Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1873-06-05
THE IOWA

oAA DC |
scription of the Storm Kings Ride.
The recent tornado in Iowa was of the
fercest description, far surprising any
thing of the kind ever witnessed in that
section. The track of the hurricane
was about a half mile in width, and tore
into fragments everything that came in
it's course. Houses, barns, fences, trees,
cattle, and human beings were caught
up and whirled through the air like mere
toys, and then dashed to the ground with
such violence as to produce instant
death with the animate beings. The
houses and barns were torn to fragments
and scattered for miles around. Large
pieces of timber were driven into the
ground at an angle of ninety degrees,
and cattle were actually driven head
foremost into the soil. One can scarce
ly conceive of the devastation or realize
the force Of the tornado. The saddest
part Of the terrible visitation was the
loss of human life, some eight or ten
persons having been killed. Sad havoc
was made with all kinds of live stock,
several hundred head having been de-
stroyed by the cyclone.
From an eyewitness description, it is
almost a miracle that anything in it's
track escaped alive. He says that he
could see large pieces of timber hurled
from the cloud as though shot from a
cannon. Hail fell that measured nine
inches in diameter. The roaring of the
tornado was fearful, and could have
been heard easily ten miles. At the dis
lance of five or six miles the noise was
perfectly appalling, SURPRISING anything
ever heard except the roar and din of a
terrific battle. In Washington county
alone the damage is enormous, amount
ing to thousands of dollars. Eight per-
sons were killed in that county, namely {:
Housed, Mr.. Davidson, Mr.. Baker, a
daughter of Jacob Seek, the wife and
two children of Henry Waters, a daugh-
ter of Henry Ramthel, aged IA, who
was carried a distance of a quarter of a
mile by the wind, and a Miss Gardner.
In the town of Lancaster, Keokuk
county, every house but one was swept
away. A letter from Washington, Iowa,
says: Our reports are from only a few
points on the line of the terrible de-
stroyer, and we cannot estimate the
amount of damage, but it may be many
thousands of dollars. Many more lives
were probably lost than those reported,
and no estimate can be made of the
stock killed. Nothing heretofore so
terrible and violent has ever befallen
this county, and we can only contem-
plate its devastation with awe, and won
der that so many escaped alive.
It is impossible to describe the scene
after the storm had passed. 1t re-
sembled a long tract OF country hat had
been suddenly overfowed and every
th1no no r11o1 ono- on1 or g 4Io ,-o4o-
had suddenly fallen and left everything
in complete ruin. The force of the
storm must have been tremendous.
Nothing resisted it. Heavy cattle were
carried over a quarter of a mile, and
thrown to the ground with such violence
as to half imbed them in the earth.
Wagons and farm implements of all
kinds were strewn all over. Even the
spokes were broken out of the wagon
wheels. 4 hog was found pierced
through with a two by four timber, pin
ming it to the ground. Building material
and agricultural implements, including
~thrashing machines, reapers, corn-plows,
planters, ~cultivators, ETC., in every shape
imaginable, are strewn the entire dis
lance. The storm seemed to confne
itself, in width, from 100 to 400 yards.
Washington Qowa) Cor. Chicago Tribune.]
The roar which accompanied this
manifestation of the anger of nature was
distinctly heard here, and it is said by
farmers, who live 10 miles away, that
they heard a peculiar, rumbling noise,
and could not avoid connecting it with
the storm. To some the noise sounded
like a heavy freight train at night, wher
everything was reposing ; to others, like
musketry, with an occasional discharge
of artillery.
Everything, except here and there {
mile or two over which the whirlwinG
seems to have jumped, is desolate-look
ing. Scarcely a house, barn, shed, OF
granary is left. All were swept ava,
as clean as the fire wiped out the Nortl
Side of Chicago.
Those who saw the commencement
say they first noticed an immense blacl
mass, which to some resembled a hug,
| hay-stack in shape, and to others
!, balloon, with the small end toward tn
| ground. They could not see beyond it,
borders, but, as it went by, they say
mud and boards flying in all directions
Houses were torn from their founda
tons, as If they were chatf, broken ant
| twisted into a million fragments, SOM
3 of which were forced into the grount
two or three feet. Cattle were LITE,
: up, carried some distance, and hurle'
head-long to the earth. One heifer
/ three years old, was thrown into a ditch
head first, and when found her head an,
neck were buried in the mud. This
: an actual fact, as I saw it myself, tn
l owner having left the animal where sh
p was thrown in order to satisfy the in
credulous. Several steers had pieces Q
timber forced into their sides, and quit
a number were thrown down so v~iolentl
e that their limbs and horns were broken
It is impossible to give an adequat
description of t~heprogress of thecycloue
e It moved forward so rapidly, and thos
who saw it approaching were SO badl
e frightened, that they thought only c
S their own safety. What met their vie,
e they could not avoid looking at, althoug
fear seems to have confused their mind
N o-1 ro,lo.oJ fhopo ,.oI1o4 - ~5-o q co4,e