TORNADO TERROR.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 June 1920, Page 9

TORNADO TERROR.

WHOLE TOWNS BLOWN TO PIECES. MINISTER'S WARNING BEFORE THE STORM. | Death and wholesale ruin have been the harvest of two tornad'oes which swept over' eight American States. Scores of people were killed, hundred* injured, and thousands rubbed of their homes, while the tlamagc 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 hov.r, the northern visitation cut a wide zig-zag swathe of ruin ihrough 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 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 sheets of paper. In most cases the great wind came in a sudden darkness that shut out- the sunlight, or else it was preceded by a torrent of rain. That great wind 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 topographically is to Chicago what St. Albans is to London, suffered severely. There alone the damase was estimated at million pounds sterling. A theatrical company were rehearsing when THE THEATRE FELL IN ON THEM, and two members were killed. In the First Presbyterian Church the minister had just concluded his sermon with the exhortation to hits congregation to be prepared, "for they knew not when they would be called." His hearers, numbering 1000, were about to leave when the storm broke. Many worshippers remained to take shelter from the rain: and 73 children were in the basement schoolroom, when the roof of the structure collapsed; but, as if miraculously, only three persons were killed. One family were seated at table in the din-ing-room on the ground floor of their home, when, in a twinkling, the house was lifted clean over their heads and whisked out of sight, leaving them exposed to the torrent of rain, but unhurt. Edgerton, Indiana, with a population of 500, was virtually destroyed, and in Ohio the towns of Swanton. Greenville, and Rnalw Corners were razed. Soidiers were called on to guard the Melrose Bank, which had its roof blown oh", ;nd their orders were to "shoot or kill" if any looting was attempted. So far as is known the number nf iTead is as follows:—lndiana. 20, Indiana 27. Michigan it. Atalanta (Georgia) 78, La Grange (Georgia) !>n. Alexander City (Alabama)' 11. Agricola 3, West< Point, Milner, and Madon one each.