Year: 1869




The storm passed to the north of
Lanark, presenting an awful and sub
lime appearance. Providentially 1t
passed above the earth from one to
three hundred feet, until the township
OF Cherry Grove, near Jones' neighbor-
hood, it made sudden descent 10 the
surface, in a ravine just west of the
residence of William Walradt. The
house of Mr.. W. was located little out
of this ravine, in cross ravine running
north and south, supposed to have been
we'll sheltered from any storm. This
house, l0x24 feet, one and half stories
high, was lifted bodily off the founda-
tion and carried eight rods over the top
of an orchard and landed upon Its side.
Only one apple tree showed any marks
of the passage, and on that the limbs
were bruised on the extreme top ends.
The family of Mr.. W., wife and child
about ak or seven years old, were In
the house, Mr.. w. having just entered
from milking. The house was entirely
acknowledgement an article of furniture
or crockery or hardware or stove, but
what was broken in pieces. None
of the family have any recollection
of this event except Mr.. W., who
has q vague idea of being under
the stove and using extra efforts
lection OF anything until he found
himself, his child in his arms, support
ing his wife at line fence between
him and F. Dyslin, sixty rods from
where the house was demolished. 1t
must ever be mystery how they got
there alive. AS everything In the cloth
ing or portable line was swept from the
house where it was demolished, the
family must also have been carried
away, and perhaps stopped by the
fence. The condition they were in
when found would indicate the correct
ness of this theory, as they were cover
ed, and literally filled hair. mouth and
ears with mud. The escape from in
slant death of some of them, if not all,
was indeed miraculous. MIR. w. was
bruised almost the length and breadth
of his person, but not seriously; the
child bruised slightly about the head;
the wife badly bruised about the right
sion of the brain. Although seriously
injured, she will probably recover.
Besides the loss of house, Mr.. w. suf-
fered from the loss of his granary, and
grain and fences. He owns but forty
acres, and that but partly paid for, and
his loss is made doubly severe in con-
sequence. In Shannon, where he does
most Of his business, subscription
paper for his benefit was started on
Monday and nearly 5000 raised.


From Walradt's the storm passed in
the direction of Frank Dyslin's, but he
did not catch the full force. a tree that
was standing in the corner OF the yard,
twenty inches through, was torn up by
the roots; his house, eighteen by TWEEN
ty.six. feet, story and n half, with wing
on the east, was raised about one foot
from the foundation, aud settled back
again a few inches out of place; tore the
south end away from tho upper and
lower floors full four inches; blew the
windows in, and took Il clean furrow
through the roof-boards and shingles at
least two feet in width; took a wagon
off, and left part of it in a corn field,
part in bank, where the pole ran in
three or four feet and broke of, and part
OF it has not yet been found.


Next in its course was the residence
of Morris Dyslin. The house, sixteen
by twenty-four, story and. a: half, with
wing on the east, was removed
several inches from the foundation and
knocked completely out OF shape; win
dows blown in; east side of the roof on
upright was taken clean off; and gen.
eral sweeping was made of clothing and
bedding in the whole house. Astonish-
ing as it may seem, no one was injured
at either Of the Dyslins.


From the latter. place the tornado
could be traced about a mile through
the grove, when all appearances van
ished, probably again rising from the
surface and passing along through the
air until It's fury was spent.