Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-06-23


ing that course to Marshall county, where Il
turns southeast and goes straight to Grinnell,
thence to Iron Ridge, II miles southeast OF
Brooklyn, then southerly TO Henry county,
and thence to Mount Pleasant, where it stop
ed, having travelled 200 miles. The velocity
OF the storm was about 60 miles an hour. An
impromptu mass-meeting of citizens of Des
Moines was held Monday night, at which over
$2400 was raised for the relief of Grinnell
and other storm-stricken places in Iowa.
j. S. Clarkson, editor of the Des Mones
Register, after travelling all over the track of
the tornado, has sent out long appeal for
help for the sufferers. He says that Gin the
southeastern part of the state 60 are dead and
500 wounded, half Of the latter grievously
hurt and probably q fifth of them fatally.
Over 800 homes have been totally destroyed,
and there are now at least 1900 people home
less and in want The loss in property will
exceed So, 900, 900, and may reach SO, 900, 600.
1t will take at least $500, 900, he SAYS, to put
the people at Grinnell beyond need and dis
tress, 300, 900 at once to care for the wound
ed, and 81, 100000 to keep the sufferers from
want and help them put the humblest of roofs
over their heads "Grinnell," he says, sis
town of New England, its citizens a thrifty,
intelligent people, and with the lowest rate of
crime and illiteracy in the state, and the high
est rate OF intellig ence and morality. The
rich towns of the East may well help these
sons aud daughters of New England in the
distress and need visited upon them so cruel
ly." In speaking of the havoc of the storm,
he says that of some houses there was not left
a splinter as largo as a finger, and hundreds
Of people have no clothing except what they
have on. There were cases of exceptional
horror and exceptional pathos. Little chill
dren, with both parents killed. we're left MAIN
ed and wounded alone. Wounds were inflict-
ed by debris that filed the air, by electric
balls Of fire that seemed to traverse every inch
Of space, and which exploded with a fearful
effect that will in many cases defy all skill and
nursing. The fury of the storm, which was
of electric origin-and which, indeed, may
be described as having been electricity itself
may be understood from the statement that
at various places it took up houses in its great
err spirals, or tunnels, and carried them up
1000 feet; it carried large hocks of cattle
through the air for thousands Of feet, dashing
them down dead in heaps. Many thousands
of cattle, horses, hogs and other animals now
lie in the track of the tornado, decaying and
adding to the hot weather the horror Of foul
and pervading odors.
One account says that loaded freight train
| of 81 cars, moving west on the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific railroad, near Grinnell, was
| lifted bodily from the track, with the excop-
| ton OF one car and the locomotive, and CON.
! pletely overturned.
Grinnell, where the tornado did its worst
work, is town of about 5000 people, and is
situated ON the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa
| cific and the Iowa Central railroads. 1t is To-
Gated 121 miles west of the Mississippi river
and 30 miles east of Des Moires. The pc
culiar aspect of the sky was q matter OF com
| mon remark on the streets on Saturday after
noon an hour or more before sunset The
northern sky was hung with conical down.
ward pointing clouds. After sunset and even
after darkness was gathering the western sky,
half way to the zenith, was lurid and bril-
| liant, an unearthly and ominous sight which
fascinated while il filed one with ill-defined
dread Almost before the brilliant apparition
in the west had disappeared the storm broke.
II was accompanied with a roaring like thun-
der, or, perhaps, more like the rumbling of a
dozen heavy freight trains. Ohimneys, trees,
houses, barns, began TO fly like leaves. Peo-
| pie took to their cellars. The rain came In
floods as if a water spout had burst, which,
in fact, was probably the case The wind
and rain, and binding lightning continued so
furious for near a half-hour that it was scarce
| ly safe for those whose roofs staid over them
to open their DOORS but the damage was
probably done in a very few minutes, per-
haps not more than Ave. The north west
quarter of Grinnell was laid fiat, and the
storm sped ON to Malcolm. 1t left traces
from Wolcott westward Farm houses and
barns were destroyed and the country flooded,
land slides covered the track in places, bui
the worst of all was the calamity at Grinnell.
Reports from Other Sections.
The great tornado passed southwest of DeS
Moines and Henry counties, destroying Vss
amount of property. Al Mount Pleasant 2S
miles west of Burlington, two storms met
over the town, accompanied by rain and hail
The Baptist church, valued at S25, 600, wal
destroyed and the spire of the Presbyterian
church was lifted high in the air and inverted
The point struck the sidewalk in front of the
church and was driven into the ground many
feet. The towers and roofs of all the churches
in the place were blown of and the buildings
otherwise damaged. Nearly every store il
the city was unroofed, and the public square
filled with tin roofs rolled into punches like
wads of paper. Three hundred dwellings
were uproofed, not a single chimney was lef
standing, and 1000 trees were twisted of
Three large brick sohool-houses are in ruins
but the college buildings escaped. Only two
persons are reported Killed. mother ant
son named Scott. The loss is over $3.50, 900
The damage done in Story county, Ia, IL
very serious. Several buildings were swep
away at Kelly. Further east all the building
! on 16 farms wers destroyed. Two schoo
|
molished. All growing crops in the track o.
the wind were destroyed, and cattle, horses
hogs and poultry carried long distances ant
killed. The loss in Henry county will reacl
100000.
The tornado struck the southwestern par
of Boone county, Ia, at 8 o'clock 1t wa
plainly seen at Boone, and seemed to be q
miles away. All the buildings on severa
farms were completely demolished. A ohurol
four miles south of Ogden was destroyed
many persons having been seriously injured
and one man and boy named Christian Pc
terson were killed A woman and child ar
reported missing
In Rock Greek township, Jasper county
Ia, 10 houses were demolished. Mrs. o. d
James and three daughters, killed. At Nal
colin and vicinity 10 were killed and from Gt
TO 20 wounded. In the country southeast Of
Malcolm several deaths occurred.
From ten to twelve persons are reported Il
have lost their lives at Irish Ridge, Ia.
At Metropolis ILL.,, several houses wer!
blown down, steamer capsized and SUM
and one man killed;
81. Louis ana vicinity was visited by ter
rible wind just before midnight, Friday, ano
in 1G minutes rain fell TO the depth Of 7l-lO'
of an inch. Several persons were injured.
tornado struck Leavenworth, Kan, at 1
O'Clock Friday night. destroying $3.50, 00
worth of property. st. Mary's academy wa
blown down, and Eve girl pupils killed.
man was blown into the river and browne
In Kansas City, Mo-, great damage wa
| do,a avd 4, sfu VTicinifv many small lamlai