Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1873-05-24
THE STORM FIEND.
Terrific Tempest in The Northwest.
Widespread Destruction and Loss Of
smunr Lives
Adults and Children Whirled through
the Air. a.liasa
Cattle Plunged into the Earth like
tisfq s.. Posts.
Hail-StOnes Nine Inches In Diameter.
NEEaE EE - = .sr-seF 4t1
Only One House of Village Left
Standing.
Terrific Tempest in The NOrthwes
Hail-Stones Nine Inches in Diameter.

WASHINGTON, Iowa, May PA ter
rife tornado or whirIwiud, accompanied
with hail and rain passed over this county
about six miles north of Washington yester
day afternoon. It came up from the south
west and passed out oft1e county a little
south of alton. The tornado was about
one-half mile in width and tore into frag
ments everything that came in its course.
Houses, barns, fences, cattle and human
beings, were caught up and 49,
WhirIed Through the Air
like mere toys, and then dashed to the
ground with such violence as TO produce
instant death to animate beings. Houses
and barns were torn 10 fragments and scat
tered-for miles around. The fields are dot
ted with large timbers driven into the ground
at an angle of ninety degrees, and cattle
were actually
Driven Head-fOremOst
into the ground. One can scarcely con-
ceive of the devastation or realize the force
of the tornado. Already we have heard Of
thirteen farm houses and as many barns
that were literally torn TO pieces, and others
badly damaged A school was in session
six miles north of here, aud the tor
nado tore the building to pieces and carried
a fourteen year old daughter of Henry
Rathmel about q quarter of mile fro Il
the school house, and when found she was
Mashed to Jelly.
Miss Smith, the teacher, and six or eight
scholars were hurt, some badly;
the wife of Henry Waters was killed.
Miss Gardner and q son of Abe Gibson lie
at the point of death. Jacob Seek was Sc
riously hurt. Mr: Baker was badly hurt in
the back. Several of the family of +. q.
Campbell, near Keata, were wounded.
Mrs. Mccoy was seriously hurt. A gentle
man who was near the tOrnad0, six miles
north when it passed, reports that it was
Balloon shaped
with the small end to the ground, and
moved at the rate of about twenty miles an
hour. II commenced its fearful work near
Keata, where it demolished several resi-
dences. We next hear of it about six miles
northwest, where it destroyed two or three
houses, and as it passed on northeast, it
scattered TO the four win 8 the nne resi-
dences and barns of Alex. Gibson, j. A.
Babcock, and j. G. Cuilinghsm, also level
ed to the ground, the dwellings of d. Can
Ger, T and Il. Walters, Mr.. Carringer and
Mr.. Kerr. Many persons lives were saved
by
Hastily Getting into their Cellars.
Sad havoc was made with all kinds of
stock. From eve witnesses description it is
almost miracle that anything in its track
escaped alive. He says he could see large
pieces of mber
Hurled from the Cloud
as though shot from a cannon. Hail fell
that measured nine inches in diameter.
Some were brought to this city, and four
hours after they we're picked up they still
we're as large as hens eggs. The roaring
of the tornado was fearful AMI could have
been heard easily ten miles. At this pace,
six miles awaI, it was perfectly appalling,
surprising in terror anything we ever heard
except the roar and din of terrific battle.
A telegram from Keota last evening says
that five persons were killed About three
miles from that place there was
A Child Torn to Pieces.
Our reports are only from only a few
points on the line Of the terrible destroyer
and we can't estimate the amount of dam
age, ut it must be many thousand dollars.
Many more lives were probably lost than
those reported, and no estimate can be
made of the stock killed. Nothing here
tofore so terrible and violent has ever be-
fallen the country, and we can only con-
template its devastation with awe and
wonder that so many escaped alive.
The storm at KeOta.
KEorA, Ia, May 23.-The most ter
rihc storm ever known in this part Of the
State passed through here yesterday about
8 o'clock p. NJ. Ii started, as far as heard
from, ten mi es southwest on Skunk bot
tom, travelling in southeasterly direction
to within p miles of thS city, sweeping
everything before it. -Four persons are
reported killed. Eight are sligh ly hurt.
Eight houses were torn;down. Three barns,
one sawmin and several granaries were
blown down. From to 800 head of stock
was killed. Building material and agricul-
tural implements, in luding threshing ma
chimes, reapers, corn plows, planters, culti-
vators, ETC., and in every shape imaginable,
we're streWn the entire distance. The
storm seemed to confine itself in width
from l to 400 yards.
A Town in Ruins.
It is reported that the town of Lancaster,
Is miles southwest, in this county, is in ru-
ms. As we are writing, more buildings are
reported blown down, further southwest.
Night Report.
WASHINGTON, Ia, May 23.-Additional
news from the tornsdo makes the damage
done great deal more than heretofore re-
ported. Six more persons have died since
the dispatch this morning, making 8 in all.
There are many others who are very low
and their lives dsspaired of. These arc
all reported to us within 6 or 8 miles on the
line of the storm. We have not yet been
abe to hear from other parts of the conn
try to what extent the storm has ragged. An
enormous amount of property has been
destroyed.
1t is impossible to describe the scene afler
the storm had passed. Everything is in
complete ruin. The force of the storm was
such that nothing resisted. Heavy cattle
were carried over a quarter of mile and
thrown to the ground with such violence as
TO half imbed them, in the earth. A hog
was found pierced through by a 2X4 tim
Der, pinning it 10 the ground.
A telegram from Sigourney says that at
Lancaster, Keokub, every house but one
was entirely destroyed, but no one is re-
ported killed, though many seriously hurt.
The Storm Crosses into Illinois.