The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1873-04-02
A FRIGHTFU1 TORNADO.
The Town Of Canton, MISS, Nearly
Destroyed.
A Scene that BegEar8 Description

ton seems to have been much greater INA
was inferred from meagre dispatches
An extra issued from the Mail ot1ce, BAL
urdsyS Bays:
ave had gone to press last night, AZ
had begun printing of our paper, WheI
there came up the most fearful and deStruC
tive tornado ever experienced IN this re
glon of country. The clouds had beel
very threatening, and the vivid and In
cesSant flashes Of lightning preSaged
thunder storm, but no one expected u
fearful gale that suddenly burst upol
Us at about eight o'clock. Famitie
sitting peacefully at their frRasSti's no
dreaming of danger, were In atelS 1qnd
to be rendered homeless and barely escapI
with their lives. The course Of the tor
nado seemed from the northwest, and IL
track was scarcely over d hundred yard
In width, perhaps not so much as that
and lay through the centre Of town
Houses Werc utterly demolished ant
blown away, leaving their bare walll
standing twisted and distorted In all man
ner OF shapes. Brick walls Ol buildingE
and solid chimneys were blown down
Missiles were sent through the air, such
as timbers, bricks and pieces OF wood
with fearful force. The occasion alto
gether beggars description. The Pearce
House is In ruins, and the stores and
shops above it, one Of which was one
story brick store was leveled TO the
ground. The Old Stone House Is wreck,
with roofing, gallery and pillars all gone
There are dwelling houses that arc mere
heaps OF timbers. Kitchens and out
houses were blown absolutely away
yards were swept clear Of every living
thing, poultry and dogs vanished utterly.
Substantial buildings were torn from their
foundation, heavily laden cars were
blown from the track, huge pieces OF tim.
Der were carried many hundred yards and
buried where they fell in the earth. This
will convey an idea ot the ruin accom-
plished last night, all in about half min.
ute's time. Mrs. Powell's residence and
one occupied by Mr.. Slangland,.a "a neigh
boring cottage and o. Smiths residence,
cottage next to the old cemetery, the
colorel Methodist Church and small
cottage occupied by, q colored man and
family near by were utterly demolished.
The wife of the colored man was buried
beneath the ruins and instantly killed.
The colOred preacher was buried beneath
the chimney, but not killed as was first
reported. a number OF people were hurt
in this neighborhood. RC. Smiths resi-
dence was lifted from its foundations and
moved several ioat, his kitchen, outhouses
and every living thing in the yard was
swept away, nothing but crumbling walls
left. J.R. Powells kitchen and other
outhouses were demolished and two chin.
news Of his residence torn into fragments.
WIN. Baldwin's residence has the roof
STAYED in, this, together with injuries d0no
to the roofing, windows, fences, ETC., gen.
eralIy is what was done 90 III" oo1shSa0t'
ern suI Uf tho Town. II anything, the
damages on the square and In the north
west quarter of town were even greater.
The Pearce House as mentioned, pre-
scented the appearance of wreck also,
Col. Jones, building which 9djolns the
barber shops, one story brick occupied
by Mrs. Sulm rs confectionery and Dak'
er establishment, are q mass OF ruins
Mr.. l.. Liedemen, who was In at
Mrs. Sulms had an arm broken,
the other inmates escaping unhurt
though the house was utterly demoIish'
ed, The iron fence that enclosed the
Court yard is parity down and Is twisted
and bent and broken opposite the Pearce
House as ifby the weight Of giant, aud
the Court House itseli, one side, Is actu'
ally leaning eastward, while Its roofing
Is In tatters. We take up the track ol the
storm. m.god and in the northwestern quar-.
ter OF the town we find families shelter
less. Cottages are piled up IN fragments:
Mr., John Howlett's house, new and
substantial building, was blown down and
either from the lamp or being struck by
lightning, perhaps, took fire. and in
brief time, all that remained Of that once
happy home and its comforts were In
charred ruins. Scarcely anything was
saved. We visited the spot where a poor
widow lady was, Mrs. Harrison, with q
family OF children, were contemplating
the wreck Of their home, which was lev.
eled 10 the earth and not timber left
standing. The family had proVldentially
escaped by going to neig ghbor's on the
approsch Of the storm. Everywhere in
the path OF the tornado the buildings were
razed TO the ground or lett roOaeSs. Last
night after the storm there was scene OF
he widest disorder. The flames from
HoWell's residence shone against the
black clouds OF the tempest, which along
their edges gave back the same look oI
red fire, The fire bell rang and the peo.
pie rushed hither and thither. Quantities
Of timbers and trees obstructed the streets,
and men were moved from point to point
to rescue those in distress. The hremen
were bravely at their post, endeavorlng
to drag their engine to the scene OF the
IRE. Women with infants In their arms
went about the streets distracted, not
knowing where TO 60. It is indeed mirac'
ulous that In all the destruction oi homes,
where houses with families In them were
so destroyed that not one stone was
left upon another, only one life was
lost. There were miraculous escapes
from sudden and irighttul death, but Q
number Of persons were injured moro or
less. There Is no calculating now the
amount Of damage done TO property. VIC
stop our press TO give what we have been
able to gather at this time. So far there
is no news from the country. WCvisited
the ruins Of friends residence, hearing
that his house was blown down, with
the view Of assistance. He was standing
guard over the pieces, and was the only
living, breathing person, or thing, any
where about, he having removed his fam
lily. He greeted US cheerIully, claiming
TO be the happiest man alive-that amid
all that wreck, land he pointed iU he and
his family had escaped alive. lie had
been struck down senSeleSs by something
falling and when he recovered, found
that no one else was hurt. The kitchen
outhouses, dogs, pigs and poultry had all
taken unto themselves wings. Mrs. Sling
land, we learn was only slightly hurt, al
thought her house was destroyed. Among
i the miraculous escapes was that of Mrs