Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1873-06-05
A FRIGHTFUL TORNADO.

A telegram from Washington, Iowa, dated
Friday, gives the following particulars of a
terrific tornado which passed over that section
Thursday afternoon: Its path was about half
a mile in width, and it tore into fragments
everything in its course. Houses, barns, trees,
fences, 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 destruction.
Houses and barns we're torn into fragments
and scattered in~all directions, and for miles
around the fields were dotted with large tim.
bers, driven into the ground at an angle OF
ninety degrees. Cattle we're, actually, driven
headforemost 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 several
barns that were literally torn to pieces, and
many others that were badly damaged. At q
school-house six miles north Of here, school
was in session, and the tornado tore the build.
ing to pieces, and carried a fourteen year old
daughter of Henry Rothwells about quar-.
ter Of mile. When found she was mashed
into a jelly. Miss Smith, the teacher, and
six or ei ght scholars we're injured, some of
them severely. The wife of Henry Walters
was killed. A Miss Gardner and son of
Abe Gibson are at the point of death. Jacob
Seek was seriously hurt in the back. The
family Of ]. Campbell, near Kiota, were in
jured. A Miss Mccoy was seriously hurt.
A gentleman who was near the tornado re-
ports that it was baloon-shaped, with the
small end to the ground, and moved at the
rate of twenty miles per hour. 1t began its
fearful work near Kiota, where it demolished
several houses. We next hear Of it about
six miles northwest, where it destroyed two
or three houses, and as it passed on northeast,
scattered to the four winds the fine residences
and barns of Alexander Gibson, J. A. Bah
cock and j. G. Collingham. Itleveled to the
grou.id the dwellings of D. Conner, F. and
H. Waters, VIM. Corringer and Mr.. Kerr.
The lives of many persons were saved by
their hastily getting into the cellars Of their
houses. Sad havoc was made with all kinds
of stock.
From the description of an eyewitness, it
seems almost miracle that anything in its
track escaped alive He says he could see
large pieces of timber hurled from the cloud
as though shot from cannon. Hail stones
fell that measured nine inches in diameter.
Some were brought to this city, and four hours
after they were picked up, were still as large
as hen eggs. The roaring Of the tornado was
heard ten miles at this place, six miles away,
it was perfectly appalling, surprising in terror
anything ever heard in war, or the din of q
terrible battle.
A telegram from Kiota, last evening, says
five persons were killed about three miles
from that place; one child was torn to pieces.
Reports received thus far are from only few
points along the line of the terrible destroyer,
and the amount of damage cannot be estima'
ted, but it must amount to many thousands.
Many more lives were lost than reported and
no estimate can be made of the stock killed.
Nothing so terrible has ever befallen this Sec
tion of the country, and it is considered a
miracle that so few lives were lost.