Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1870-02-05
The Great Tornado.

y
CAVE Cry, KY, Jan. ls The par.
,iculsrs Of The dolngs OF the tornado
which Gu, of and demolished nearly one
third Of this little town yesterday morning
will mover be known. The storm had a
beginning aud an end, and the end was
moi more than two minutes later than
the beginning; but 9 description Of the
scene, during those two minutes, or Of
The cad havoc which was the r, suit Of
The storm, can have no beginning, and
can never be made complete. The storm
began about o'clock IN the morning
with heavy fall Of hail. which conunu-
I'd but for moment. and was immediate
ly followed by long, continuous sheet
CT fame. lasting another moment. The
wind cIorm then commenced lie terrible
wo:E. No Uogds cGn portray all idea
o. the scene. Those who had witnessed
the most lerti(y ing bstlc scenes say they
never saw or heard, or felt or conceived Of
any thing so perfectly hIdeous and terri
lying 80 The how!ing Of the winds. the
vivid flashes o! lightning, the crc,hing Of
houses, TIE d-eAching ram, the hcart-ren-
ding ehriels, end p:leo@s wai!Ings Of tie
terrified end ice wounded, TIC whole Of
which occurred III ,wC minutes, or pro-
baby lees tc:e. The wiad Ghrieked,
screamed. howled and roared. BY the
occasional flashes OF lightning, il could
be seen that the sir was filed with flying
trees. timber, houses, Fragments Of hou.
sec, stables, and buildings Of all kinds
furniture, cloves snd cooking utensils.
c!olb.ns, beGjing, animals, fowls, cnd ev.
cry conceivable thing, snimete end inani.
MAZE, Iha! came within The range OF the
storm. II the fiend had form. il was that
Of a heavy, epgFy cloud, which swept the
earth and tore every thing it touched from
its fixed place. The crash was quick
and terrific, but the noise Of the breaking
houses was nusic compared wnh the bel.
lowing winds that preceded II. The de-
snuction wss complete. About fifty hon.
ses were demolished, ond there Is not to
be found portion OF building, piece
OF furniture. al sriicie of jewelry, an ar
,iclo Of clothing OF bedding, 9 book or
piece Of ware of any kind ,hs, is worth
the sun OF fifty cents. The remains Of
lbe houses may serve for hrewood, The
frsrnen,s Of furniture for siDdling, the
clothing and seJd'ug for old rags; but
there is uothiOg left within that track Ct
half mile ir width. and extending al lessl
twelve or fifteen miles in length, excep! IN
two or three singular iDsianceG, thai is
worth iarihing, or ever will be, IN the
way it was originally designed. The
,olsl loss can never be estimated. 1t is
enough 10 know that several hundred per.
cons are homeless, without clothing or
food. excer, such as they have received
from kind. hearted citizens. Most OF The
destitute are poor and unable 10 purchase
clothing or furniture, or even food. even
il thev could find houses TO live in. EIe'-
cn will be Iqkeu 10 their narrow homes
to-day. III indeed wonderful tina. this
number il go small. Now any creature
could exist in ibai storm and survive is
mystery beyond the comprehension OF
even lhose whe we're in the IhIckest oi
il. Many Of the survivors we're terribly
lacera,pd and bluisej by The flying spin
teIs and ,mbsrs, snd some Of The dead
were saockingly crushed and msngled.