The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-09-06
The Rochester Cyclone.
MISS PHRBE CoUzINs' DESCRIPTION OF ITS
RAYAGES.

RAVAGES
A letter received at st. LOUIS from Miss
Phoebe Couzins states that at the time
Rochester was destroyed by the cyclone she
was between Rochester and Kasson, out of
the reach OF the storm. AS all the tele-
graph lines were down she could not an
nounce her safety by that means, and a
letter she wrote was also delayed.
Immediately after the tornado had passed
Miss Couzins visited the stricken town,
and her account of the horrors she wit
messed, describes situation which was
something terrible Mrs. -- and |, y
writes Miss Couzins, 'sdrove down to Roch-
ester, q distance OF seventeen miles, and
witnessed such sights as we hope never to
look upon again. The country, for many
miles, is laid waste. Farmers crops and
barns and improvements are streWn in
every direction. but the loss of life is not
ssssfettt us at Rochester, although the few
that are killed and wounded in the country
are most horribly mangled. The wife of:
one farmer, who was in the field, started
for the house, but failed to reach it. She
ran for stake in the field, but was blown
/ almost to pieces, The stake was driven
through her body and her limbs torn off so
that they have not yet been found. One
young woman is so fearfully mangled with
ashes ground into her flesh that she cannot
| live. a boy had his spine SO filled with
nails that he will die Of lockjaw But the.
most frightful Of all scenes was that at
| Rochester. The scene i'll the north Of the
city, where stood 800 houses and large
number of trees, beggars description. Not
dwelling OF a tree remains: The debris
is piled up in huge masses, or scattered
over the plains in hopeless ENHANCEMENT.
Cattle horses and pigs lie about dead in all
manner of attitudes. One cowwe saw had
her head completely torn from her body
and the horns sticking into her bowels. A
horse tied to q tree was blown on his knees,
and his eyes in death bespoke the terror
which possessed him.
The Hon. John Mccall, Of Winona, was
killed near his elevator. He had started for
the house, across the way, but had evident
ly been caught in the air and whipped on
to the earth, for the grass.was swept clean
where he was found, and every bone in his
body was broken A long train of grain
cars was thrown from the track and some
OF them pitched,into the river beyond.
Among the trees bordering the bed of the
river all sorts of garments were flying from
the limbs, and while we were there the
bodies Of a woman and baby were found.
The railroad station, the locomotive, car
| rage factory, and harvester works are
complete wreck, although not so complete
ly blown to atoms as on the north part of
the town. In the streets on the other side
OF the station the trees are piled up ill
every direction, blockading many of them.
while tin roofs and towers Of churches. cor
nices, brick chimneys and debris of all
kinds present a most fearful picture. That
hundreds were not killed was marvellous.
But the time being Z in the evening and
the storm seen by every one, men had gone
home to their families and everyone had
taken refuge in cellars. AL who were
mangled OF killed were those who had no
cellars to go to. In almost every instance
! everyone saved was in the cellar.
| But the most heartrending sight was the
big hall, with the houseless and homeless
and killed and wounded. Near the door
OF the hall, improvised as a hospital, lay
five children, all dreadfully hurt, whose
parents had both been killed. A sixth child
the baby, never has been found. This sight
moved the stoutest-hearted to tears. Over
forty were III here-men, women and chill
dren--in most pitiable condition. One
cunning baby, which reminded me of IS
little one, which no one claimed, with one
Of its eyes put out, lay and gazed with its
one eye at every person who passed, with
the most intelligent, questioning look, as if
to say: "What does all this mean /? Can
no one find my mamma?'' Twenty bodies
were buried yesterday We drove out to
the cemetery and saw the deep, wide
trenches prepared, but did not stay for the
interment. The excitement is intense
throughout the county, and work is not
thought OF nor done. [ could write you
pages OF what l saw and heard, but am
tired and worn out from the continued
strain of nerve and BODY
IT'S FURY DESCRIBED BY A SUFFERER
Mr.. Williams, who lives across the Yum
bre, on the rise beyond the Cole Mill, was
out when the cyclone first reared it's front
in the southwest and saw it coming. To
a little boy who was him, but whose name
he does not know, he said "That's a cy-
clone, sonny. You come into this hazel
bush With me. Catch on to the roots and
hang on to your des.r life.'' He had never
heard the word OF knew nothing of it's pur-
port, and Instead of obeying instructions
sought refuge III a hencoop near by. The
man watched the three clouds join, saw
the work of destruction commence in the
southwest, iand then ran into the hazel
copSe. He found q fence between him
and the stern, lay down face to earth and
with the crown of his head against a
fence post, and grasped the hazel bush
near the roots with both hands. He kept
has senses through the storm, but with
difficulty. The first gust toyed with him
l
as If he were a whip-lash, beating him up
and down against the ground and through
the bushes-but still he chung as for his
life. There was little lull, and then, as
he expresses it, 1.-THE dern thing COM
menced its monkey work in airnest." A
lot of boards from some far-off clubhouse
were blown ON top of him. Then his body
was torn from the earth and his hold
broken, while he and the boards were
driven fifty yards into the copse. A sort
OF shelter seems to have been there af-
forded, as he escaped without serious in
jury, though his abraded face and swollen
hands attest the truth of his story of the
struggle. When the storm had passed
sufficiently to allow of his walking he
started in search of the boy. After a long
search he found him and his hen-coop
fully 1000 feet away and on the other side
OF an intervening ravine. The poor boy
was demented, and reason had not vet re-
turned. AS to the man who first found
him, he says to all, SEQ way, go way