Terrible Work of the Fearful Cyclone Near Taylorville and Other Points-Loss of Life and Property.

NEAR TAYLORVILLE.
Reliable information from Taylorville, received last evening, was to the effect that the cyclone struck the Langley neighborhood, near Sharpsburg, on the Pana and Springfield branch of the Ohio and Mississippi road, about 4 miles west and north of Taylorsville, at 7 o’clock Saturday evening, and did great destruction to life and property. News of the havoc reached Taylorville soon after, when about 200 citizens and eight physicians from that town immediately started for the scene of death and devastation to care for the dead and give aid to the injured. MRS. THOMAS J. LANGLEY was killed outright; the skull of John Gessner was fractured, and he will die; the dwelling of Alonzo Cutler was blown to atoms, and two of his children were killed. Among the injured were: Thomas J. Langley and his two sons, T. W. Brentz, Mr. and Mrs. Elliot and two children, the little daughter of Ed Leigh, and Mr. and Mrs. Watts were blown a quarter of a mile, locked in each other’s arms, and were found insensible, cut and bruised. Many farm houses were badly damaged, and hundreds of cattle, horses and hogs were killed and maimed.

LATER.
Specials to the Globe-Democrat state that the storm approached the country near Taylorsville from the southwest and bore to the northeast, verging from right to left, as its insane fury seemed to dictate. It is described as being a dark, funnel-shaped cloud, point downward, and came on with a roar like a mighty cataract, with sparks of electric fire shooting in all direction. It was of only a few moments duration, and was followed by a dead calm. Its course is marked through a space of thirty rods wide and ten miles long, and the destruction of life and property is terrible. Besides those above named injured, as John Henry, Harry Langley, Mrs. Hoefner and two children, Lizzie Leigh, Thomas Hill, and many others. The correspondent states that the destruction of property is far in excess of any storm that has ever visited this section. Fifteen or twenty dwelling houses, barns, and other farm houses are leveled to the ground, and debris was carried miles from where it was picked up by the wind. The Willow Ford bridge, across South Fork, is literally torn to atoms, and some of the heavy timbers have been found a mile away. Live stock of every description can be found in all direction. One pitiful sight seen by your correspondent was a rail driven about 4 feet into the ground with a 300-pound hog sticking on the top end. The damage done to houses, barns, fences, wheat fields, timber and stock will reach $60,000. Some of the fairest portions of farming land in the country are laid in desolation and ruin, and many families are left destitute of clothing, homes, and food. Great trees are torn up by the roots and carried rods away. Horses, cattle, sheep and hogs are lying around, some of them being thrown against the ground so violently as to almost bury them. One horse was found standing on its head in a barn; others are run through with rails; all varieties of poultry are totally stripped of their feathers, the whole making a most pitiful and distressing sight. Miles of fencing are thrown down and carried away. Many people escaped almost miraculously. Some sought refuge in caves and cellars, and escaped without injury. One family sought refuge in a log barn, which was entirely destroyed, but not one was injured. Some of the houses are so completely destroyed as to make it impossible to tell where they once stood.

Decatur Daily Republican, Decatur, IL 26 Apr 1880