Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1883-07-20

10 your correspondent III 11ul1Pnery /,
we're as follows: The day had been
very warm and low dark clouds had
hung around the western, and north
eastern horizon all day. About two
O'Clock they began to rise and grow
dark. At quarterpast two 1t turned
cold, and the entire sky was covered
with heavy clouds while IN the north
west the lowering masses were of a
deep greenish black. The roll of the
thunder was now nearly continuous
and the jagged shafts oflightning from
the northwest and south east seemed
to form ne: work of fire across the
sky at every peal of thunder. The
wind now began to comein fitful sobs,
and soon it turned so dark that in the
office of the Grand Central hotel,
where l was it was impossible to dis
tinguish an object across the room. 1t
was now half past two. The rain now
began to fall mingled with hail as
large as cherries. This continued per-
haps five minutes, when there came a
lull in the storm and all nature seemed
to hold lis breath then with the rear
of demon the tornado struck us
coming rom the north west MIR
Shinger, the landlord sprang to the
hall door facing the west, bolted it and
placed his shoulder against it; l could
distinctly feel the strong building move
beneath my feet. l stood looking out
Of a window facing south. The
tornado was accompanied by blind
ing sheet of rain, which seemed to
sweep the very earth. Trees and 3
inches in diameter were bent before the
bhst till they seemed stretched hori-
zmtally along the ground. The roar
WIS like that of a fast express train
passing within few feet of me. The
ladies' Of the hotel had all gathered in
the office and stood awe stricken lis
tenng to the terrible roar.
The first indication of the destruc-
tor that I saw was single hat flying
by amid the binding mist; it was
qui&ly followed by aperfect avalanche
of HITS, pieces of dry goods, shingles
and splinters. Just then we noticed a
man ,atless and coatless run by the
window, pause and look wildly around
him a; if he were utterly bewildered
remarked There is a man scared
nearly o nearly to death something
has happened" One of the ladies
looked fom the window and exclaimed,
"Why sisit is Mr.. Rodes l wonder il
his house is blown down." and open.
ing dor to the south she and the
other ladies called to him to come in
out of the storm. He paid not the
least attention. until Mr.. Stringer went
to the doc and called him several
| times then he came toward the door in
a dazed, bewsldered manner and Mr..
Stringer stepped out in the storm and
pulled him in to the house.
He was grasping for breath and
shaking as il he had IN ague fit. For
half minute ne seemed to be speech
less then hesaid "Oh my God! Berg
& Blocks store is down and seven per-
sons under it.' l began to put on
my rubber coat and said to the land
lord, "We must so and get those peo-
Pile out. Rhodes said, cts no use /;
they are all dead, l was the only one
that got out, and l hardly jumped out
of the back door as the house went
down and the storm will kill you if
you you go out" 1 went out of the
back door picked up the axe from
woodpile and started for the wrecked
store which was located just diagonally
across a block. About half way to
the store l met Mr.. McIlrath. a trav-
cling man for Quincy furniture house.
He was bareheaded, and as he came
running toward me said, "That corner
store is down and several persons are
under it, LETS go back and get
them out" / said. He made some
reply and ran on toward the hotel.
When I reached the store not soul
was to be seen. I ran around and ap-
preached the ruins from the front. The
walls had fallen outward and let the
roof fall directly down, The front had
fallen in and the back of the building
was driven outward. The "comb" of
roof had parted as it fell, leaving an
aisle about six feet wide from the front
of the building to the back in which
hats, boots, clothing, dry goods, gro
ceries, broken counters, boxes, laths,
and splintered planks were piled in a
confused mass, upon which the rain
was pouring in perfect torrent. The