A TERRIBLE TORNADO

Marlborough Express, Volume LIV, Issue 167, 17 July 1920, Page 6

A TERRIBLE TORNADO

WHOLE TOWNS WIPED OUT

Ite'ith and" wholesale ruin have been the harvest, of two tornadoes which swept ovor eight American States. Scores of people were killed, hundreds injured, and thousands robbed of their homes, while th© damage is counted in millions.- These tornadoes wero the culmination of a series of sitonus which had bo&n raging for a week across tho United States.

Whirling in a huge oone-shaped aloud iron the west, at a. speed of SO or 90 miles an hour, the northern visitation cut a wide zig-zag swathe of ruin through the States of Mispouri, "Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. 'Apparently its fury was concentrated around Oliicago. In its wild eoiiicso it wiped several villages off tho map Solid brick and stone .structwes, such as churches and public buildings, were crushed into heaps of debris, and many fires were started. Wooden dwellings were twisted from their foundations and were turned upside down or whirled about like so (many sheeits of paper. In most cases the great wind cam© in a. sudden dairkne.'B that shut out the sunlight, or elso it was preceded by a torrent of rain. That great wind passed on as swiftly as it bad come. For forty miles around Chicago Jb left a. belt of ruined suburbs, towns, and villages. Elgin City, which topographically is to Chicago whit St. Albans is to London, suffered severely. Tliere alone the damage was estimated at £1,000,000. A theatrical company was rcheairsing when tho theatre fell in on them, ■and two members A-eco killed. In the First Pr&sbyterian Church the minister had just concluded his sermon with the strangely prophetic exhortation to liis congregation to bo prepared, "for they knew riot when they should l>o called " His hearers, muttiboring one thousand.. w©er 'about to leave when tho storm broke. Many worshippers remained to take shelter from the rain; and 75 children were in the bailment schoolroom when the roof of the structure collapsed, but, us if miraciiloiisly, only three persons were' killed.

One family was seated at table in l.h© dining-room on the ground floor of their house when, in a twinkling, the house was lifted clean ever their heads-., and whisked out of sight, leaving them exposed to the torrent of rain, but unhurt.

Edgortc-n, Indi.xria., with a population of 500 was virtually destroyed, and in Ohio the towns of Swan ton, Greenville, and Raabs Corners were razed. Soldiers wore called out to guard- the Melrose Bank, which, had its roof blown off, and their orders were to "shoot to kill" if any looting was attempted. So far as is known, the number of ■dead is a.s follows: Ohio: 26, Indiana 27, Michigan 9, Atlanta (Georgia) 78, La Grande (Georgia) 50, Alexander City (Alabama) J.l, Agricola 5, West Poi'.!*:, Milner. and Madon, 1 each.