The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1882-07-19
The Terrible Cyclone Of June 18th.
Scientific American

Scientific American.
, For few days previous to the stor1
: the temperature was so low as to exeit
surprise throughout the State, the mel
curry varying from 400 to 4So Fahrer
heit during the day, and still lower a
might. At Grinnell, on Saturday morn
ing, the 18th, the temperature ros,
rapidly, and at 2 o'clock P. II. the mer
curry marked go in the shade. Th,
air was oppressive and stiff1ing, notwith
standinga gentle breeze was perceptible
After 4 o'clock clouds began to over
spread the ornament, presenting a mos
singular appearance and attracting mucl
attention. They may be described a:
small in size, light and feecy in appear
ance, quite detached from each other in
many places, having small dark pend.
ants suspended from their lower portion,
and with but slight movement in any
direction. Shortly after 6 o'clock dark
storm-clouds were seen in the western
horizon moving slowly upward toward
the zenith, and about which brilliant
flashes of lightning played from time to
time, The low rumble of distant thun-
der reached the ear, while directly over
head the small cenical-sbaped clouds
which had now assumed a still darker
appearance, were seen to be in motion
and massing themselves together as if
for battle. At about s o'clock our at
tention was called to a most singular
appearance of the sky a little south of
west from Grinnell. 1t can be best de-
seribed as like the reflection from the
setting sun, yet in this instance such
could not have been the case, as it had
not only disappeared below the horizon
thirty minutes before, but the position
of the phenomenon and the mass of
dark clouds beyond would render such
impossible. 1t appeared to
the eye about ten feet in diameter, cir
cumferenee irregular, and of rich
yellow hue, partly inclining to red, and
emitted light that was brilliantly re.
aeeted through the windows. Its un-
earthly appearance at such time crea-
led some alarm in many localities. !
Within the following twenty minutes
heavy rain, accompanied by a most
weird electric display, heavy peals of
hunder, and dense darkness Except
when relieved by the lightning), threw
he pail of night over every object The
Wind, which at first was a gentle breeze,
increased to gale, swaying the trees
4 every direction. Hail about the size
f pea, and few weighing 0ne-fourth
t an ounce, fell rapidly, but doing lit
le damage.
At twenty minutes to o'clock the {
readful roar that preceded the coming |
the destroyer was plainly heard in !
le northwest. At first a low, sullen I
)ar like Niagara in the distance-then t
eeper-toned, louder, and faster, as of C
ANY approaching railway trains-still a
carer, mingled with an awful, never to- I
e-forgotten hum, as Of wheels and pull b
vs. in motion, until the listener, with $
anched face, fled in terror for place h
safety. Hundreds sought refuge in O
liars and caves, and were tbus saved "
ON death, one only being killed u
no had taken this precaution. The G.
lint of observation of your cores Ii
'ndent was about 900 feet from the b
le of the greatest destruction in Grin b
IL. ii
The inky darkness of the hour shut 5,
It from human eye the scenes of an lc
lish and the greater part of the APP c,
-lling work Of destruction, in which IL
e elements were engaged, yet one or 81
% buildings nearly entire, were seen h.
gh in the air for an instant as the d,
vid flashes illumined the awful scene. n,
The storm-cloud proper entered the OF
y from the southwest, first striking pc
e earth on the north side of the G. m
L. and z. Il. r. This terrible "reaper
death" cut a swath throug NJ dense
populated portion 700 feet>in width -,
the average, and did not probably II
ceed five minutes in passing through
: city, but in that limit of time forty he
man beings were instantly killed, rlc
d at least ten more will die of their nc
uries. From fifty to sixty buildings da
Ie Iowa College buildings included) sil
re also totally destroyed-in most in ite
noes broken into small fragments and mi
own in all directions. Two heavy pr
ight trains, entering the city from ga
north and east, were caught up and trl
he'd upon both sides of the track sid
h terrible violence. Even the pom a
Gus engine was lifted bodily upward, an
came down upon its wheels again as
hout injury. The distanced ira COZ
sed by this tornado from Boone to nil
nry County is in a direct line about sec
miles, although its circuitous route lr
probably 200. 1t appears to have bu
n between three and four hours in the
Yelling this distance, and caused the ehi
tn of seventy-five or eighty people, lo'
reater number of animals, and de- the
wing property valued at nearly two rel
lions Of dollars. sin