The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1882-06-23
NUMBER 3.

respondent of the Des Moines Register. 1t can
only be realized by observation even then the
senses are staggered. Prof. Myer, the old Sig
nal Service observer, has given theory of
their movements which is confirmed by facts.
1t moves in funnel shape, with gyrating motion,
making large or small circle, and then per-
forming q loop or quarter circle each 300 feet,
and in this quarter, small circle, lies the ter
rible power defying everything on the face of
the earth to Withstand. The cyclone which
struck Grinneu started apparently seven
miles northwest, and with a rocking motion
came bounding in large swirl until it struck
the northwest part of the city, when lsop was
formed, which sucked everything into its vor-
tex for space of fifty rods wide and one
fourth mile long. Whatever lay in this track
was demolished. Houses, large and small, with
everything IN them were torn up and crushed
to splinters and fragments, and strewn over
the earth along the track. There was
no wind to carry them away. Buildings
standing just at the edge of the loop
were lifted from the foundation, twisted out Of
shape or turned over. The contents were
sucked out and the rooms left bare, even the
carpets being torn from the floors. People
were forced out of their houses with terrific
force. One man was carried across two streets,
over houses, through window, and landed
on a bed Another was sucked out of his
house, carried several rods and lodged in
tree A man named Rice, outside of Grinnell,
and his little boy were blown out Of
the house and into a deep well. He
climbed out, pushing his little boy before him.
One house was whirled around, and heavy
timber forced completely through it, the furnl-
ture and contents torn out, except glass lamp
and globe, which hung unframed in the parlor;
not vestlge of anything else being left in the
I
tated, the clock alone stood on the mantel, the
hands pointing at 8:4S, the probable moment
the blast struck it, and this time is con-
firmed by the watch of the student
who leaped from q college window, and
which stopped at 8:45. At another
place where there WAS nothing left to denote a
residence but the cellar, a mirror unframed
was standing against the cellar wall, the only
unbroken article that could be found. At L.
G. Phelps house. himself AMI family of five
persons attempted to go down cellar, but the
suction closed the doors so they could not open
them, and although the house was demolished
except this room they escaped. Mrs. F. Taylor
was carried from her own house and landed in
the debris of the house of Mr.. Ora
ham. Her house was little damaged, but
she was fatally hurt. Mrs Griswold and her
son were blown from their house, but in oppc-
site directions. Mr.. Foster, farmer north
west of Grlnnell, had twenty five cattle lifted
from a herd, carried sixty rods and dropped
dead: One family in Grinnell were sitting to-
gether in a low room when the house was taken
from over their heads, carried off and crushed
in one direction, and in moment after
they were whirled away In another direction.
Prof. Magoun, nephew of the President Of
the University, IN front of Prof. Chamber
lain's house with span Of horses and carriage.
He grasped q tree and held on. The carriage
was whirled away and torn in spliuters, the
harness stripped from the horses, the horses
lifted into the air, and one dropped dead sew
eral rods away. The other has not been found.
Large trees we're broken near the ground and
the upper twisted one way around the trunk
while few feet distant the process was ex-
actly reversed.
Prof. Buck was in the southeast chamber.
He started with his son to go down cellar when
the whole of that side of the house was carried
OIL, leaving the remainder but little damaged.
He and his son leaped to the ground. In the
tops OF some trees was forced a new phaeton
so tightly that it can only be cut out. It was
doubled into roll, and must have dropped
there when the trees were bent downward.
Horses and COWS had timbers and
splinters driven into their bodies. Fell
to be seen with the hub and spokes gone. At
one place where only could be seen the mud
colored debris of a dwelling which had evil
IDENTIFY been one of refinement and culture, the
only thing left to evidence the fact was beau
tiful untarnished rose in full bloom, marvel
in such surroundings. One man who was bur
rying to protect his home, but too late, threw
his arms aroEsnd tree, and while there horse
and carriage were thrown over him and dashed
to the earth beyond.
Twenty-seven loaded cars on the Central road
which had just come into the station from the
north were struck IN loop of the whirl and
turned over into the ditch toward the west, or
face of the storm. The locomotive was lifted
from the track and set on the ties right side up,
while one mile east, west-bound freight-tra
in motion was keeled over to the east, and the
conductor and brakeman were killed. In some
houses every inmate was killed or hurt vet the
house left, while the next house and its con-
tents were utterly destroyed and broken into
fragments, yet the inmates not seriously hurt.
Between Mr.. Roberts house and barn, which
| were totally demolished, was large pile of
stovewood, not stick of which was moved.
Mr.. Roberts had about $75 in his house, in
| Guiding $50 bill After the storm he saw a
piece of paper fiuttering on the ground, and
found it was the $50 bill, held by g little silver
| of wood. The rest was not found. One of his
buggies was taken, and another by the side of
it left.
! Thousands of instances of the marvellous
caprices of this gyrating storm could be re-
| lated. The victims know nothing of anything
except their ewn experience. TWAS all over in
three minutes or before one could stop to
! think or act. 1t is discovered that over space
| of four blocks, where every vestige of habita-
ton is ground to pieces, the people saved their
! lives by fleeing to the cellar before the cloud
| burst came.
The most of the dead were found where
there were no cellars or they did not go to the
cellar 1t is therefore safe to assume that the
! cellar will be the qdick resort hereafter on the
| approach of one of these besoms Of destruction,
beyond the power of the most fertile brain TO
describe. There is no safety in any building
erected by man. Nothing on the face of the
earth can withstand the force of one of these
monsters.
| A gentleman who witnessed the movement Of
| the cloud, which could be done few rods
away, says it was black mass, funnel shape,
whirling along with terrible rumble, but no
wind At the upper and in the center was &
continuous lurid flame of lightning, and con-
| slant explosions, like hand grenades. Behind
! this was mass of water and mud. Every per-
| son killed was SO covered with mud that they
could not be identified until they were washed.
| The houses were plastered with mud, and mud