, 1874-09-20
Davenport and Rock Island Visited
BY a Tornado.
A Church Destroyed and Many
Buildings Unroofed.
A Train Ditched Near Drn'eith and Two
Persons Killed.
Accounts of Damage Caused ut
Other Points.
At DAyENrOHT.
Special Disputch to Ihe Chicago Tribune

| Special Disputch to The Chicago Tribune
| DAVENPORT, Ia.. Sept. ia heaTy rain-storn
! began in this city about noon yesterday and
lasted all day. At half-past in the evening the
rain began to descend III torrents aud the wind
! to blow with intense violence. About . o'clock
it had gathered the force OF a tornado, and for
twenty minutes held high carnival, carrying
everything before it. Fences III all parts OF the
city were blown down, the roof OF the market
house was blown off aod carried SO feet.
and the inc crior flooded Lumber in
the lumbcr-ya1da WAS scattered profuse!y
around and broken up. The East
Davenport cngine-louse ras washed away with
it's contents; part OF the new uish-School
building fell to the ground hundreds OF trees
wcrs uprooted, and cellars flooded. Altogether,
it Was terrible storm. it is impossible to es
innate tho amount OF damage done.
AT EocK ISLAND,
ACROSS the river from this city, the tornado ragged
fully as hard. The walls on the northeast cur-
ner of the round-house we're leveled. and tho
roof torn Off. The southern side OF the
roof of the Rockford freight-f1cpot vas
torn OF. aud 4 huge fragment carried
up Buffalo street. Tho walls of Peter Flies'
liquor house were stove in, the chimneys swept
away, and half the roof torn off. On Illinois
street Eoyrat DuilulnrH suffered material damage.
The first On the eastward was the Presbyterian
Church. Part OF the roof WIS lifted and then
fell inward. breaking the floor down and smash
1niy the organ ana pulpit. Roof, floor, organ,
a.ld pulpit descended into the basement, with
tons OF brick on top. n:an1rs complete wreck
OF tue church. tho walls alone standing, and
they necessarily wcaKcnel and damaged. The
tin roof Of tho Johnson Hour store.
corner CT Illinois and Elk streets, was
rolled up and blown to the eastward, falling on
Illinois street, opposite. Tho thu roof Of
LinGlc's turHi-u!o busi4l2g suffered the samo
fa.o. 1t was crushed ii to an irregular mass a;d
hurled with such force a:aiass the BUILDING d.
rcctly opposite. Doe1inger d krogers furniture
store, that several hdso i1oles were made in the
brica wall Of tho scco,d aud iLiid stories. End
about all tic wi;dows smashed. One side Of tho
pllos-aouse Of tie ferry-boat was stove in, aud
attached to the whistle. caused that ena-
bo4,mcut OF nolae to shriek continuously for
about ten minutes, leading the Ieor1e to believe !
some appalling disaster had occurred on the I
river. small frame shop used for reoairs, on |
the Peoria Railway grounds. was blown over.
Tho telegraph wires i'll tho vicinity of the Rock
ford i Peoria Depot ara torn down. Trees /
suffered severely 10 all PARTS Of the city. While
The tornado was at It's height, the roof Of small !
frame building; near Liugle's furli:uro storc /
one Of tbs Bramiey buildings was discovered 70 !
be Oh fire. Tie roof suffered severely, but the
ean finally put out the flamcs..
1Lcre were numerous minor accidents, and
other serious ones, a0odt town. The rain con-
ined TO fall heavily te late hour. and the
laihuess was INTENSE Tho streets were foodod
With water. and many Easements aal cellars
illed. It ID ir1l ossbe 10 form any accurate idea
# the loss dirin. the night.