The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-06-09
THE HURRICANE AT MT. CARMEL.

One of those fearful whirlwlndS which al.
ways bring wreck and destruction il their
train wherever they happen to strike, passed
over Nj Carmel, the county seat of Wabash
county III this state on Monday The town has
about 900 inhabitants, was well built and
handsomely situated upon a bluff about
seventy feet above the Wabash River, run.
ming half a mile wide at its feet 1t was
about $3.50 p. IN. when the town was struck.
The hurricane started apparently at the foot
of Fourth street, and swept every house and
building on that stree. for half a mile: then
changed It's course and went up the river.
Among the buildings destroyed were the
Methodist and Presbyterian churches, the
court house, several large business blocks,
the public school house, and about seventy
dwellings. The destruction of life was fear.
full. Over twenty persons were killed out.
right, and at least $50 more or less injured of
whom a dozen may die. The loss of
property is estimated at half million. To
add to the horror OF the scene, after the best
part of the town was Frustrated by the fury of
the storm, fire broke out in the ruins, aud
thus the work OF destruction was completed
An eyewitness thus describes the appear
ance of the hurricane, writing to the Chicago
Times:
About thirty minutes before the fatal stroke
was felt the weather indicator of the Chris
tian church pointed east 20 dark approach.
ing cloud. In perhaps twenty minutes this
Indicator turned due west 10 smother black
and swiftly.mOvlng cloud, and he said to
some persons with him; "lf those clouds
meet, we shall have a terrible storm" In
few minutes they met, and lac says they rose
and then fell and dashed and twisted in varl
Gus directions. He told the persons with
him TO come into wheat field near his Office,
as the hurricane was coming direct to the
office. Just as they reached the wheat field,
the visible doube-tunnel shaped cone sheer
ed TO The southeast and then started directly
east along Fourth street, carrying death and
destruction in its rapid flight house tops and
trees being taken two and three hundred feet
up in the air, bursting into atoms and falling
q scattered ruin. The scene which has re-
suited from the fury Of the cyclone is most
wrctched and desOlate. For the width Of
more than square through the town on each
side Of Fourth street, ruin Is prevalent. Some
of the brick buildings are, or rather were,
bIltC o'pll'N III ECleH'- MI va '.iC ou'iH'>>
blocks were OF brick and the dwellings frame
The towp was full of people VIXEN the cyclone
struck il. She came booming along like a
great bczZing wind saw of rusistlcss power
and keen us a razor She came from the
southwest aud travelled due norihcaS, for half
u mile and then the furious wind current
burst upon Fourth street with appalling vio-
lencc and tnc crash heard rcsenbicd some
urea, timber crash. Immediately afterwgrd
he air was iull II debris and thick clouds OF
dust. flying roofs. trttcring walls, and split
aud rent ruins gu every ..de. Many %; the
chaotic heaps were the graves or living tombs
.of innocent but doomed people. As the
binding dust cleared a~ay j; was found that
fully hundred business, public, and dwell
ING structures mad been lost Some portions
of the wreck were carried more than mile
from the town.