The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-06-21
Tornado Of Fire.
3sorrns up de Earth and Destroying
az Liting T1s.gs IN ih Cowse-An
LppaRing Spectacle asar AasoR City.

10oTtNG up INC AoTh oNO OestTOytIt3
az LStisg zhs.gs IN iH Coxyse-An
Ippausng Spectacle nsar Aas0n City
(Correspondenee Illinois State Journal.1
JACKSONVILLE, June 5.-We Wis,
tied Mason county, on Saturday, and
collected the particulars OF a wonder.
fal tornado, or incipient cyclone. The
spsetacle was witnessed by hundreds
Of Tie residents Of Mason City, and
carried Consideration to many strong
brave 1aearts, and almost frightened
out Of their wits and lives many timid
men, vofnen and children
This fearful and wonderful exhibi-
ton Of the elements took place on
Friday morning last. The facts, as
we have collected them from eye wit
Desses of the startling phenomenon,
and from those who have since passed
along the entire track Of the tornado,
and observed with careful attention its
most singular aud destructive work,
are As follows: =.
The first trace Of tho tornado is
found some six miles west OF Mason
City. On Friday morning, while the
air was intensely hot, and to the west
and southwest OF Mason City, eight
clouds were visible, and to tho north
vest Q rain cloud could be seen about
six miles away, u dark, inky-hued,
fsarfui hooking cloud or column was
seen BIZ citizens of Mason City, gath,
sring at and near the earth's surface,
about six miles distant, on a wide,
extended prairie. Iagu o :.
n Gradualiy the terrible cloud column
increased In breadth and height, and
sssned 20 be moving slowly and di-
Yec.Iy toward Mason City. Soon from
this great, black, smoky column, the
base Of which rested on the earth, shot
up three distinct and well defined,
narrow and spire-like columns, which
continued to ascend rapidly until they
reached and seemed to attach them
selves firmly to q passing cloud above.
The frightfuI spectacle contibued to
move eastward, slowly but constantly,
FOX some fifteen minutes, then changed
IN course sightly te the south west
ward, greatly to the relief Of the peo-
pla Of Mason City, who rel expect
ifng to see their beautiful town torn to
pieces by the angry elements. For
some fifteen minutes longer the awful
apparition moved slowly on, changing
il shape considerably as it progressed.
In its onward course the two outer
columns disappeared, leaving the inner
column resting upon the great base
cloud below, and still attaching itself
10 the cloud above. 1.
, Dudisniy the dreadful apparition
16isappsarsd as If IL had been but q
yision or dream, and not a fearful
reality. While the black column was
moving, q cold current of air was SEN
sihly felt from its track, and an odor
much ike that Of burning sulphur
was inhaled by several persons. A
gentleman who had been a soldier,
and very often in battle, stood but q
hundred yards from the tornado when
il passed. He says that small blazes
OF flashes of electricity were contanty
visible in the columns from the earth
to the clouds above, and that rapid
popping, cracking reports were heard,
reminding him most forcibly of-say
Q thousand infantry in battle, loading
and firing their muskets as fast as pos
sible.
As fearful as was the appearance OF
this dark, black, smoky column or col
umns, resting upon the earth and
reaching to, and taking fast hold on
the clouds of heaven, nor marvellous,
il possible, was its destructive work
along its track upon the earth in its
pathway, which is near three miles in
length, and verying in width from
twenty to-eighty feet, not a blade OF
grass, not a stalk of corn or wheat, not
Q shrub-no not a particle of vegeta-
ton was left alive. Had the fire de-
scended from heaven and fallen In the
pathway Of this tornado, as it did on
Sodom, the destructione Of every living
thing of tho vegetable kingdom could
not have been more complete. For
some distance in its path, the earth
was literally plowed up for six inches
in depth.
a In passing over unbroken prairie at
Mason city, and q mile away, 60 in
oonceivably rapid must have been the
rotary motion of the wind of the tor
hhdo, that the earth was gathered up
from about the deep roots of prairie
Rrass, and the grass with its bare roots
g clean as If they had been washed,
was lifted from the earth and left
ntreun in tina pathway OF the storm,
Where the course of the tornado led
through . wheat field, every stalk OF
wheat standing in its path was torn
and twisted in every conceivable shape;
and where an, Usage orange hedge lay
across its path, the hedge bushes were
twisted into shreds but the strangest
and most wonderful Of all the strange
phenonena connected with this lorna
do 10 that the column Of whirling all
must have been intensely hot, as every
Leaf, every blade o fgrass, stalk ofcorr
or wheat-every green thing in it:
path; was literally and totally scorched
10 death and dried to a crisp.
The prairie grass along the storms
track, which was luxuriantly green
before the tornado passed, was left as
brown and dead as it Is found upon
the prairies in mid winter. The leaves
of the hedge where the devastating
tornado passed across it in its way,
-erumble as do the dead dry leaves OF
the forest after the blasting frost has
doueitsfwork. The young corn that
stood In its way is as dead and black
- ia whitening, ~'scorching fire had
passed through it
Another astounding feature Of this
tornado was, that while its rotary mo-
ton must have been inconceivably
rapid, its progressive motion was the