Marion, IA Tornado And Hail Storm Damage, Aug 1867

TORNADO AND HAIL-STORM IN IOWA -- BUILDINGS DEMOLISHED -- CROPS INJURED.

From the Dubuque (Iowa) Times, Aug. 1.
A tornado passed through Marion, Linn County, on the Dubuque Southwestern Railroad, yesterday afternoon, and wrought destruction largely. The wind seemed to proceed from a southwesterly direction, and was the most furious ever known in that town. It commenced between 2 and 3 o'clock. Two houses were unroofed and scores of chimneys were blown down. But the most serious damage was at the elevator, where the tornado became a whirlwind, which picked the building up, strong and immensely heavy though it was, and dashed it to pieces. Some of its heaviest timbers were carried a distance of fifty yards. The main portion of the elevator fell across the railroad, necessitating the employment of a large force in order to clear the track in time for the train. The elevator was built in 1864 and cost $6,000. Its loss will be severely felt by Marion and the farmers of the country tributary to it, as it was the only convenient building in the place for the storing and shipment of grain.
Following the tornado, there came another destroyer -- a terrific hail-storm. Its equal in fury and destructiveness has never been known in that region. It is estimated that fully one thousand panes of glass were broken by the hail in Marion alone. The crops in the vicinity were damaged to a considerable extent, which is the worst feature of the storm. The hail-stones were very large.

The New York Times New York 1867-08-05
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!