Democratic Sentinel, Volume 6, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1882 — DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO. [ARTICLE]

DESTRUCTIVE TORNADO.

A Cyclone Sweep* Over tbe Town of Brownsville, Mo., Leveling Buildings and Killing and Wounding Many Person*. Ixdkpendbnck, Mo., April 19. A terrible cyclone swept over the town of Brownsville, Saline county, Ma, at 4:30 o’clock yesterday afternoon. The entire business portion of the town was demolished and seven persons killed and between twenty and thirty others badly injured. The storm came from the southwest and was very similar to the one which destroyed the town of Richmond four years ago. The s.orm came up so suddenly that the first intimation the people had was a sudden roaring sound, which was immediately followed by the appearance of a large black funnel-shaped cloud coining from the southwest at the rate of at least 100 miles per hour. When the cloud was first noticed it was apparently about two miles distant, and hung perhaps fifty yards above the earth. When it reached the western part of town it dropped down almost to the ground, and seemed to draw everything within a radius of several hun-lred yards up into the mouth of the funnel. It swept through the town, laying everything waste in its path. Two-story brick business houses were picked up like straws and whirled and twisted into shapeless ruins. Frame dwellings were carried some distance and dropped, smashing houses into fine kindling wood. Heavy timbers were earned several hundred yards through the air, and, falling end downward, stuck several feet into the ground. Occasionally the funnel seemed to strike the earth, and would rebound some distance into the air, duly to fall again and continue its work of destruction. The storm lasted less than two minutes, but during that short space of time about twenty business houses and dwellings were leveled to the ground. The storm came up so suddenly that the people had no time for preparation, and m fact scarcely any one knew wbat was coming until the storm was upon them. The people in the streets wire picked up and carried various distances and hurled to the ground dead or bruised almost beyond recognition, while those in the buildings were buried by the falling walls and debris. For some time after the storm passed the people who were uninjured were so terribly excited that nothing could be done. When they at last recovered tiom their consternation search for the dead and wounded was commenced. It was at first supposed that at least fifty persons had been killed, but a thorough search revealed that only seven were killed outright, lourteen mortally wounded, and sixteen Seriously injured. Those killed were : J. 8. Scruggs, a farmer. Claude Meyers, dry-goods merchant. T. K. Arthur, clerk W. M. Williams, clerk Con White, City MarshaL J. 8. Payne, minister. James Mi.ler, clerk. The storm’s path was about 150 yards wide, and every house, tree or shrub m that path was leveled to the ground. After leaving Brownsville the funnel pursued a northeastern dnection, and was next heard of near Marshall, where several 1 armhouses were destroyed. All the telegraph lines* leading out of Brownsville were broken.