The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1873-05-24
FEARFUL TORNADO IN IOWA.
Several Persons Killed and I'm
jurea.
Great Destruction Of Houses and
3 en- IS Stock.

WASHINGTON, Iowa, May pa terrific tor
nado or whirlwind, accompanied by hail and
rain, passed over this county, about six miles
north of Washington, yesterday afternoon. Its
path was about half mile in width and it tore
into fragments everything in it's course
Houses, barns, fences, cattle and human beings
were caught up and whrled through the air
like toys and then dashed to the ground with
such violence as to produce instant destruction.
For miles around the fields are dotted with
large timbers driven into tho ground at an an
gle of ninety degrees. Cattle were actually
driven head foremost into the ground, One
can scarcely conceive the devastation or realize
the force of the tornado. Already we have
heard of thirteen farm houses and many barns
that were literally torn to piecfs and many 9TH
ers badly damaged.
A school was in session at q school house six
miles north OF here, and the tornado tore the
building to pieces and carried the fourteen year
old daughter of Henry Rothmel about qua rter
of mile from the school house. She was
found mashed to a j. lily. Miss Smith, the
teacher, and six or eight scholar were injured,
some severely. The wife of Henry Walters
was killed A Miss Gardner and son of Abe
was seriously hurt A Mr.. Baker was hurt in
the back.
A gentleman who was near the tornado re-
ports it was balloon shaped, with the small end
to the ground and moved at rate OF twenty
five miles an hour. Egs# rff
demolished several houses. We next heard of
it about six miles northwest, where it destroyed
two or three houses, and as it passed un north
east shattered several fine residences and
barns. @ ttt .. E.tE
The lives of many persons were saved by
their getting into the cellars of their houses
Sad havoc was made with all kinds of stock
From the description of an eye witness it
seems almost a miracle that anything in its
track escaped alive He saws he could see LARGE
DlPcaS of timber hurlpd frnYn olo nd
shot from cannon. Hail stones fell viii h
measured nine inches in diameter. Some were
brought to this city, and four hours after thew
were picked up they were still as large as hens
eggs. 80
The roaring of the tornado was fearful and
could easily DE heard ten miles, At this place,
SIX miles away, 1T was perfectly appalling, sur
passing in terror anything ever heard, except
the roar and din of a terrible battle.
telegram from Keota last even NO saws that
five persons were killed about three miles rom
that place. One was torn to pieces
The reports received thus far are from onlv n
few points along the line of the terrible DESTROY
er, and the amount of damage cannot be esti-
Many more lives were probably lost than those
reported, aud no estimate can be made of the
stock killed. Nothing so terrible OF violent has
ever befallen this section of the country
heretofore, and il is considered as a mira Gle
that so few lives were lost. ts2aa
the severest thunder storm known in that re-
gon for years occurred yesterday Nine houses
were blown down or moved from their base by
the wind. The Methodist church was blown
down. ----...
The loss Of life and property by the tornado
was much greater than first reported. Six
more persons have died since morning and the
lives of many Others are despaired of. An
enormous amount of property has been des-
trOyed. .-.,
Only one house is left standing in the town
of Lancaster. No one reported killed, though
many were seriously injured.
KEoTA, Iowa, May 23.-Between 200 and 800
head of cattle were killed IN this neighborhood
by the tornado yesterday. 1t is reported that
the town of Lancaster, fifteen miles west of
here in this county, is in ruins. tBs
PRAIRIE CITY, H.. May PA fearful tor
nado passed a mile north of this place yester-
day evening, killing and woundng several per-
sous and large number of horses and ca tile.
The storm travelled eastward sweeping nearly
everything before it for half mile in width,
and blown g down houses, barns, clubhouse
fences and telegraph poles,