The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1882-06-29

gcther In low room when .uc mousse WAS taken
| from over their heads, carried on and crushed
In ono direction, and in q moment after
| they were whrled away in another direction.
Prof. Magoun, nephew OF tho President Of
the Universlty, was in front OF Prof. Chamber
lain's house with span o. horses and carriage.
He grasped tree and held on The carriage
was whiilcd away and torn in splinters, tho
harness stripped from the horses, the horses
lifted into the mir, and one dropped dead sew
erAl rods away. The other has not been found.
Large trees were 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
tho whole Of that side Of the house Was carried
Oh, leaving the remainder but little damaged.
Ho and his son leaped to the ground. In tho
tops Of somo trees was forced : new phaet0n
% tightly that Il can only be cut out. II was
doubled into roll, snd must have dropped
there when tho trees were bent downward.
Horses aud cows had timbers and
splinters driven into their bodies. Eel.
loes and tires OF wagon wheels were
TO be seen with the hub and spokes gone. At
ono place whore only conld b sesn Tho mud
IDENTIFY been ons Of refinement and culture, the
only thing left TO evidence the fact Was beau
tiful untarnshed rose in full bloom, . marvel
in such surroundings. One man who WAS hur-
rying 70 protect his home, but too late, threw
his arms around 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 tho
north were struck IN loop OF the whirl and
turned over into the ditch toward the west. or
race OF the storm. The locomotive WAS lifted
from the track and set on the ties right side up,
while one mule east, west-bound frsight-train
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 tho
house left, while the next house and its con-
tents wore 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 e75 In his house. in.
Guiding $50 bill After the storm he saw
piece OF paper futtering on the ground, and
found it was the $50 bill, held By little silver
Of wood. The rest was not found. One Of his
bnggies was taken, and another BY tho side OF
it left.
Thousands OF instances OF the marvellous
capriccs OF this gyrating storm could be re-
lated. The victims know nothing OF anything
except their own experience. II was all over in
three minutes. or before one could stop to
think or act. It is discovered that over space
OF four blocks, where every vestige Of habita-
tion 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 so to tho
cellar. 1t is therefore safe to assume that tho
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
gentleman who witnessed the movement Of
the cloud, which could be done = few rods
away. says it WAS q 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. Jlko hand grenades. Behind
this was mass Of water and mud. Every per-
aon killed was 30 covered with mnd that they
could not be Identified until they were washed
The houses were plastered with mud, and mud
covers every foot Of the track Of the cloud.
Tnc Cyclone DescFibcd-Singula4 In.
cidcnas and HAIR Breadth Escapes.
Much has been written with regard to the ap-
pearanco Of the cyclone, but can not refrain.
in this connection, from reproducing, as nearly
- can, description given me with uncon-
scious eloquence by IN eyewitness to the descent
Of the boreal monster upon the fated town.
"The sun went down. he said, "behind :
bank Of peculiar clouds. They werc OF fantas-
tic shapes, and the last rays OF the setting sun
impaired to them . crimson. angry hae. l
couldn't help, for tho life Of me. thinking OF
the ferocious red eyes Of an untamable bull
dog, when looked at the lurid spectacle. Night
came on, aud with iG the storm. Inces-
SAINT lightning illuminated the northern
and western heavens. the clouds grew
blacker and the atmospheric agitation in
creased. The balloon shaped cloud abont which
you already know could be seen approaching 4
quarter OF an hour before it reached the town,
and for at least five minutes before its arrival
the roaring sound, which has been aptly hkened
TO the rumbling Of fifty freight trains across an
iron bridge, filled the air with its ominous
echoes. It was preceded by violent wind.
which blew down trees and drove people
into the mousse. | was standing in an open
space on oLe OF the western streets OF the
town. and. feeling that was safer there than
| could be in 3 house, / determined to
stay there, though admit WAS frightened
half to death. The rumbling roar came near
er, and the lowering mass seemed to reach out
black arms to the earth, when. with . horrible,
whistlng shriek, the monster swept BY within
a hundred yards of the spot where WAS rooted
with aniazement and fear. The raging thing
swocped down upon the place, licking up every
thing in its path. Some Of the houses were
mashed down and swept along, while others
were picked up bodily, torn to pieces, and
the furniture and occupants lifted into
tie air, either to be hurried to the earth again
or blown the Lord knows where. The dreadful
& ant pursued its way, crushing, crunching and
destroying with cruel wantonncss. In the nm
earthly glare produced by the blazing lightning.
which flashed wickediy and incessantly, and by
the balls Of fre with which the gyrating mass
seemed to be alive. could see tue air filled
with flying objects Of every conceivable form,
from scraps Of paper to sections OF roofs and
fioors. to the ne ght OF o or 500 feet, and /
don't know how much higher. A house would
be crushed like an eggshell and in less time
composed it would 10 climbing skyward with
incredible rapidty. The air was charged with
electricity, and where stood the atmosphere
was OF ghostly paiior. The whrling monster
threw out flashes, and sparks, and balls rs it
passed along. Mingled with the frightful
roaring Of the cyclone could be heard the shrill.
Dlood-curdllng Ahrlcks OF women rs they were
caught up and borne away to their death. Tho
demon concert is ringing in my ears yet. The
cyclone was probably minute, or : minute
and q half, passing me. It seemed an age
Nothing ever filled me with such unspeakAble
awe as this relentless riot Of the elements
this merciless march Of death"
After the storm came binding, drenching
rain. It was dark as the bOttoMless plt--so
dark that the blackness could almost be felt
aud through this inky air groped hundreds Of
men and women trying to lind the mAngled
remains OF the victims Of natures cruel revolt
The City Hall was converted into morgue and
the other public buildings into hospitals. Re-
cry from all quarters. MIR. Mo6att, who
had charge Of the dead-house, tells OF the
spectacle that was presented there sunday
morning:
1--WE worked half the night and I'll Sunday
u0f th0 hO< infn fnr