Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1878-06-14

COrreSnOndonCe OF the hong honY
Daily Press, dated Canton, China, April
IA, gives the following particulars of
the terrible tornado which visited
Canton and its suburbs on the 18th of
April:
Passing over the Shameen settlement
the storm crossed the canal to the city,
carrying away in its course the balus-
trading Of the east bridge. A native
police station opposite was also com
pletely destroyed. The storm leveled
all the houses in it's course, making u
clean sweep Of everything for n width
Of about GOO feet. The mortality has
been variously estimated ut from 5000
to 10000, and probably the latter num-
Der is nearer the mark. Nine thousand
houses speaking in round numbersl
are known to have been destroyed, and
although many of the inmates had no.
tice of the impending disaster, by hear
the noise caused by other houses fall
ing, and made their escape, there were
other cases in which great numbers Of
people were killed by the fall Of n
single house. For instance, there was
nm eating house in which iily-two assist
ants were engaged In this house there
were AT the time over 100 people taking
refreshments. and none, either assist
ants or guests, are known to have
escaped. In another case twenty.four
persons were killed by the destruction Of
u family house. There was also great
destruction Of boats and life on the
water Allowing therefore, for there
being no ono in many Of the houses ut
the time Of their fall, and on the other
hand, allowing for there being great
numbers in some of those that fell tits
probably below the average to estimate
the loss Of life ut one To each house that
fell, and u thousand lives on the water.
In most Of the houses blown down fire
was probably being used, either for
cooking or other purposes, and kerosene
isnow 80 universally burned and stored
i'll Chinese houses that il would have
been no cause for surprise had the
conllagratiOns been much more cx-
tensivc than they were. Az to the
clearing away Of the dead bodies, the
Chinese authorities seem to have acted
with most commcndablc promptitudc
Almost Immediately after the catas-
strophc orders for 1000 collins were
issued by the Oh Yuk Tong hospital.
and up to the time tho steamer left
yesterday afternoon 5000 bodies had
been recovered from the ruins and
buried without delay. The work Of
clearing away the debris was proceeding
rapidly, but the stencil i'll some places
was unmistnkablo evidence thnt there
were dead bodies still to be extricated.
The violence Of the wind for the few
minutes it lasted was as great us that Of
tho scvcrcst. typhoon. Granite blocks
were lifted from thor places and hurled
il considerable distance; thick trees
snapped i'll twain like twigs; roofs were
lifted bodily, and boats carried far on
the shore. IN ono case small boat
was actually blown On 10 the roof Of
house iii the tenth ward. A row of
houses AL brothcls but one, forming
ono line Of u short lane in the city
were tho scene Of one notable catas-
stropLc The other side Of the limo is
formed by the side wall Of the Nam
Chcong temple, which is some thirty
feet high. Tnis wall gave way to the
force Of the tornado, and fell crushing
III upon the opposite houses, the in.
mates Of which, about 100 in number,
were I'LL killed, most of them being
crushed to death, and tho remainder
sulocnted There was no means Of
exit ut the back, and no one attempted
to dig the bodies out Of the ruins. Tho
narrow creek is still partially chokcd
up with debris, consisting Of broken
bonts and other wreckngc, in which arc
instances whole families have been
crushed to death i'll one boat. The
supply Of collins is nearly exhausted,
and the undcrinkcrs are now, | am told
charging double price. The villages Of
rah Hin Hook and Pah Hook Tang,
two or three miles to the north, outside
the walls, were caught IN the storm and
suffered great damage, many dwelling
houses and other buildings being de-
troycd and numbers Of lives lost. The
village across the water opposite to
Shamccn came III for its share of the
disaster also, being partially destroyed
| hear that. though the whirlwind did
not affect so much damage NJ Fatshnn
us in this port, it has mndo severe
havoc. 1t is stated by Chinese who
have como from there, that not less
than 200 houses have been laid pres
tratc, while about half the boats III the
river there have been wrecked. The
loss of life is put down Mt several hun
drcd A passage boat coming from
FNtshanto this city was, whcna short
distance oil, caught i'll the tornado and
instantly capsized. About seventy of
the passengers were drowned. The tor
nado, it appears, came from n direction
quite contrary to that i'll which the
clouds had been travelling Immediately