The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1876-04-07

How the Tornado SwOOped
Down Upon thIs UMEertu
nate WlscOusin Village
scenes OF Death and Devas-
t01IOn.
Especial to the Chicago Trioune.J
1t is now definitely ascertained
that the whirlwind resulted from q
collision between two sections of q
tcloud which had divided and come
together again. The cloud Joined,
and long cylindrical shaft, shot
down. The cylinder was about 10
feet in circumference and 20 feet in
height. 1t struck the ground q
mile southwest of Hazel Green, and,
blowing furrow 600 feet long,
four feet wide, and several feet
deep, seemed to absorb the earth
and rocks. AS it moved along in &
northwesterly direction, it looked
like clay-colored column Whirl-
ing with incredible speed around 8
central vacuum. 1t was q solid
mass of heavy rubbish. Occasion
ally rock or stick would shoot off
at tangent and was driven into
the ground, until the swelling
stretch between the point of contact
with the earth and the edge of the
village is a diminutive grove COM
posed OF pieces of scantling, huge
rocks, and the branches of trees.
they are driven into the ground
with their heads pointing In all di-
rections, demonstrating that 1t Wss
a whirlwind, and that the counter
felt grove resulted from offshoots
from the outer circumference.
COMING TO. TOWN.
As the cylinder came up the sIope,
the rush, and yell, and Whirr Of the
column-soundin4 like the rush and
shFieks of the wind on the sea, and
like the thunder OF guns-attPaoEed
the attention of the people OF Hazel
Green, and they doeked to their
doors and windows. Steadily il
came on, sometimes bounding sol
feet into the air, then rushing down
again. In two minutes it descend.
ed on the little hazel grove just
southwest of the town. The trees
were snached mp by the rOots and
whirled 80 feet into the air and
supported there.
The cap of the column was q
stone 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, and
three feet thick. This stone was
held in its position while the col
umn travelled a space of three
quarters ola mile. just between
the grove and the town, $50 feet
from either, the column halted and
spun around oyer a small space,
and then recommended its march.
The air was filed with the yells
and lamentations OF the people.
Never before has such q tornado
reached so far north, yet SO fearful
and threatening was the coming
column that tho prophetic souls of
the people seemed to warn them of
the danger, and those who were not
paralyzed dived into their cellars,
and there, shivering. awaited the
doom they felt must come.
THE SMASH EMPHATIC.
Tearing of the corner of a frame
house, the column rose some 80 feet
into the air, and there, lowering for
an instant, fell perpendicularly up
on the roof of the Masonic Hall, q
atone building. The structure was
mashed fiat. This was at 4 80, and
meeting had been called for s.
o'clock, hal an hour later. Seven
ty souls would have been assem-
bled in the upper portion of the
building. The next house was of
frame, and occupied by Mrs. Rich
ards and her family. A daughter
in law and her two children were
saved by the scantlings above them,
while the rest OF the family were
killed outright.
A trying-pan containing three
cakes was on the stove, and the fry-
ing pan, still containing the cakes,
was found a mile and half north
east of the village. TWenty-six
houses were carried beyond the ken
of mortals. Where they went, no
one can tell. The track of the col.
umn is filed with saW-dust and
bits of wood, as though a saw-mill
had belched out q half-finis he'd
lumber yard. The trees for several
miles are filed with chairs, bits of
furniture, carpets, clothing, bits of
window-shades and household ma
terials.
Mrs. Looney was sitting in her
kitchen. The house disappeared as
If touched by the magiciaa's wand,
and the crushed body OF Nra.
Looney was found 400 feet off,
stripped of clothing and with the
skin peeled off her back from the
neck down.
Of the rest OF those killed, of
which former dispatch fully in
formed you, nothing can be said,
beyond that the bodies were found
not less than 200 feet from where
they started. There were some
MIRACULOUS ESCAPES.
A boy and girl were found out
on the prairie, wandering about
helplessly. They were in houses
Of which no account has been re-
ceived. They remember being lit
ted in1O the air and uhan fnnn1