A TERRIBLE TORNADO.

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3531, 20 July 1920, Page 3

A TERRIBLE TORNADO.

WHOLE TOWN WIPED OUT. Deaths and wholesale ruin have been the harvest of two tornadoes which swept over eight American States. Scores of peopie were killed, hundreds injured, and thousands robbed of their home:, while the damage is counted in millions. These tornadoes were the culmination of a series of storms which ' had been raging for a week across the United States. Whirling in a huge cone-shaped cloud from the west, at a speed of 80 or 90 miles an hour, the northe-ren visitation cut a wide zig-zag swather of ruin through the States of Missouri,, Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. Apparently its fury was concentrated around Chicago. In its wild course it wiped several villages off the map. Solid brick and stone structures, such as churches and pub lie. buildings, were crushed into heap; of debris, and many fires were start ed. Wooden dwellings were twisted from their foundations and were turned up.-ide down or whirled aboul like so many sheets of paper. Ii most cases the great wind came in ; sdudden darkness that sb ut out th< sunlight, or else it was preceded by ; torrent of rain. That gnat wine passed on as swiftly as it had come For 40 miles around Chicago it left a belt of ruined suburbs, towns, and villages. Elgin City, which topogra phical y is to Chicago what St. Albans is to London, suffered severely. Then alone the damage was estimated a 1 £1,000,000. A theatrical company was rehears ing when the theatre fell on them and two members were killed. In the First Presbyterian Church the minis ter had just concluded his sermon with the strangely prophetic exhortation to his congregation to be prepored, "for they knew not when they should be called." His hearers numbering one thousand, were about to leave when the storm broke. Many worshippers remained to take shelter from the rain; and 75 children were in the basemnt schoolroomse when the roof of the "Structure collapsed, but, as if miraculous y, only three persons were killed. One family was seated at table in the dining room on the ground floor Of their house when, in a twinkling, the house was lifted .dean, over their heads and whisked out of- sight, leaving .them exposed to the torrent of rain, but unhurt.' Edgertoh, Indiana;"'with a population of 500, was destroyed, isind'-'iti Ohio--the towjis of Swan ton, and-./Raabs Corners .were tti*etL-' Soldiers; ss:,er.£. called out <o gUard th«"-Bfeiroste? Bank., which had rtt** roof., blown off, -and their orders

wore to "shoot to kill" if any looting was attempted. 8o far as is known the number of killed is as follows: —Ohio. 26; liulianan. 27; Michigan, 9; Atlanta (Georgia). , 50; Alexander City (Alabama) 11; Agrieola, 5; West Point, Milner, and Madon, 1 each.