Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-05-29
THE GREAT TORNADO.


Houses, Barns, Fences, For
ests and Orchards Razed
to the Ground.
SCHOOL HOUSES. TEACHERS AND
SCHOLARS WHEELED IN
THE STORM.
Twelve Persons. Killed and Twenty.
four More or Less wounded.
The exact starting point OF the storm
is not known, but is believed to have
been in Keokuk county, probably a
few miles west of Lancaster, which
town it is said, was totally demolish-
cd. 1t advanced in northeasterly
direction, passing north of Tallyrand
about three miles, and south of keota.
through the German settlement called
Baden, approaching the line of Wash
ington county, where it jumped dis
trict of about eight miles, alighting
about six miles northwest of WASH
ington, OH the farm of Frank Brown.
Remaining on the ground for six or
eight miles. 1t passed up to Highland
township. Leaving the earth here, it
struck again in Middletown, where its
force was spent, and it disappeared rs
suddenly asst appeared
cUNNINGHAM's FARM,
The farm of John C. Cunningham is
about seven miles northeast of WASH
ington. Neither the barn or house is
visible. They had been torn to pieces,
and only few fragments remain,
nearly all the timbers having blown
away. Dead stock was visible every
where. horses. cows, pigs and chick
ems having been hustled about so live
ly as TO deprive them of the breath of
life. Here and there were pigs i'm
paled to the ground, while chickens
were frequently encountered without
feather on them. Three hundred
head OF stock were killed outright.
The buildings destroyed were worth
about $4,000. In the dwelling when
the tornado approached, were Mrs.
Mccoy, daughter of Mr.. Cunningham.
and Mrs. Carringer and two children
Of the former. They went into the
cellar for shelter. but remained there
only short time, being lifted up and
carried some distance, and thrown to
the ground. Mrs. Mccoy had her
head cut and was badly bruised. Mrs.
Carringcr was rendered insensible, but
was not seriously hurt. The children
were uninjured. They were found
lying in heap beside the cellar wall.
DAvIpsoN's FARM.
East of Cunningham's, near the
Highland township line, IS the farm of
Mr.. Davidson. His house and barn
were destroyed and he himself killed.
Mr.. Housed, who was with him at the
time, was fatally injured, and died on
Friday morning. All of the latter's
clothing was torn off his body, and his
friends in Washington had to supply
the garments to bury him in.
BABCock's FARM.
North from Cunningham's is the
farm Of John Babcock. His residence.
barns. Outhouses, and granarics were
demolished. His large barn was one
of the finest in the county, having re,
Gently been erected at a cost of $4,000.
1t was full of grain, and more depos-
tied in the cellar of the house. He had
$500 in q bureau drawer. All the fur
niture is missing and hence the money
cannot be recovered. His loss will be
about $1,000. Fortunately his family
were at his brothers house, which was
out OF the range Of the storm. Mr..
liabcock himself and Jacob Seek saw
the tornado coming, and ran into the
house, and took up what they imagin-
cd to be place of security in the Gel
lar. The house was lifted of the foun-
dations, and had not piece Of timber
fallen on them. they would have escap.
Gu. Tho board struck Seeck on the
head, inflictihg serious wound. Mr..
Babcock escaped uninjured.
Cancers FARM.
The next farm visited was that OF
1-fsavftf s,ss.---kAssS-=,s4>S Ahs saxnc
dcsolation noticed at the other places,
only less building material was OBJ
servable. OF the houses, barns, and
sheds, scarcely n vestige was left. AL
exandcr Gibson and Mr.. Cancer were
in the house, and debated whether they
should go into the cellar for safety
They concluded to do SO, and had
hardly reached it when the wind struck
the building and it went up into the
air. Mrs. Cancer, who also took ref.
uge in the cellar, was the only one
badly hurt. She lifted up her hand as
the house was leaving, and board
striking one OF her fingers, broke it
Some timbers fell on Cancer and Glib.
son, and they were slightly bruised
About forty rods distant from the Ca.
neer farm stood the Beedleford
scHooL-HoUsE.
! School was in session when thu
cyclone made its appearance, about q
scholars being in attendance. Tht
rumbliDg frightened them, and they
gathered around the teacher, Mis-,
Smith, thinking that she could protect
them. The building shared the same
fate as the others which came within
the grasp of the tornado, aud teacher
and scholars cannot imagine how they
got into the roadway. A daughter OF
Henry Rathmel, aged IL years, was in
the doorway, and seeing the black
cloud coming, started to run out, Nc
ono knew what had become of her I'M.
til they found
HER MANGLED REMAINS
half All hour afterwards in the mud a
quarter Of a mile down the road. She
must have been lifted up by the wind
and carried along. She had very lit.
tic clothing when found, and her re.
mains were covered with mud. Miss
Smith and six of her scholars. whose
names could not be learned, were in.
jured, three or four of them danger.
onsly.
One very singular thing is that the
mud was blown so hard in the faces
OF the children that il cannot be wash
ed of. Some of their faces looked as
If they had been tatood with India ink
or powder. Miss Smith says the first
thing that she realized was that she
was standing in the road, surrounded
with boys and girls. She does moi
know how they got there, being un.
concions of having made an ascent in.
to the air.
Near the school house, across the
road, stood the dwelling of Henry
Walters. 1t was reduced to atoms
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