atten.
oa TO o. the
work Of destruction was going on and there but
few who did not remark that there was hurricane
natxrvn rt~~
diction was verified by reports coming in from
Seventy-six and Sweetland townships. The intelli-
gence augmented the fears already entertained by
our citizens and produced the greatest excitement
Those who saw the approach Of the tornado pre-
yous to Its commencing Its work Of destruction say
that 1t had the form OF an inverted funnel, which
whired like q top as 1t sped along The funnel
seemed to have formed by two clouds meeting. ~
As nearly as we have been able to ascertain the
burst on the farm Of Mr. A. Cone, near Ce-
dar river, in Cedar township, about nine miles
sstc Of nee on the % 11rs swept spe half
mile eastward TO John s. Riggs place. completely
demOlishing large new barn and some other out
the residence Mrs. leonard HOuts shattered every
window In the house without doing any further
damage worth speaking Of Benjamin T. NH Miller's
miles from the city, were next visited Mr. Miller's
house seemed 20 be taken IN piecemeal and carried
were fortunately away from home at the
The house was small, worth about s., 900, but
the loss to the family will be severely felt,
as It includes everything they had, except the
barn and shed-nOthing else OF material value. The
next object OF the fury OF the tornado was large
frame church building, valued at $4,000 and bcated
near the last named places. 1t was literally lifted
from its foundation and scattered to the four winds.
Portions OF a Bible and sabbath school book were
afterwards picked up on Mr. Bumgardner's farm,
about two miles distant. brick school house near
the church, worth about 81 500, ,rsunered the same
the track Of the tornado Is q few rods North
east Of the school house, on the farm OF Mr..
Lindley Hopes, which gentleman lost house,
hogs at one fell blow, besides having several horses
pigs and cattle injured There were In the house at
the time Mr.. Hopes and his family and his son.
fnaw, Mr.. Bartlett, and his wife. The tornado was
discovered minute or two before 1t struck the
house. and all the occupants succeeded in reaching
the cellar save Mr.. Bartlett and his wife. 7 i,4|
They were In the act OF going down stairs, when
they were suddenly dropped to the ground amid y
mass Oh runs win portions OF tne rooI upon them
eyes into the room he had occupied, and saw the bed
turned upside down: He was dug out Of the ruins
escaped with scarcely any injury. Mr.. II. and his
family were nearly buried In the cellar but the OBJ
slructons were soon removed and 1t was found that
Mrs. H., q little girl and Vim. Hopes were
slightly bruised though otherwise the family
were uninjured. The premises present one scene Of
house and barn the ground liz strewn with lumber
and shingles-frequently split into small splintcrs-
pieces OF furniture and carcasses OF animals. In
many places strips Of planks and timber are driven
into the ground several feet deep. The grass has
the appearance Of great flood having swept over It,
though not adrop OF rain fell. Every article Of fur
nture in the house was carried OF or broken. Mr..
Hopes entire loss Is estimated at $4,000.
After leaving Hopes neighb0rhood, the tor
nadO was observed to rise above the earth, aud
for distance OF Ave or six miles we hear OF
particular damage by the wind. In the track
Of the storm, however, there was great damage
by hail stones, some Of which were measured and
found to be three inches In diameter. Most Of
those who them say they were "a large as hens
eggs. In the Peasley neighborhood and round
about Summit many windows were broken by hail.
We hear OF one OK being peted TO death with hail
stones this side of Moscow.
The tornado appears to have sw0oped to the earth
again in Sweetland township, on the farm OF Mr. j.
A. Paryn. His barn was unroofed and one cor
ner Of the building was carried away. The
dwelling Of James Chambers was partly torn
10 pieces, and the main building moved
two and one-half feet or the cellar The
house is story and . half Frame Charles Charles
Hardy, one Of the occupants, was severely bruised
fered slight injury by falling timbers The barn and
granary on the premises were destroyed and much
injury was done 10 fences and fruit trees. The barn