Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 10, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 April 1884 — HAVOC BY THE WINDS. [ARTICLE]

HAVOC BY THE WINDS.

A Series of Cyclones in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, and the Carolinas. Great Loss of Life and Incalculable Damage to Property—lncidents of the Storm. I* Kentucky, A large section of tbe rich Blue Grass region of .Kentucky was recently visited by a groat calamity in the shape of a cyclone, whloh destroyed some half a dozen villages, killed about twenty people, and Inflicted incalculable damage to tarm property. During the afternoon the oppress! e atmosphere and gathering clouds ga-e evidence of an approach ng storm, and a light rain began to fall. This gave fray to hail, which poured down like shot, accompanied by high winds. The latter increased in fury until it formed a cyclone, which struck Colemansvil t> full on the southwestern side, and In a few moments fiad almost obliterated the town from existence. Thejnhabltants rushed frantically from their houses, which tottered and fell. Large trees, torn from their roots were violently thrown against dwellings, carrying them along. Satire buildings we e o irried away, leaving not a vestige behind exoept the foundation. CtiJor bul dings were carried a distance of from one hundred yards to a half mi.'e distant, scattering debris of legs, stones and trees as so much dust. Every one either ran into tho street or sought retugo la cellars, and many were In ured by falling timbers, which dropped around In all directions. In the midst of the storm a Mrs. A. H. Lail rushed out of tho house with her Infant, three weeks old. The storm tore the child from her arms, while she was blown across the street against a neighbor's house. She was picked up insensib'e and badly in ured, and the baby was found dead 2t:o yard-i distant. Seven or eight people were killed atColomansvllle, and many were badly wounded. No one in the village escaped Injury. Reaching Mount Nebo, It destroyed every house and occasioned a great loss of life and property. Stock of all kinds was seen flying through the air. Still onward bound, the storm with greater force next struck Conroy, tearing down every building. ITiis place suffered greatly. Going thence to Antioch, it Is now impossible to ascertain whether a town e ver stood there or not. But little idea of the havo i occasioned by the tornado can bo conveyed In a word picture. Some few incidents may, however, serve to convey to the reader an Impression or the power of the storm. Trees we. e torn from the spots where they had grown to large proportions from little shrubs, carried a distance of five miles, and thon again d opped to the earth, denuded of their bark and stripped of their hints. Two boys, who were fishing in the Licking River, took refuge at tbe mouth of a railway tunnel, and were blown through it to its other opening, & distance of BOJ yards. A negro d scovore 1 his crunk In a, tree top several hundred yards distant. Babes were blown from their ' mothars’ arms and k lied. Those who went to meir work in tho morning have not yet returned to their families. Two children supposed to have been lost were next morning found in a cellar and rescued. Bodies of dead persons were found strewn along tbe roads Immense numbers of oattle and other stock were also slaughtered. At one place a man flying through the air was seen, but ho can not now be found. A church was lifted from sight and has not yet been heard of. The organ was found about five miles distant. Rocks weighing thiee tons were borne quite a distance, and the ground was much torn up. Vast quantities of water were blown from the rlvor. A man sought refuge behind a freight car; flying debris was seen to ene. mpass h m, and he can not now be found. The chimneys and foundations of buildings wero ourriod away. Dead chickens and sheip were picked up in the nd;olning coi nty, which were recognized as having teen blown from points several miles distant. When the oyclone first appeared it looked like an Immense circus tent filled with and being carried a'ong by the wind. After the tornado had finished Us work a hoavy hail-storm prevailed. Houses, catt’e, and all kindi of stock were carried through the air as though they were but chaff, and being thrown to the ground dead, or with limbs broken so that it was neoessary to shoot them In order to relieve their sufferings. Fragments of destroyed buildings, cooking utensils, etc., were found twelve or fifteen miles from where they were blown. At Putnam, Ky., a number of hoi gss were demolished, several people kUlod, and a number wounded. John Hartman, a brakeman on a freight train, was blown from a freight-car and carried about forty feet, alighting on his head In a creek, breaking bis neck, and causing Instantaneous death. In Indiana. The village of Eclpio, Ind., near the Ohio line, was wiped out by a tornado, Only two houses wore left Intact. Rev. Joseph Winston was killed. In the region about Shelbyville, dwellings were swept away, and outhouses, fenoes, hay and straw-stacks scattered ail over tho farms. Forests were uprooted and destroyed. Near Connersvllle a oyclone forty rods wide swept everything clean for a distance of two milles. In orosslng Whitewater River, the water was lifted in an immense sheet, and the stream loft momentar.ly dry. ,A cyclone fifty feet wide swept through Richmond with alarming velocity, tearing all sorts of rubbish wivh it. A Baptist church was wrecked, and several buildings unroofed. Near Greenfield a strip of ooantry two mites long was devastated, barns, fenoes, and hay-staeks being mixed into an inextricable mass and swept away like chaff. In Ohio. A clyclone swept through a section of Ohio contiguous to Dayton, at about the same time the Kentucky storm was performing its work of destruction. The towns of Ridgeville, Shakertown, Centervil’e, Spring Val’.ey, and South Charleston suffered greatiy. Two men were killed at Ridgaville, and another, who had taken refuge on a covered bridge, was blown Into the stream and drowned. At Ripley many houses were unroofed, and farm dwellings, barns and fences were demolished. In North Carolina. A large section of North Carolina was swept by a fierce cyclone, and many peoplo killed. At Newton thirty houses, were blown down, one woman killed and fourteen per-, sons wounded. In Lenoir a whole family were killed. At Mecklenburg six residonoes were levelod and a number of people injured. In Iredell County everything was swept clean in the track of the tornado, trees being carried a distance of two milos. In South Carolina. A fierce cyclone for the third time within a few weeks devastated a large section of South Carolina. In Chester County many dwellings and barns were blown down, and several persons killed and woundod. A 7-year-old boy was caught In tho storm and has been miss ng ever since. In Grcenrll e County serious damage was wrought, and two lives were lost.