June 2, 1860
Dreadful Storm at Alton, (Ill.)

This day, a dreadful storm broke out over the town of Alton, Ill. The Alton “Courier,” describing it, says-The most destructive storm in this section of the country that has occurred within the memory of anyone, broke upon our city Saturday evening and in a matter of minutes destroyed property to the amount of scores of thousands of dollars.

The track of the storm through the business part of the city lies between Belle and Henry streets. On and west of State street the damage done to building is very slight. Confined to the throwing down of two or three chimneys and one or two stables. Here as well as elsewhere the shrubbery, fruit-trees, shade trees, &c (sic) suffered to a considerable extent.

The “Courier” office, for which so much apprehension was felt, escaped uninjured. Our loss is confined to the bindery, and is but slight, occasioned by the tearing open of a trap-door in the roof.

Farther up the street, beyond the Piasa Foundry, was the principal scene of disaster on Belle street. Here, in the creek-bottom, are about twenty small houses, occupied by twenty-five or thirty families, mostly Irish. At sunset there was scarcely enough water in the creek to make a current; when the storm was at it’s height the water must have been at least ten to twelve feet deep,-tearing on with almost resistless force. Some three or four of these houses were torn in pieces, three or four more swept from their foundations, and all of them filled with water and mud. The affrighted families fled with what they could carry, in very few cases saving more than three-quarters of their household effects, and in some instances hardly escaping with their lives.

Still farther up the road in the neighborhood of the toll gate, some damage was done by water, but very little done by hail or wind. The road is very much washed in all places, all the way to the Buck Inn.

In Insurance-Office neighborhood the traces of hail first began to be much apparent,-the insurance-office having very many panes of glass broken out, and other houses having suffered in this respect to some extent. We remarked two or three chimneys down, also a stable near the house of Dr. Wood. The main damage hereabouts is upon the shrubbery and fruit and other trees; and it is very severe,-not to be estimated in dollars and cents. Dr. Wood, Mr. Kellenberger, Mr. Moses Atwood, Robert Smith, John Atwood, Judge Billings, Capt. Adams, H.I. Baker, Mr. Wade, Dr. Marsh, Mr. Metcalf,-all these, and, in fact, everybody in this neighborhood, have lost much in this respect. Mr. Smith’s yard and garden particularly are very much damaged. The house building for Cashier Caldwell lost it’s chimney and part of its roofing.

In Hunterstown, the German Catholic Church, corner of Third and Henry streets, built last year at an expense of about $6000, is almost a complete wreck, the basement and part of the front wall alone standing. From the two story brick building standing directly opposite, belonging to Mr. Coppinger, the roof was partially lifted; and a small frame building near it was damaged by a falling tree.

Farther up Henry Street, opposite the German Protestant Church, a frame story-and-a-half house, about finished, for John Callacombe, was torn completely to pieces. Lower Middleton suffered considerably, both by hail and by wind.

Captain James Starr’s house lost a couple of chimneys. James Newman lost a chimney and a stable. J.C. Underwood lost a stable, and had both gables of his house blown out, damage say $800. A new story-and-a-half frame house opposite Mr. Dimmock’s was badly wrenched, but not blown down. A story brick house, also opposite, occupied by Mr. Spreen, is a wreck: loss $1000.

Seth T Sawyer’s house, lost it’s roof and part of the back side-wall: $500. Mr. Johnson’s house lost a couple of chimneys. Joseph Spray, porter of De Bow & Son, living back of the African church, had the upper story of his house taken off, and a part of it carried two hundred and fifty or three hundred feet: loss $350. A small stable near by was wrecked. A small frame house in front of, and a short distance from, the church building for Mr. Waples by Mr. McCorcle, was blown from it’s foundation and badly sprung. Thomas S. Coffy’s house suffers, by loss of it roof and other wise to the amount of $500. Mr. Coon’s house has damage, $150. Mr. Waple’s home has a chimney and one corner down. Dr. Hope’s stable was scattered over an acre of ground.

All through this section of the city there is no small loss of trees and shrubbery, very few property owners escaping. There are also several houses damaged to the amount of from $20 to $50 or $60, by falling limbs or parts of other houses.

In Second Street, the residence of Dr. De Leuw, a short distance above Henry Street, has a chimney down and also the front of a one-story wing. Arnes’s new brick store and residence has the lower gable-end out. Kohler’s seed-store has part of its front down. One of the old shells in Cary’s Row is demolished. The lower gable-end of Joerges’s fine brick house is out. One of the back gable-ends of the Alton house is out. The Baptist Society were burned out but a short time ago, and now are out again. Ryder’s three-story building lost its upper story, in which the society have been worshipping for several weeks. It is said that this building was struck by lighting.

The city building lost more than half of it’s tin roof. The front firewall of the building occupied by Blair, Ballinger & Co., Adams & Collett, and Ferguson & Gawley, was partly blown off. The river gable-end of the store formerly occupied by Adams & Collett was blown out. Part of the river front of Pickard’s store is down, as is also, one gable of Malachi Holland’s Liquor Store.

The steeple was blown off of the Episcopal Church. It is said that the church is almost a total loss, the walls being very much sprung and cracked. The church cost about $12,000. The organ is ruined.

The steeple was also blown from the Methodist Church. The roof was considerably hurt by it’s fall, and the interior is also somewhat damaged. The loss cannot be less that $3000. The house of D. Simms was also completely crushed by the falling steeple of the Methodist Church. It was worth $1800.

The back end of the Depot is blown in. The destruction of awnings, signs, &c., in the entire business part of the city is very great. A dozen houses or more in this part of the city, the names of whose owners we did not learn, lost chimneys. The front gable-end of the Illinois Iron-works is blown out, and the building is slightly damaged otherwise.

No loss in the city is commented upon with more and warmer expressions of sympathy than that of “The Democrat” office. The building was new, yet hardly finished, and Mr. Fitch moved into it only a week ago,-just a week ago on Saturday evening, opening it with a gathering of his friends. And it is now all gone,-the most complete wreck we ever saw. We know how Mr. Fitch has labored early and late in his profession here and elsewhere for many years,- through what discouragements he had attained his position as head of the leading Democratic paper in this section of the state; and, knowing all this, and appreciating the public spirit which led him to put up so fine a building in these times, we share the general sympathy felt for him.

The building, presses, engine, and stock, and all is completely wrecked: the entire loss must be at least $8000. The BeoBachter Office was moved into the building on Saturday, as was also the German Bindery: and of course the entire stock of these establishments is a complete loss.

Vincent's Semi-annual United States Register, Jan-Jun 1860 pages 486-489
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!