The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-08-05
THE WILD wHIgLwINDs.
FOUNTAIN COUNTY FATALITIES.
REGULAR TROPICAL CYCLONE.

/ a
FIVE OR SIX PERSONS KILIED-A SCORE Or
MORE WOUNDED - REMARKABLE ESCAPES
FROM DEATH-HUGE ROCKS, THRESHING
| MACHINES AND BUGGIEs FLY IN THE WIND
| HOUSES LAID Low-FoREsTs TORN UP BY
THE ROOTS THOUSANDS OF BUSHELS OF
GRAIN SCATTERED OVER THE EARTH -
DELUGE OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. ON TIE
WINGS OF THE WIND.
AS particulars are obtained of the terrible
storm of Tuesday, which swooped down
upon The Wabash valley, come in it is clear
that the visitor to Fountain county was
distinct case of the tropical cyclone, or
tornado, which destroys everything in its
| oath These whirls in the atmosphere, &C.
| companied with clouds. rain and hail, are OF
the form of an inverted cone, and the rate OF
motion near the apex Is so great as
TO be irresistible Sometimes the
cloud does not descend so as to
reach the earth at all, at other times Il
touches the surface travelling snort dis
lance, then rises sgain and passes away. In
this instance it is evident that the whirling
cone repeated the operation of descending
and rising so as TO strike certain points and
to pass over Others Intervening. Where the
point of the cone touches material objects II
makes n clear sweep. Nothing can resist 1t
or stand. Houses, trees. rocks, animals and
portions Of the earth itself are carried by
unmessured power, like feathers away from
the earth Such was the case in Iowa
year or two ago, in which cows and sheep
Tere seid 70 have been seen flying through
Tuesday was fesrfully heavy over
a considerable scope of country extending
from Danville, Illinois, twelve miles west o..
the Wabash river, TO Charlottesville. In
Montgomery county of this state. At Dan
vile the fall of water was like a solid cata
ract, which entirely flooded the city in
manner similar to that described at Craw
| louisville below. At Perrysville, small
town on the Wabash. in Vermilion county.
nearly Ealf way between Danvllle and
| Hsrvevsbur the tempest was terrific, fore
Swallowing its work little further on. TIE
i country swept by the storm is one of the
| richest sections in the state, but largely
covered with fine, heavy timber, except the
prolific farms, like that CT Mr.. Marshall, who
had $500 bushels of wheat sown
over the forests grstuitously. Numerous
DESCRIPTIONS AND INCIDENTS
are given by individuals and the press,
which are thrilling and in several cases made
awful by the destruction of human life. TIE
| Attica Ledger gives the following account:
| Mr. Loeb and Ike Solomon were at the motel
/ il Harveysburg when the storm came up,
which was just before supper. In the town
there was little more than a heavy rain,
but il was noticed that north of the
place something of a more serious nature
was Transporting. The air was thick with
! flying debris aud the heavens were dark IS
night, betokening a storm of more than
usual severity. Yesterday morning, on
their way home, Loeb and Solomon came
through that region, and describe the scene
were swept from their foundations and lit
orally torn into shreds, scattering the
/ pieces for miles along the path of the storm.
| Huge trees we're twisted of or torn up by
the roots and carried to great distances
| Fences and crops were swept to utter obliv
| ion. Whea. shocks were blown into the air.
aud the grain as completely threshed out as
| il run through a machine. The scene
| is one of utter desolation, and
the loss will be very great. But the
NEST terrible feature of the storm
was the dreadful loss of human life. No
less than four persons were killed. The
| following is partial list of the killed aud
injured: Jefferson Sewers, badly injured
not expected 10 live; wife and daugpter-in-
law killed; VIM. Newman, injured Aaron
JOhnsons daughter, killed; Jacob
Samples sister killed and mother injured. |
Charles Marshall's new house, built last
year, was torn to pieces and laid hat with |
the earth. His wife and three children |
took refuge in the cellar, while he and the |
remaining child staid in the house. All |
tremendously escaped. without bodily harm. |
We have no means of estimating the
amount OF damage done. Our informant |
says the path of the storm was about 1907
yards wide, and seemed to extend Tor miles. |
detailed statement yet presented, as follows:
The storm of Tuesday evening, which |
passed high above Us, visited some sec |
lions south and west OF US with great de-
ST. uctioD, passing over the northern part |
of Vermilion county and the southern |
part of Fountain in the shspe of furious /
tornado, 1t seems to have come from The |
northwest, first striking near Perrysville |
and expanding It's greatest force on the farm |
OF Mr.. Marshall, about mile and half
o 005h Il h bsa yTaTeed in aSona
an eaaterly direction and seemed |
20 strike the ground with such force
that it rebounded like rubber ball, skip |
ping a farm or two, and then striking again |
with great violence. It cut an average |
swsrth OF about quarter OF mile In width. |
which, however, narrowed down at the most
destructive point, on Mr.. Marshslfs farm,
to about forty rods. nits
DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY,
probably no tornado has ever visited the
country with such calamitous results. In
the first part OF its course it took down the
residence of man named Mack, and un
rooted barns belonging to Solomon Jones,
| William Cbenowetb and jacob Bitter. The
| last named also suffered the loss of the roof
of his dwelling, as did also Abe Bensinger.
/ OF the families in the path of the destroyer
S. Z. Sewers, in Fountain county, is the
most unfortunate. They had Just come
from the burial OF a child that day, and of that
/ household of five persons, but now one sur
wives, a little boy with both mis- arms broken.
/ Mrs. Sewers, a niece who was temporarily
\ stopping with the family, and another per-
son were killed instantly. Mr.. Sewers, ST.,
died Wednesday night, and his married son
was reported dead Thursday morning. The
house is s OF ruins, which is the case ef
about every thing on the place. As far as
/ known the only other case attended with
| loss OF life that of Mr.. Sample |
AS before stated, the tornado's fury |
was at its maximum on the farm of Mr.. |
Charles Marshall. Mr.. Marshall heard it |
coming, and Immediately proceeded to put |
his family in the cellar. All were in but
himself and little boy, when the wind blew
| the door shut, and he was unable to open it. |