Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1878-05-30

doubtless instantly killed. John XII
lenys house was demolished and his
wife killed. The number of houses
destroyed and number of per-
sons injured are both very large. This
town Is we'll nigh depopulated and
ruined. No lives are reported lost in
the town of Montrose, the next in the
line of the storm, but track half a
mile wide extending across the town is
swept clean and numerous persons in
Jured. The next town is Oregon; here
the destruction of everything in the
path OF the tornado was complete.
The house of Mr.. ]. Pierce, a story
and half building, built of heavy
oak timbers, was lifted from its foun-
datlon, carried about four rods and
squatted down so that it is not more
than three feet high. Mr.. Pierce
and wife, an old couple, We're ter
ribly injured. The young Mr.. AL
fred Pierce was blown out of the
door over two fences, and carried
forty rods, landing in the field. 1t was
all done so quickly that Mr.. Pierce
knows nothing of the event save that
he found himself flying thorough the air
for an instant, and then experienced the
shock of landing. He was not seriously
hurt, and hurried back to rescue the
old folks, if possible. Mrs. Pierce had
been standing near the stove Just before
the crash, and she was found in flames,
but was rescued without being badly
burned. The old peoples recovery is
doubtful. The large barn was all
smashed to bits of kindling. The large
amount of hay and grain in it was
strewn all over the country and is a
total loss. Some stock was killed and
the poultry was carried to the four
winds.
At Henry and John Underwood's,
both log houses were unroofed and the
contents of the chambers blown away
or destroyed.
At Henry Palmer's, two young men
in moving wagon, bound for Iowa,
had just halted to gain shelter from the
storm. Mr.. Palmer was assisting them
to unhltch, and the wagon had been run
alongside the granary. When the storm
struck, Mr.. Palmer first saw some cat
tie and hogs flying over an adjoining
corn crib. The granary next was lifted
over the wagon and hurled to atoms.
By miraculous fortune, Mr.. Palmer
was not hurt, but one of the
movers legs was broken. The
granery contained four hundred bush
els of oats which is total loss. The
corn in the crib is also nowhere to
be found. Stock and poultry were
killed and blown away. Awagon stood
in the yard, and the box which belong
ed to it could not be found-not so
much as a silver. The movers wagon
also demolished, and the horses bruised.
AT Samuel Rice's, across the road, the
house was riddled. When Mr.. and Mrs
Rice saw what was coming they rushed
out and were saved. The storm then
moved swatn through the woods be-
longing to j. G. Kiser and Joseph Fox,
Jr., sweeping the trees down and doing
more or less damage to buildings. DIR.
George FOX's team were blown from
the pasture, carried eighty rods and
killed.
AT WAUKEsHA, WISCONSIN.
The wind blew a perfect gale and the
rain poured down in a perfect sheet all
the time, accompanied by heavy thun-
der and lightning. Several chimneys
were completely demolished, the roofs
blown from two buildings, one large
building was moved about fifteen feet,
and a number of smaller buildings were
moved a considerable distance in an
incredible short space of time. The
streets were SO full of water as to be al
most impossible. The only accident
heard of thus far is of one woman being
struck on the shoulder by a falling
chimney, but not fatally injured. Many
others were badly frightened.
AT QUINCY, ILL.
A frightful tornado passed over, but
as the telegraph wires are all gone, no
definite advices can be obtained.