The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-29
Horses Carried Over Fences and Great
Trees Upr00ted.
TWENTY LIVES LOST.
A Babys Head Gut of and It's Mother
Torn Into Four Pieces-A School
girl Blown Quarter Of a
Mile and Mashed
to Jelly.

keokuk and Washington counties, has just been
visited by tornado which deserves mention for
several reasons. Tomatoes, though sufficiently
common In the West are fortunately almost I'M
known in the East, and Eastern readers may there
FORE take especia. interest in hearing in profane
pariance, show the thing works." The results OF
this aerial visitation have been unusually fatal. and
the grotesque and the CHASTITY have been SO inter-
mingled that She plainest possible recital OF the
facts cannot fail to be what the spasmodic press
calls 'thrillingr
THE SCENE.
The scene OF the disaster may be described as a
narrow PATH traced with almost geOmetric exact
ness, from point about midway between the, Des
MOnes and Skunk rivers in slight curve to the
Iowa River, Washington being in about the centre
OF the track, which is some thirty miles long. Fer
practical purposes we may take what is known
to printers as "brace'' and lay it thus
At Lancaster, tine left hand extremity, the
storm commenced; 1t travelled from the southwest
toward the northeast, to the sentre of the "brace
at Washington, then bent somewhat more to the
east, and near the Iowa River vanished. There
were manifestations OF the same storm in other
parts OF the State and in Illinois, and as lar east as
Chicago, but along this path the whirlwind strobe
In it's strength and dealt its most terrible blows.
The day before yesterday (Thursday) was day
somewhat pleasant in the matter of temperature,
Towards noon the rain ceased, though the sky was
sOmbre and the weather grew sutry. At two
O'Clock q short and violent storm Of hail set in,
which in some places was scarcely less formidable
than bombardment. At Harper the masses OF
ice that were showered down were as large as a
birds egg, and very jagged and irregular in shape.
Near Kiota Jumps Of ice fell that were from three
to five inches round and weighed between three
and iour ounces In other words, the people who
ventured out were pelted with blocks OF ice so
hard that they lay in the mire long time ere they
melted.
THE DEADLY CLOUD
Just after this hailstorm the sun cane out and
was shining brightly. 1t was about twenty
minutes after two O'Clock when the residents near
Lancaster heard low rumble, which sounded
like the noise Of distant cannon or the roar OF
railroad train among the hills. On looking to the
southwest thin vertical streak Of darkish cloud
was seen against the clear sky, which, as 1t came
nearer grew louder in its complaining and deeper
in it's hue 1t advanced apparently at an average
speed or forty miles an hour, occupying q minute
or minute and half in its passage. In width 1t
covercda space o. about eighty rods; It's height
was comparatively inconsiderable. 1t was in fine,
q whrlinr column OF wind, given color and almost
Q consistency by the dust and water with which 1t
was laden. Its passage was accompanied by FREE
quent electrical discharges though the lightning
was more frequent and notable than the thunder,
and after it flood Of rain, whose fury no ex-
perlence in the State can parallel Where 1t was
prairie or poughed land the earth was left pool
OF water, and the streams were swollen into tor
rents that ragged within their old channels with the
fury Of so many small Niagaras, swallowing up
Overhangng banks and wooded knobs.
THE PATH OF DESTRUCTION.
the tornado first declared itself little to the
west OF Lancaster, Keokuk county. Ofthe score OF
houses there 1t hardly left one standing. Thence
travelling to the northeast, IL passed above Taey-
rand and south OF Kiota, fortunately avoiding the
village, but laying waste the German settlement
three miles away. 1t then left the earth for dis
lance OF nine miles, and swooped down again in
Washington county, i've or six miles 70 the north
and west OF Washington town. 1t ploughed a fur
row OF ruin here about eight miles long, then leaped
into the air at Highland township dashng TO earth
again in Midland township. This was the expiring
effort Of Its rage.
The path OF ruin thus traced was about thirty
miles in length. In ne place did it exceed quar-
ter Of mile in width, and occasionally it narrowed
itself to a hundred yards or so. Its course
precisely defined that at one point a farmers barns
were swept away and the trees in his yard up
rooted, while his house, though but thirty leet
away, was left untouched.
1t lis well nigh II not absolutely impossible to pre-
sent such account OF the appearance OF the
tract Of country thus traversed by the tornado as
will up to the truth and be Ineligible to the
less the force Of Wind OF course there are oc
beavers and make the progress Of female pedes-
TRANS impossible. But these puny manifestations
which Milton and the Scriptures have SO appropi-
atey bestowed upon the Prince OF Evil.
COMPLETE DESTRUCTION.
The dabolical ingenuity Of the storm and the
completeness OF Its work OF ruin deserve attention
no less and would be equally incredible to city
into cooked hat" so to speak, or perhaps even
unroofed by the force OF the blast and those who
have been at sea may have seen sails blown from
the bolt ropes In hurricane. But the Iowa tor
nado does not content itself by nattening
houses and barns into lumber heaps. II strikes z
building. and the building vanishes as II It had
been blown up by gunpowder, and only ragged
pit where the cellar once was is left. with these
remarks the readers of the HERALD viii be pre-.
pared to believe in, II not to understand some OF
the experiences now 10 DC 4wn tS most
BILE scene OF disaster. Here the storm swooped down
upon some dozen houses, the residences OF wealthy
farmers, and swept them rom the face OF the
earth as II with the bosom of destruction. Mr..
Cunningham's mouse and barn were blown into
splinters and carried away. but the storm compen-
a SHOWER OF snIvEREp WOOD,
sticking I'll" there made the farm look ike fretfui
porcuplne. There was but little imagination re-
qured to make one believe that he stood at Agin- |
court, Crecy or Flodden, on q battle ground wnere
the terrible clothyard shafts OF the archers had
fallen thick as hail. Some OF these. fragments
were embedded in two ieet Of clay, and defed the
strength of man to remove them. Old farmers say
that In some localities 1t Will be Impossible 10
proceed with cultivation until these cumberers
OF the ground shall have rottcd Many OF these
rude darts bore their billet. for hogs were iound
pierced in vital parts, and several fowls were
pinned to the ground by these shafts SHOT by the
archers OF the air. some OF the fowls were found
having been chafed OF while the birds were
whlred about in the storm amid the myriads OF
abrading substances. There were four persons in
the house, women and children, who were only
slightly injured, though the wind took the house
away and sucked them out OF the cellar In which
thew had taken refuge. To crown all, the large
rranary near the house was unrooled, and several
hundred bushels OF grain poured from 1t into the
cellar OF the house. as neatly as If had been done
by an elevator. =
The next farm was that OF Mr.. Dawson. He,
his wife and child and This brothern-law, Mr.