The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1873-05-28

A FR1aHTFUn ToRNADo.-A telegram
from Washington, Iowa, dated Friday,
gives the following particulars OF a ter
rif1otornado sWhich passed ovef that Sec
tion; Thursday afternoon: Ita path was
about half q mile in width. and it tore
intoifragments everything In its course.
Houses, barns, fences, trees, cattle and
human beings were caught up and
whirled through the Dir like mere toys,
and then dashed to the ground with such
violence as to produce instant destruc-
ton. Houses and barns were torn into
fragments and scattered in oil directions,
and for miles around the fields were dot.
ted with large timbers; driven into the
ground at an angle of ninety degrees.
Cattle were sotually driven head foremost
into the ground. One can scarcely con-
ceive 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 that were badly damaged.
At schooi:house six miles North Of
here. school was in session, and tho
tornado tore the building to pieces and
carried fourteen year old daughter Of
Henry Rothwell's about quarter OF q
milo. When found she was mashed into
six or eight scholars were injured, some
Walters was killed. AMiss Gardner and
q son of Abe Gibson are at the point Of
death. Jacob Seek was seriously hurt in
,thelback. The family of J. Campbell,
near ;Kiota, we're injured. A Miss Mo-
Coy was seriously hurt.
A gentleman who was near the tornado
reports that it was balloon shaped, with
the small end to the ground, aud moved
at the rate Of twenty miles per hour.
1t began it's fearful work near Kiota,
where it demolished several houses.
We next hear of it about six miles North
west, where it destroyed two or three
houses, and as it passed on North -east,
soattered to the four winds the fine resi-
dences and barns of Alexander Gibson,
J. A. Bahoook and j. @. Collingham.
Il leveled to the geound the dwellings of
d. Conner. F. and 81. Waters, VIM. Cor
ringer and Mr. Kerr. The lives of many
persons were saved by their hastily get
ting into the cellars of their houses.
Sad havoc was made with all kinds of
stock.
From the description Of an eye-wit-
ness. it seems almost o miracle that any
thing 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
we're brought to this city. and four hours
after they were picked mp. they were
still as large as hen eggs. The roaring
OF the tornado was heard ten miles; at
this place, six milea away, it was per-
fectly appalling. surprising in terror
anything ever heard in war and the din
Of terrible battle.
A telegram from Kiota, last evening,
says five persons we're killed about three
miles from that place; one child was torn
to pieces. Reports received thus far
arc from only q few points along the line
oi the terrible destroyer, and the amount
OF damage cannot be estimated, but it
must amount to many thousands. Many
more lives wero lost than reported, and
no estimate can be made of tho stock
killed: Nothing 80 terrible has ever be-
fallen this section of the country, and It
is considered miracle that 80 few lives
were lost.