The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-05-30
THE IOWA TEMPEST.

oamary Freak Of the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ing Description Of the Terrible Cyclone.
The recent tornado in Iowa was of the
fercest description, far surprising any
thing of the kind ever witnessed in that
section. The track of the hurricane was
about half mile in width, and tore
into fragments everything that came in
its course. Houses, barns, fences, trees,
cattle, and human beings were caught
up and whirled through the air Like
mere toys, and then dashed to the
ground with such violence as to produce
instant death with the animate beings.
The houses and barns were torn to frag-
ments and scattered for miles around.
Large pieces of timber were driven into
the ground at an angle of ninety degrees,
and cattle were actually driven head
foremost into the soil. One can scarce
ly conceive of the devastation or realize
the force of the tornado. The saddest
part of the terrible visitation was the
loss of human life, some eight or ten
persons having been killed. Sad havoc
was made with all kinds of live stock,
several hundred head having been de-
stroyed by the cyclone.
From an eyewitness description, it
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track escaped alive. He says that he
could see large pieces of timber hurled
from the cloud as though shot from a
cannon. Hail fell that measured nine
inches in diameter. The roaring of the
tornado was fearful, and could have
been heard easily ten miles. AT the
distance of five or six miles the noise
was perfectly appalling, surprising any
thing ever heard except the roar and din
of a terrific battle. In Washington
county alone the loss is enormous,
amounting to thousands of dollars.
Eight persons were killed in that county,
namely: Ladan Housed, Mr.. Dawson,
Mr. Baker, daughter of Jacob Seek,
the wife and two children of Henry
Waters, daughter of Henry Ramthel,
aged II, who was carried distance of
quarter of mile by the wind, and
Miss Gardner. In the town of Lancas-
ter, Keokuk county, every house but
one was swept away. a letter from
Washington, Iowa, says
Our reports are from only a few
points on the line of the terrible de-
stroyer, and we cannot estimate the
amount of damage, but it may be many
thousands of dollars. Many more lives
were probably lost than those reported,
and no estimate can be made of the
stock killed Nothing heretofore so
terrible and violent has ever befallen
this county, and we can only contem-
plate its devastation with awe, and Won
der that so many escaped alive.
1t is impossible to describe the scene
after the storm had passed. 1t re-
| 1n1 +,.an 6 hot 1,,I
been suddenly overfowed and every
thing carried away, and as if the water
had suddenly fallen and left everything
in complete ruin. The force of the
storm must have been tremendous.
Nothing resisted it. Heavy cattle were
carried over a quarter of a mile, and
thrown to the ground with such violence
as to half imbed them in the earth.
Wagons and farm implements of all
kinds were strewn all over. Even the
spokes were broken out of The wagon
wheels. A hog was found pierced
through with a two by four timber, pin
ming it to the ground. Building ma
terial and agricultural implements, in
GLIDING thrashing machines, reapers,
corn-plows, planters, cultivators, etc.,
i'll every shape imaginable, are strewn
the entire distance. The storm seemed
to confine itself, in width, from 100 to
400 yards.
[Keota Keokuk County Qowa) Correspondence Chi
cago Tribune.l
/ have Just returned from tour along
the course of the tornado, or as near it
as broken bridges and other Instructions
would permit At Sigourney, fourteen
miles from here, the storm was observed,
according to tue preponderance of opin-
ion, about B o'clock in the afternoon.
Hail fell heavily; such hail as has not
been seen since the plaques of Egypt,
came down thick and fast, in straight
line, the air being unusually calm and
outside the disturbing influence of the
tornado, which was some ten miles away.
The size of the hail will test the credu-
lous powers of many, and, were there no
concurrence of testimony, l would hest
tate TO mention it. Mr. j. y. Doraty, a
conductor on the Rock Island railroad,
n man of intelligence, stated that he was
in a drug store, when several were picked
up, weighed, and measured. One of
them weighed y ounces, and was 10
inches in. circumference. A gentleman
had one weighing s ounces, and SO large
and solid were they that it took three
hours for the largest to melt. They re-
semble large Jumps of clear, transparent
ice. Some were round as cannon ball
some slightly oblong like an egg ; others
were fattened like door-knobs. Down
they came with decorating sound like
the sound of pistol No one was in
the streets. 1t was as much as life was
worth to be struck by one of these
curious celestial missiles. Horses tried
to dodge them, and in doing so broke
away from their hitching posts, and
dashed wildly through the terriied town.
More than one vehicle met the fate of
the "one-hoss shay" Windows were
broken, and much small injury done i'll
various ways. The only indication
Sigourney had of the work of destruc-
ton going on in the distance was low,
rumbling sound, like far-away thunder,
or the noise of n train of cars moving
rapidly over a bridge.
The tornado started on its mission of
death from the vicinity of Haysville, in
Lancaster township, Keokuk county, not
far from the town of Lancaster. Mr..
James Craig, an old citizen of that place,
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