The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1873-05-26
ATERRIBLE TORNADO.
.The Storm I'm Iowa.

| CHICAGO, May zo.-oPeciai uiSPo'en
es Of yesterday cay that the extent o.
the terrific tornado which passed Keo-
kuk and Washington counties last
Thur,dsy, has been but mesgrely de-
tailed. The damage seems too great to
be realized. Although the statements
made were alarming, they convey no
ides Of the injury done to property
and OF the number of persons killed
or wounded. The most vivid imagl-
nation could not have pictured the de-
vastation and ruin wrought within two
hours. Such q wind storm was never
before experienced in this country. The
oldest inhabitant remembers q hurri-
cane twenty-five years ago that swept
everything before it. but as Washington
county was then an Insignificant county,
the damage was not material. Five years
later there was hail storm which did
considerable injury to crops, but the
tornsdo of last Thursday was the Ben
verest ever known in Washington
county. No damage whatever was
done in Washington, the point nearest
where the storm laid its destroying
hand being about six miles distant.
The roar which accompanied this man.
Hesitation OF nature was distinctly heard
here, and it is said by farmers
who lived ten miles away that they
hearG a peculiar rumbling noise and
could not avoid connecting it with the
storm. To some it sounded like q
heavy freight train at night; to others
like musketry with an occasional dis
charge of thunder. There was scarce
ly any. lightning fa.hes visible
and only an occasional peal Of thunder
was heard. Rain fell in torrents, not
in drops but in sheets, there appearing
to be lake of water in the atmos-
phere. The whole country was flood
ed to the depth of several inches and it
is 'eared the corn already planted is
washed out.
The destruction OF life and property
was awful. Thus far the names OF sew
enteen killed and twenty-three wounded
have been given and more will be heard
from. Houses were carried away or
demolished; cattle, sheep, hogs and
fowls were carried away by hundreds.
Timber snapped like reeds, fields were
devastated and ruin and suffering
brought upon all. Scores ofindividual
instances might be given OF places de-
stroyed. In Washington county q
school house in which there were about
30 childred was overtaken by the tor-
nado. The wind demolished the win
dows frat and rushing into the build
ing lifted it up as if was paper and
knocked it about like shuttlecock. A
daughter OF Henry Rethwel. aged eleven
years, was standing in the doorway, and
seeing black cloud coming, started to
run ont. No one knew what had be.
come of her until they found her man
gled body, bali an hour afterwards, in
the mud, a quarter OF mile down the
road. She must have been raised by
the wind and carried along. She had
very little clothing on when found, and
her remains were covered with mud.
Mrs. Smith and six scholars, whose
names could not be learned, were in
jured, three or four Of them dangerous
ly. Mud blew 80 hard in the faces
Of many Of the children it cannot be
washed off, some of their faces look as
il they had been tatooed with India
ink or powder. Near the school house
across the road stood the dwelling Of
Henry Walters; it was reduced 10
atoms and Mrs. Walters was instantly
killed. When found she had one Of
her pair OF twins in her arms. The
little fellow was bruised and cut aud
died the following day. The other one
escaped though no one can tell how.
Three of her children were in the
school house. They received serious
injuries, two Of them are:not expected to
live.
About q quarter af a mile south Of
the school house is the farm OF A.
Gibson. None OF his buildings are
standing; his house was the finest in
this part OF the country. All his Or
chards are valueless and all his stock
dead. Hs was not at home when the
storm destroyed his property, being at
q neighbors house. His son aged IA
years and hired man named Baker at
tenn pied to get into the house but were
overtaken in the orchard. The latter
had an arm and leg broken by being
thrown down and the boy
was rendered insensible and
and still remains 80, bis head being cut
in several places. Mrs. Gardner. Mr..
Gibson, granddaughter and three child
rem were in the house and were precipi-
tsted into the cellar, the building flying
away. The first named was badly in-
iured but the others only slightly. Sixty
cattle were carried of by the wind, some
OF them weighing fourteen hundred
pounds and landed in slough twenty
rods off.
At Snake Bottom, coal houses and
houses were carried away; all Of Nc
Beren's fences, shelters and barns and
Jacob Ballos house and barn were car
ried away.
The following is a correct list OF the
killed and wounded in Washington
county.
Killed-a child OF Mrs, Baker, a
child Of Mrs. Fress, Mrs. Korch, Mrs.
Enelingel and child, a child of Mrs.
Horace Warred. Mrs. Walters and two
childred, Mr.. Davidson, L. Houselett
and Henry Rathuill.
Wouuded-Mrs. Cunningham, Mrs.
Mccoy. Mrs. Anshaw and three chill
dren who will probably die, Mrs. Smith
and two children OF Mrs. Waltber, W.
Gibson aged Is, R. Gibson aged IA,
J Gibson aged IA, children Of Rebecca
and William Gibson. son of j. <.
CARRIER, child Of w. Caldwell 4 children
whose names are unknown; farm hand,