South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1873-05-30

40EXIoc xOTuooO III iowa.
H0Sses, Barns. Treas. csttis ssd Huna. Bsiuos
wAirisd through tAs Av--LOss Of LIFE.
CIScISNATI, May PA despatch FROM
Des Moines, love, Gays the severest thun.
der storm 10 that region for years occurred
ysstsrdsy. Nine houses were blown down
or moved from their bases By the wiud. A
Methodist church wss blown down. An
unknown man was killed BY lighting.
FURTHER PARTICULARS.
WASHINGTON, May pa terrific tor.
usdo or whirl wind accompanied by hail
and rain passed over this county, about six
miles north Of Wsshiugtoo, yesterday If.
ternooo. Its path vas about half mile
In width, and II tore into fragments every
thing 10 i's course. Houses, barns, fen.
ees, trees, cattle and human beings we're
caught up and wbirled through the air like
mere toys, and then dsabed to the ground
With such violence a. to produce instant
destruction. Houses and barns were torn
into fragments and scattered 10 all direc-
tions, aud for miles around the fields nre
dotted with timbers driven into tho ground at
an angle ofninety degrees. Cattle were &c.
tua'ly driven headforcmost irto the ground
Ooe can scarcely conceive the devastation,
or realize the force of the tornado.
Akesdy We have heard Of thirteen farm
houses and many barns that were literally
torn TO pieces, and many others badly dam.
aged. School was 10 session at the school
house six miles porih Of here, and the tor.
nado tore the building to pieces aud car
ried fourteen.yesr old daughter of Henry
Ro'hmel about quarter Of mile from the
school. When found she was crushed to a
jelly. Miss Smith, the teacher, aud six or
eight Of the scholars were Injured, some OF
them severely. The wife Of Henry Wal
ters was killed. a Miss Gardener and a
SON of Abe Gibson 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 Ksois,
we're injured. Mrs. McCoy was seriously
hurt. 70
A gentleman who was near the tornado
reports thatit was balloon sbsped, With the
small end to the ground, and moved at the
rate OF twenty miles an hour, il began its
fearful work near Keoia, where Il demol-
ished several houses. We next hear of il
about six miles northwest, where il de.
stroysd two or three houses and % is pass
ed on northwest scattered to the four winds
hve residences, and the barns Of Alexander
Gibson, j A. Babcok and j. G.. Calling
ham. II also levelled TO the ground the
dwellings of ID. Cancer, L. and II. Walters,
MIR. Carringer and Mr.. Kerr. The lives Of
many persons were saved by their hastily
getting into the cellars of their houses.
Sad havoc wss made with oil kinds of
stock.
From the description Of an eye witness
1t seems almost . miracle that anything in
Its track escaped alive. He says be could
see large pieces Of timber hurled from the
storm-cloud rs though shot from o cannon.
Hail stones fell that measured nine inch
es 10 diameter. Some were brought to
this city, aud four hours after they were
still as large as hens eggs.
The roaring of the tornado was fearful,
and could easily have been hoard ten miles.
AT this place, six miles away, it was per.
fectly appalling, surprising anything ever
beard, except war aud the din of terrific
battle.
A telegram from Keota last evening says
that i've persons were killed about three
miles from that place. One child was torn
70 pieces.
The reports received thus far are from
only few points along the line Of the ter
rible destroyer, aud the amount Of damage
cannot be estimated, but il must be many
thousand dollars
Many more lives were probably lost than
those reported, snd no estimate can be made
of the stock killed.
Nothing 90 terrible or violent has ever
befallen this section Of the country, and il
is considered . miracle that SO few lives
~eVa Loaf