The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1877-07-05
Incidents of the Mount Carmel
Tornado.


a correspondent of the Chicago Tri6-
asRe writes: "The wind bloweth where
it listeth." In all the history of South
ern Illinois there has been no record of
such devastation as has been made by
the terrific cyclone which passed over
the beautiful town of Mount Carmel on
the 4th of June, destroying churches,
! Courthouse, the most substantial bust
ness houses, as well as many frail tene-
ments, crushing rich and poor under its
ruins. No spot seemed safe from the
force of that raging whirlwind which
threatened to destroy every thing in ma
ture. If thousand trains of cars had
rushed into the town it could not have
produced so great roaring as that de-
structive wind which deprived 100 fami-
lies of their homes, without fragment
of clothing or a mouthful of food. Iron
roofs and pillars were blown about like
straw and paper. Several persons were
blown about like shingles, with no pow
er to resist the torrent. One boy was
dashed against fence and killed in
stantly; another was thrown on reap
ing-machine and so injured that he has
since died. Ladies at their sewing-ma-
chimes had their work torn from their
hands and blown away with the roofs of
their houses and furniture.
Sudden as it was, in many cases great
courage and presence of mind were
manifested. Two of the teachers of one
of the public schools, feeling con-
seriousness of great danger, as they saw
the storm gathering, dismissed their
school. The moment the children had
reached the pavement the roof and
upper story were blown into fragments
A lady who was visiting here, learned
that her uncle with several others were
buried in the wreck of his once hand
some business block. She fastened to
his relief, and amid all the din and roar
of the elements she crept down among
the rubbish to listen for his voice She
soon heard his groans and cries for help,
and with the aid of kind friends, had
the happiness of seeing him rescued
from death. The agent of the Express
Company, on the eve of starting for the
train, saw pair of horses dashing to-
wards him. He cOolly held his horse
while his wagon was broken to splinters.
He nor his horse fiinched nor received
an injury, while buildings were falling
on the right and left.
Many strange freaks Of the wind were
noticeable; some houses were moved
back only few feet from the founda-
ton, while adjacent ones would be re-
moved entirely from the premises.
Trees without number were uprooted
and blown about like feathers; heavy
planks would be driven in the ground
as though they had grown there. One
very remarkable instance of this kind
was an enormous plank which cut its
way through an iron roof of a new ware
house into the floor below, and stood in
an upright position, as perfectly NOR
tised as though it had been done by an
architect. Another dwelling shows the
place where a brick cut its way through
the side of the house into the two rooms,
straight across a distance of seventeen
feet, then through a windOw-curtain,
shutter, and lodged on the bed where
children slept at night. Letters and pa
pers were found in Yincennes, dis
lance of twenty-five miles, that were
owned by persons who lost their homes.
The ornamental part of the spire of
the Methodist Church was found ten
miles across the Wabash River. The
Church was unroofed, and otherwise in
jured to the amount of $1,000. The
parsonage anjoining was partially de-
stroyed, in addition to the sad bereave-
ment of the minister, who lost his young
est son in the ruins. The Presbyterian
Church is totally destroyed, scarcely a
vestige being left Amid all this ire
mendous crash, which lasted but thirty
seconds, to add to the grief and conster-
nation, fire broke out in the ruins of
Parkinson's store where it spread among
the dry goods with great rapidity, not
withstanding the drenching rain and al
most superhuman efforts of the surviv-
ors to stop its force. Then two adjOin-
ing stores were in flames where a num-
Der of our prominent citizens were
seemingly in their graves. Some were
providentially preserved from the
flames; but others persisted, which is the
saddest part of this sad disaster, that
only the charred remains could be re-
turned to those bleeding hearts who
were not only stripped of all earthly
possessions, but loved ones dearer than
life were taken also. Yet we can only
bow in humble submission to Him % that
plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides
upon the Storm
Prof. Tice, and a gentleman who is a
member of the Signal Corps, visited our
town to view the scene of destruction.
They report there has not been such a
tornado since the Signal Corps was or
ganized. So great has been the distress
that visitors say it is far worse than they
had any idea of by reading general ac-
counts. A gentleman who has visited
the East Indies, and encountered several
tornadoes, says he never saw such COM
plete and general desolation caused by
one, as in this visitation Old soldiers
stood amazed, and declared with all the
dreadful experience of war they had met
nothing tc equal this disastrous cyclone.
81,