The New York herald., 1870-01-22
THE GREAT TORNADO.
Graphic Description Of Its Terrible Effects
at Cave City, Ky.
Half OF the Town Scattered to the Winds
Forests Uprooted and Huge Trees Torn
from the Eartli-Fifteen Killed and
Thirty.iiye Wounded Heard
from Within Few Miles.
From the Louisville Commercial, Jan. To-,

tslHtds luc toWu IL suoittIeu west anu south
cham OF knobs or spurs and Is situated On undu
alng surface, interspersed with frequent deep in
dentations when, sinoe The rain. ure FILED with
water. The Nashville Railroad runs sonth OF the
town. ana but little damage IeI tne opposite
side the country on tue southeast receiving the fun
Sunday last 1t ralncd by spells. Towards evening
the wind set ~ from the soutn, and when night had
come the RAIN grew heavier and the wind gathered
renewed strength No apprehensioHs or an tnDg
more t0an IN ordinary storm were ielr. Thunder
and lightning at intervals during the day and night
were the only STRIKING features OF the unsuspected
About past four, the down train having
passed some tune, distant roaring or reyerberatn.
noise was heard, approaching from the south and
wesG Those who ncard It compare lt with the
sharp, loud roar OF cannon d,scnarge, winch lasted
but Y few r,o6ients, when the wind monster swept
over tue doomed Lbwn and lett destruction where
peace and quiet was Nesting aronnd. the approach
Ing cyclone Came sh ieKing. whlst.ing roaring on
Dy snarp loud electrical discharges, while preced-
Ing the demon OF tue storm bais VI fire bust and
new IRON its front, wnie WITHIN IL, continually cur
ling and vibrating with terrible Individuality,
were mvliads of electric spiras, all forming ter-
1t appalled, the spectator. Professor Williams, u
most inte,ngent and scholarly gentleman, observed
It IRON ms window on It's approach ana says that 1t
moaned and shrieked rs Il tore along the ground
Win uneartniy power.
Before 1t reached the town the air grew warm and
thick with impending m n.sforfane, the flashing or
the lightning became Que constant iiuminatlon, and
suddenly AL grew dark agan. Ihe demon OF the
winds, IN the form OF tais dense DARK cloud, nugg-
roar, and In 4 moment commenced It's Wild work OF
destruction. STRIKING ]. Ii Brown's house Ia waicn
were himself and family In twinklng it scattered
IL piecemeal, lnjuring no one Out Mr.. Brown him
self. In front oi his house was timber growth or
red oak. post oak, bucx Jack and hickory many or
t.ic trees measuring IRON ton TO twenty Inches IN
diameter, whlcn the storm wrenchea up by the
roots. twisted Into fantastic shapes, si,itcrea and
threw Gown again. carry lia booily in hundred feet
many OF these huge rtven trunks ana sw &c lng tee
ground after 1t as ltn RiRantlc beso CARRYING ike
1halr heavy plank fencing hundreds OF Yards strew
IN tnn
dcuiis and shreds uf house and tence leuv-
lag notnln9 ~ marx where either Stood but and
tuere q lew slas with lime adheIing to them and
split rails driven down into the grounds a nursery
belonging to Mr.. HuR9in5 Il son numbering thou
sanas o. young peaoh trees, was whipped INTO
smooth, bare little switches their lrnged TOPS show
ing how complete ana onilre the wind had snorn
them OF every vestigc OF foliage and how biting had
been tne searching wind. scorning such small
game the tornado Ieveeu the timber rignt and lett
Oi the Bowling Green turnpike strewlng the road
wiih snapeless heaps anu confused piles u large and
suai trees carried bodily lnto and over other.
a3 u child might fling hapaful OF crushed and
Droaen wisps ol stIaw 10 tue winds.
On both SIDES or the turnpike. scattered for a
quarter OF mile, were some forty cabins belonging
10 tn. colorea people. only two oi wnlch stand
erect a,nd the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ruins ABOUT them.
ABOUT lorV or hity colorca llihiie. are houseiess
aud poverty-stslcaen. Old Uncle Ed. Trigg and
wife, win his iour sons ana tneir iamnIes. all
honest, respected and Industrious, living near each
O<ner were eft like all others with noJlIng but tue
the ground under their feet. Unc,e Ed was formerly
iaiiiy servant oi our e'ioW citi1cn, Mr. Trigg, Of
tnc nrui OF Moss Trigg
THE dumb brules In their stables generally escaped
horm, and but very iew met with dcata One I, ce,
twenty inches III diameter was torn up by Its
as VI W the nands OF so0e migpty, 6:eIgent power
tWstca and carried tw euty yards dlsIaD WINE the
noe IN eartn from which II was wrenched was par.
TALLY ied ny posts pulled from the ground quarter
OF mile distant, and driven In deep aud firm.
some nuge trip hammer had Deel employed.
One colured man. VINO al OSc at app oach OF the
storm, opened mis- door, the wiud sweeping through
the house, actually breaking the force and leaving
the house without any material narm; but, gatnerns
am Itra ,lp
tnc adjacent cabin.
Mr bud Nevii's house. on The LETT and Professor
Williams house, on the right oI the road, were so
entirely demolished by the storm that nothing but
here and lnere small fragments OF the WOOD work
sna Ga Se s seen mr. nevs we & was thrown ont Ia
teen years OF age, very attr0ctve young Iady was
struck III the mead The skull r.ctured allowing tae
In Professor Williams house-two story strongly
buiL anu suDstantia-werc his wife ana three cnil-
drcn Rev. Mr GruDbs, guest, three young men,
Duarders lazy, Miss Dr.n, companion 10 Mrs.
illams. who Ia an invalid. Professor Williams
VINO mad arisen at the approach OIL The storm and
VINO saw IL coming as described above. turned to
his frightened wiie and children, and placing tieu
on Inc bed together crowded II to the partition
The first sharp blow lifted the house, wnir4cd 1t
around IKE Il top and dropped 1t again. Bending
over hs terrnel family lie awaited the destructi io
lie Ielt so certain was upon hin and IN q momcat,
amid appaiiiDg noises and sensations, The house
was hIted up and parted-fell 10 the earth q shape
less sAlyeled mass. Dnrying the family beneath It's
ruins. wnen Professor Williams, stunned. bruised
vas hleo with whIrling fragments hls poor
wne was shrlekIng over him his little children
lay scattered about iDsensiblc The lire on the
hearth was not eXtInguished; he seated hls wlic
side 1t, and found ano placed IN her lap his appar-
enty iiie!ess child; overhead carpet was crcling
Ill the air, when ne prasped, puinng u down as u
sne!ter TO hts helpless family. Feeling that every
one ABOUT him was III similar situation ne pro-
teeded TO na tho young men wno mad been sleeping
on The second noor; 400 feet away he alscov sred
them, more less hurt With their aid Miss Matte
Drain was found, 100 yards distant covered with
t.rln Af IN NJ nann
Erl mas not yet recovered her shattered mind She
bad evidently arisen, tre 10 dress herself IN oruer
10 warn ner irisnos down stairs, and was praying
Wnen she vas thrown 30 lar away by the storm.
her hcad was badly hurt her leg iiactured ana
her mind still intent on what was most prominent
when sue received bcr Injuries.
ihe bouse was struck, violently turned round
struck agpin, and almost instantly lcveled to the
ground. Inc Iurpiturc disappeared entrcly.
smashed into fragments and borne on the Wa
wnus II was carried beyond the limits OF the town,
and enid coulo carry arms every thing visl-
bic OF all The indoor appurtcnances.
Near by stood tne residence OF Mrs. Herman,
aunt OF Professor Williams, In whose house a num-
Der or young lady scholars were boarding. only
two OF them were wounded. MRS. Herman
arose before the hOuse was struck and at
tempted to hold the door. but IN one WHO sweep
the house went asunder and everyIh hing was
carried away. fne piano was pcked up ana
carried twenty yards, tbe Keys torn loose and
huodied la confusion together; but little besides
beside pond below where the house STOOL It's keys
severed Md broken it's wires mute, 1t seemed q nt-
ting symDCl OF the dcaOlnti0n about it.
Further on tho Masonic Hall, large, two story
building. the lower part used ~ college, capable
OF accommodating LOO pupils, literally whipped
INTO strips--nothipg remaining that q child could
not carly.
The church belonging to the colored people, as
wei rs the church used ~ the whites Of all denom-
nations Tor devoiionai purposes, suffered o similar
late.
Tue house OF Mr.. Jolly. In which were his wife
and four children, was leveed TO the earth with no
Injury " the iamates numDef oil fowls ana dogs
were walking ABOUT the ruins apparently lost; few
domestic ANIMALS were harmed. 6one chickens
were i0und actually pucKed OF their feathers by tie
storm.
Further on we reached the spot where stood the
house OF MIR. George Poynter, who, with wne and
chlidhis little iAnlily-gave up their lives az the
terrible demon OF the STORM LETT their near lbstone
and h0nsehoid altar buried amid Q mass OF ruins.
THIS was one OF the most terrible scenes OF that
awful night. Ar. Poyntcr'S vile crushed and dying
under heavy bcam the little child, pihloned to the
car'h with rude splinter OF wood, still living With
tns picture behind hini, his head cut and skull
broken, his body bruised most carfuy, In the pclt
ing rain and s0rm insane with the horror around
bin, he staggered forward full 500 yards into the
vicinity Oi Mr. Mallory's house. whose dead daugh-
ter was then iying IN the runs, and meeting him
asked him some question. lie was not
distingrsned and they asked him who
he was. tie replied, Don't you know George
Poynterf" he cousd not tell anything inteiieipic,