The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1869-07-21
ToRSApOEs in MINNESOTA.

Lake Pepin and the village of Pleasan
Valley, in Minnesota, were both visited OF
Tuesday of last week by destructive ant
fdghtful tornado. We take from the Lake
City Leader the subjoined account of The
scenes in the vicinity of that place
The frst tornado ever seen at Lake Pc
pin, by any Of the present inhabitants,
passed over the lake on Tuesday evening.
1t rose on the highlands between Reed s
Landing and West Albany roads, came over
the edge of the bluff back of Mlnnow Lake,
near o Hara's house, and struck Lake Pc.
pin about a mile below Lake City, short
distance beyond Mnnow Lake bridge. Its
track was about three hundred yards wide.
When il descended the steep bluff toward
Minnow Lake, the decivity was swept Of it's
brush and ssplings, and the ground was
scraped as If ten thousand elephants had
slid down there on their launches. As il
passed over the fiat toward the lake, trees,
fences, telegraph poles and wires we're gath
cred up into the air and hurled in ell direc.
tons.
We first saw the tornado as it was whirl.
ing out upon Lake Pepin. Our attention
was arrested by hearing hoarse and awful
roar, drowning the noise Of the thunder
storm that was then passing over the town
Looking southwark, we saw a huge, egg.
shaped cloud whrling at an altitude of say
Two hundred yards. Its position was then
diagonal, with the small end inclining
downward. The roar Of it was terrible
When it passed out upon the lake it assum
ed en- upright position, sank a little, and
commenced drawing up the waters to meet
II, and for some fifteen minutes, about the
time Of its passage across the lake, the wa
tiers over space Of about hundred feet in
diameter, were whirling and rising in spiral
form, with violence and commotion that
was awful to behold. The spray and mist,
mixed with the clouds of dust carried BY
the whirlwind from the shore, gave the
scene the appearance Of lake on fire. As
it neared the opposite Shore the cloud took
the perfect funnel shape Of the ocean water.
spout, standing in perpendicular position.
Leaving the lake, it swept the waters out
upon the beach for distance Of thirty
yards, in waves twenty feet above the ordi
nary level Of the lake. 1t struck Bogus
creek iatly in the mouth, and, "a it rose 10
climb the bluff and pass over into Bogus
valley, the trees that il lifted from the bluff
side were distinctly seen from Lake City,
four miles distant. sailing away in the tor.
nado four or FIVE hundred feet up from the
ground The right wing of the tornado
swept to the left Of Mr. Whites house, be-
ing turned by the heavy timber. The left
passed over the point Of the bluff, and the
whole crossed Bogus creek below the mil,
climbed the opposite bluffs and swept awap
across the highlands towards Plum creek.
Fortunately there were but few houses in it's
way where it crossed Bogus valley, for ruin
was in It's track. Everything fell before it.
Fences were blown away, the largest trees
torn up or broken into splinters. One solid
white oak, two and a half feet through, was
twisted completely of.
The log house of c. Carlson, "a Swede
man, was torn TO pieces. Carlson himself
was badly injured in the ruins, while his
little boy WAS taken up into the cloud and
let down safely in a cornfeld, some distance
of. The cooking stove went out TO look for
the boy, and dropped in the cornfeld be
hind him. Beds, bedding, clothing, furn.
ture and cooking utensils, we're scattered for |
half mile beyond Carlsons house, some of |
them hanging in the broken treetops-his |
house and goods all ruined and GONE
CarIson's barn was likewise destroyed. and |
also log house and barn near bv, belong. |
ing to Mr.. Newcomb. The mill barely |
escaped destruction, being but few rods to
he left of the blast, bat the fences, wagons,
md farming implements near the mill we're
visited and flung in promiscuous ruin.