The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-05-29
Terrific Tornado in Iowa


A terrific tornado or whrwind. ac-
companied 10y hail and rain, passed over
this country about six miles north OF
Washington, yesterday afternoon Its
path was about a mile in width. and it
tore INTO fragments everything in its
coarse Houses. barns. fences, trees,
cattle and human beings were caught up
and whirled 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 the ground
al an angle OIL 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 pieces and
many others badly damaged A school
was in session al a school-house six miles
north OF here, and the tornado tore the
building TO pieces, and carried the four
teen-year old daughter of Henry Rothmel
about q quarter of mile from the school
house. She was found mashed to a ellv.
Miss Smith, the teacher, and six or eight
scholars We're injured, some severely
The wife OF Henry Walters was killed
A Miss Gardner and son Of Abe Gardner
lie at the point Of death Jacob Seek was
seriously hurt. A Mr. Baker was hurt in
the back. The family Of J. Campbell,
near keota, We're injured and q Mrs Nc
Coy seriously hurt.
A gentleman who was near the tornado
reports it was balloon-shape.i, with the
small end to the ground, and moved ut
The rate of twenty miles an hour 1t be-
gan It's fearful work near keota. where it
demolished several houses. We next
hear of If about six miles northwest,
where it destroyed two or three houses
and, AS it passed on northeast, scattered
the fine residences and barns of Alexander
Gibson, j. A. Backcock and j. c. Calling
ham. 1t also leveled the dwellings of D.
Cancer, F. II, Walters, Mr.. Canninger
and Mr.. Kerr. The lives OF many persons
were saved by their hastily getting into
the cellars Of houses. Sad havoc was
made with all kinds Of stock. From the
description Of an witness, il seems
almost a miracle that any thing in the
track escaped alive He says he could
see large pieces OF timber hurled from the
cloud as though shot from cannon
Hailstones tell that measured nine inches
IN diameter. Some We're brought to this
city and -four hours after they were picked
up they Were still as large as hens eggs.
The roaring Of the tornado was fearful,
and could have been easily heard ten
miles. At this place six miles away, it
was perfectly appalling, surprising in
terror anything ever heard except the din
of a terrific battle
telegram from keota last evening,
says that five persons We're kill about
three miles from that place. One child
was torn to pieces. The reports received
thus fan are from only a few points along
the line OF the terrible DESTROYER, and the
amount Of damage cannot be estimated.
bat it must be many thousand dollars.
Many more lives were probably lost than
than those reported, and no estimate can
be made Of the stock killed. Nothing so
terrible or violent has ever befallen this
section of the country heretofore, and it
IS considered a miracle that so few lives
We're lost
WASHINGTON, Iowa, "a
Additional dispatches of the tornado
make the damages a great deal more than
heretofore reported. Six more persons
have died, making eight in all. There
are many others whose lives are despaired
of. These are all reported within six or
eight miles on the line of the storm To
what extent the storm ragged in other
parts of the country is not yet learned
An enormous amount of property has been
destroyed
1t is impossible TO describe the scene
after the storm passed. 1t resembled a
1ong tract of country that had been sud-
denly flooded and everything carried away,
and as il the water had suddenly fallen
and left everything in complete ruin.
The force OF the storm was such that moth
ing resisted it. Heavy objects were carried
over quarter Of mile and thrown to
the ground, with such violence as to half
embed them in the earth. Wagons and
farm implements of all kinds were strewn
all around. Even the spokes were broken
out OF the wagon wheels.
A hog was found pierced through and
pinned to the ground by spike OF timber
two by four inches. Over / 900 persons
from Washington visited the scene Friday,
and rendered all the assistance in their
power to the sufferers A telegram from
Sigourney says that at Lancaster every
house but one was entirely destroyed, but
no one was reported killed, though many
we're seriously hurt.