The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-07-19
A Cyclone Described
By a Somerset County Man Vis-
iting in Iowa.
w,rrrIoo. Iou,- Inlr 10. isga.

WArEEIoo. lows. July 10, 1898.
Editor Herald
The afternoon Of last Thursday was no;
and snltry, and everybody was ON the look
out for a storm. Ny attention was attracted
10 dark mass Of clouds which was gather
ing il the southwest. The storm came in
an awful form at O'Clock. The Writhing
and twisting motion Of the clouds excited q
feeling OF uneasiness in those who observed
them. A peculiar roaring sound issued out
of the mass distinct above the other sounds
of the approaching storm, and everybody
felt that bad work was going on in that di-
reciion. Soon after these sounds were heard
the whole armament was overcast and hail
commenced 10 fail. At Elder Earleys,
where was staying. it came down in great
chunks of ice which would have knocked q
man senseless had one OF them struck him
on the bead. The largest Of these hail
stones measured over fourteen inches in cir
cumierence after they had lain where they
had fallen from ten minutes 70 half an hour
The hail was followed BY rain. but the storm
after the clouds oommenced % break mes
senger arrived at Earieys and told Of the
dreadful destruction which had been
wrought one mile south. We started at
once for the scene. We first came TO the
beautiful residence Of William Slater. It
wss torn 10 pieces, and two members Of the
family were killed. One OF the family was
carried ,hree-fourths of mile away from
the house.
Elder Converse's house Wasalso destroyed,
but no lives were lost there; the family hav-
ing taken refuge in the cellar.
Mr.. Pitchers barn and residence were
shattered but not wholly destroyed. a young
man employed on his place was struck by
flying timbers and was so badly injured that
his life is despaired Of The buildings own
ed by Mr.. Morgan are gone. Mr.. johnson.
q middle aged man Of genial disposition and
very popularin the community, was picked
up in the grove, dead.
4 mile further west was the home Of sam
mel Burch. and here q shocking sight met
our eyes. The family consisted of father
and mother and four children. The parents
and three children were killed outright, and
the remaining child is hur; so badly that
She viii probably die The scene Of this
desolate home and the thought Of this in
slant blotrng out Of the lives Of almost an
entire family deeply affected all Of US. and
our fearful faces we're an expression Of the
heayiness and sadness Of our hearts.
After all that one may have read or been
told concerning the nature Of a tornado, ,he
can form no true conception of wha, it is
Ike, It's astounding power and destructive
ness, until he has stood in its tracks and
seen the waste which il has committed. OF
the houses which were carried away last
Thursday nothing can be found Of them
save small fragments of lumber mostly
smaller than the size Of ordinary stove
wood and these are strewn for miles across
the couutry from east 10 west. but inside Of
a narrow strip of CO rods in width. which
constituted the track Of the tornado \
whole board OF piece of timber or shingle Of
any Of the houses has not been seen. The
ground on which the buildings stood is
swept clean Of everything, and there is
nothing 10 indicate that buildings ever occu-
pied the spots excepting the uncovered cell
lars. and the foundation stones which are
scattered about the yards. The trees Of the
groves, many Of which were as large As
man body. are twisted of a few feet from
the ground Many Of those which stll
stand erect are stripped Of their bark, even
70 the ends Of the smallest twigs. The corn
fields at little distance look like freshly
plowed gEound. Everything in the stables
with the exception OF a few hogs, was car
ried away and killed At the Slater farm
are the dead bodies of thirty-nine head Of
cattle and fifteen bead Of horses and forty
eight hogs Probably hundred men are
employed in burying the oarcasses Of anil
mails found in the track Of the storm.
Mr. Converse. one Of the lucky ones in
the storm, says: The tornado was right
upon them before they realized that they
were in any danger" He happened TO walk
TO the east side Of the house and look out.
The advance Of the tornado was then only
short distance on the opposite side Of the
road from the dooryard fence It took but
glance at the black objects before him to
show him that they were in imminent dan
ger He shouted for the family TO run for
the cellar, and as he followed the others
down the stairway and croGched upon the
floor, the tornado struck them. For a few
seconds they were enveloped in midnight
darkness, and they were fairly deaiened by
the awful roar about them. Then il sud
denly grew light again. Il couli not have
been more than a minute from the time that
the approach of the tornado was seen until
the building was swept from its foundation.
Want Of time prevents me from entering
more fuliy into details concerning this aw-
ful calamity. What I have written relates
only to the work ofthe cloud in the vicinity
Of Orelia. The damage in other localities is
vastly greater than here. At Pomeroy it
tore down two-thirds Of the houses and
killed and wounded over two-hundred peo-
PIE