The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-09-25
THE GREAT STORM IN THE WEST.
Dubuque and Davenport Visited by a
Tornado.

/ dubuque Dispatch to Chicago Trsbune, Sep
! tember 19:l
/ Yesterday afternoon a heavy rain be-
4 gan to fall, followed early in theevening
/ by a terrific Thunderstorm. The whole
country was flooded with water, and
when the Western-bound freight train
+ on the Illinois Central Railroad, due at
Dunleith at 500 p NJ, was within three
miles of Dunleith, the engine ran into &
washed place on the track and was
thrown into the ditch. Several of the
forward box cars moved forward and
were thrown on top of the wrecked en-
gine, presenting a huge mass of broken
cars, such as has never been seen in this
vicinity. The engineer, Anderson, fire
man Orton, and brakeman named Ali
son, who was riding on the engine, were
rescued from the mass of ruins badly
crushed and scalded. Allison died from
his Injuries in few hours. Anderson
and Orton are at Galena, the latter with
very little chance of recovery.
Mr.. Peter Rider, while standing near
a corn-crib, feeding hogs on his farm
was struck by lightning and instantly
killed.
A man named John Mahoney, who
took refuge from the storm under car
in the yard of the Illinois Central Rail-
road, at the depot in this city, was crush
ed to death under the wheels of the car.
The storm ragged fearfully, damaging
property and washing away railroads in
every direction. Several barns were
struck by lightning, and accounts of raw
ages of the storm come in form every
direction. South of this city the hail
fell necessarily for more than an hour,
covering the ground to the depth of sew
eral inches, and smashing window -panes
in every direction.
I dispatch from Dubuque, same date:J
At half past z in the evening the rain
began to descend in torrents, and the
wind to blow with intense violence
About 8 o'clock it had gathered the force
of a tornado, and for twenty minutes
held high carnival, carrying everything
before it. Fences in all parts of the city
were blown down, the roof of the market
house was blown off and carried fifty
feet, and the interior flooded. Lumber
IN the lumber-yards was scattered pro-
fusely around and broken up. The East
Davenport engine-house was washed
away with its contents; part of the new
High School building fell to the ground,
hundreds of trees were uprooted, and
cellars flooded. Altogether, it was a
terrible storm. 1t is impossible to esti-
mate the amount of damage done.
At Rock Island across the river from
this city, the tornado ragged fully as hard.
The walls on the northeast corner ofthe
round house were leveled, and the roof
of the Rockford freight depot was torn
of, and huge fragment carried up
Bnffalo street. The walls of Peter Fries
liquor house were stove in, the chimneys
On Illinois street several buildings suf.
cred material damage. The first on the
eastward was the Presbyterian Church.
Part of the roof was lifted, and then fell
inward, breaking the floor down and
smashing the organ and pulpit. Roof,
floor, organ and pulpit descended into
the basement, with tons of brick on top
making a complete wreck of the church,
the walls alone standing, and, they nee
essariIy weakened and damaged. The
tin roof of the johnson flour store, cor
ner of Illinois and Elk streets, was roll
ed up and blown to the eastward, falling
on Illinois street, opposite. The tin roof
of Lingle's furniture building suffered
the same fate. The telegraph wires in
the vicinity of the Rockfork and Peoria
Depot are torn down. Trees suffered
severely in all parts of the city.