The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1873-05-29
fry OF THE WINDS.
Terrible DeyastatiOn.----LOSs OF
Life and Property.

Mr. ]. Z. Pond. of this city, writing 10
The TINES under date OF 23d inst, gives the
following particular. in regard to the terrible
tornado st Washington, Iowa:
Your correspondent has witnessed scene
TO-DAY that beggars description. Having re-
,nrned from the track of one Of the most ter
rifle tornadoe. that ever passed through any
country, | will give you few Of the partic-
ulars.
Yesterday afternoon the whirlwInd, or tor
nado. passed six miles north OF this city.
and was accompanied by
HAIL AND RAIN.
Hails,ones weighing Fix ounces were on
exhibition here lat evening. The storm
came from the southwest, was about half q
mile in width, and completely demolished
everything that came in its way. Houses,
barns, fences and trees were caught mp and
hurled
THROUGH THE AIR
as though they we're no,hiug but living paper,
and then dashed TO the ground with such
force a. to completely demolish ihem. Cattle
we're picked up bodily and carried across
ten acre field and were actually driven into
the ground. Daa OK was pinned to tine
ground with a fenee stake driven through
the body.
HUMAN BEINGS
were picked up and carried over hedge
fences for distance Of a quarter OF a mile,
and then hurled to the ground with ruch
force as To cau-e instant death. At
school hou.e where school was ia session, the
building Vas torn in piece. and carried
fourteen war old daughter Of Henry R,th-
well about hundred rods and when found
sbe was
MASHED TO A JELLY.
Ii il impossible To conceive The d-yaSta-
ton or realize the orca Of the tornado. l
saw quite a number of the killed and suf-
feriny. Seven persons have already died.
Some of the finest farm residence In the
county were DESTROYED, with all adjoining
buildings, together with fences, orchards,
and even the very
GROUND WAS FLOWED
up 20 the depth OF two feet. The country Ia
dotted for miles with pieces OF timber driven
into the ground at an angle Of 30 degrees
A piece of two by four scan,lirg was driven
through hog and went eighteen inches into
the ground The roaring Of the tornado
heard from this place was perfectly aPpai.-
Ing. A person who was near when II
passed SAYS i, WA balloon shaped, with the
small end to the ground. /, moved at the
rate OF
TWENTY MILES AN HOUR.
Most ot the killed and injured are women
and children. The gale lasted about three
minutes. II took a strip half mile wide and
tea miles long, occasionally raising from the
ground then striking again with renewed
force. i did not have time TO learn the
names of the killed. There are severs
children that cqnnot recover; they are &C
badly M ,nglei. L; is Impossible 10 estimate
the damage along tie line at this lime. Re
ports Of
INJURIES AND DEATH
are still coming in.
Nothing heretofore so terrible and VIC
lent has ever befalien this country, and 1T
devastation can only be contemplated will
wonder and awe that so many have escaped
alive. Yours, >. q. +.
A dispatch TO the Missouri Democrat Civ
ing description Of the disaster, says:
An enormous amount OF property has beer
DESTROYED. II il impossible to describe thu
scene after the storm had passed. It resem
bled long strip OF country that had b ei
suddenly OVERLOOKED and everything carried
away. and AZ if the water had Suddenly faliel
and left everything in complete ruin.
THE FORCE OF THE STORM
was such that nothing escaped. Heavy cat
tie were carried over a quarter OF mile, AM
thrown TO the ground with such violence a
10 half embed them in the earth. Wagon
and farm implements Of all kinds we're strewl
about: even spokes broken ont of wage
wheels. Probably thousand person. iron
this place visited the scene to-day, and rem
dered all the assistance in their power to tn
sufferers.
A telegram from Sicourney says that
Lancaster, keokuk county, every house bu
one was entirely destroyed, but no one va
reported killed, though: many were sefiousI
hurt.
| LOCAL ITEMS.