Urbana, OH Tornado and Storm, Apr 1830

HURRICANE.

THE STORM AT URBANA.

The Mad River Courant of Saturday last, gives the details of the storm by which the town of Urbana was visited on the 22d ult. from which we gather the following partifulars:

It commenced about six miles, in a southwesterly direction from the village; but as its course lay through a country which was but thinly settled, it occasioned but little injury.
"The width of the current was not more than 100 yards; its course was somewhat irregular -- now shooting to the right -- then darting to the left -- now rising in the air -- and again precipitating itself to the earth's surface, with inconcievable velocity. The whole had a rotary motion, such as is often witnessed, on a diminished scale, in whirlwinds. It was highly charged with the electric fluid, which formed very brilliant appearances. It passed about half past one o'clock, P. M. and did not continue more than one minute."
"The first building it struck, after reaching the village, was a brick tenement, occupied by MR. RICHARD BAKER, which was prostrated.
Thence, passing on, it struck and tore off a part of the roof, and gable end of MR. Z. LUSE'S large brick house; overthrew MR. J. B. EAKER'S frame house; stripped the roof from the dwellings of MESSRS, JAMES HULSE, L. P. MAATHIS, and JACOB MINTURN, and partially from those of MESSRS. A. JACKSON and RANDAL PORTER, essentially damaging MR. E. B. CAVILLEER'S house, and overthrowing a frame of MR. JOB MATHIS."
The Market, and Presbyterian Meeting-house were next totally demolished. Both ends in the upper story of the new brick house of MR. LEWIS, (Editor of the Courant) were blown out, and his office unroofed. The new and capacious building of MR. JOHN HAMILTON was nearly demolished. In it, MESSRS, E. WOLFKILL, and ______ DAVIS, were at work, in which they were completely buried, severely bruised, particularly the former, who has not yet recovered from his wounds. MR. HAMILTON and his family escaped unhurt. The brick house of MR. REPPART, near MR. HAMILTON'S, was much injured; being unroofed, and partly thrown down. MR. WOLFKILL'S and MR. WM. DOWN'S dwellings were unroofed, and also, MR. ROBERT BELL'S, partially. The Methodist Meeting-house was much damaged; the north end being torn off, and the east side considerably rocked. The houses of MR. GEORGE BELL, merchant, lately from Cincinnati; MR. ROLAND HARVEY, in which also resided MR. J. ROSS and family; and MR. J. MATHIS, were totally demolished. Several log houses, standing in the outskirts of the town, near the northeast corner, were considerably damaged. "Here the storm left the village, bearing with it many shattered trophies of its desolating energies." The whole number of inhabited houses, which suffered more or less from the tornado, amounts to 31; and the entire number of buildings injured or destroyed, is 70 -- the damage, at the lowest calculation, being estimated at 15 or $20,000.
The utmost fury of the tempest appears to have been directed against the dwelling house of MR. GEORGE BELL, the complete demolition of which has been already noticed, and which, unhapily, then contained ten persons, viz: MRS. MARY BELL, wife of the gentleman above named, and their five children; MRS. NANCY BELL, and two children; and a little girl, daughter of MR. WILLIAM SMITH, and niece of MRS. NANCY BELL. Of these, ELIZABETH, THOMAS, and ROBERT, children of MR. GEORGE BELL, met with an immediate and fearful death. ELIZABETH, the eldest, (a fine girl about thirteen years of age) was dashed against the further fence of the burying ground; and was taken up lifeless, with her face much disfigured, her body bruised and her arm broken. THOMAS, four years old in January last, was found ten or twelve rods from the house, with his head and face shockingly bruised and mangled. ROBERT, an infant, was found near a fourth of a mile from the house, with the back of his head dashed to pieces. They were all consigned to one grave on Tuesday. Of the others, JANE, daughter of MR. ROBERT BELL, aged near seven years, was found 18 or 20 rods from the house, with her skull badly fractured; she was still living; but expired on the following Thursday. MRS. MARY BELL was very dangerously injured; and her recovery is considered doubtful. MRS. NANCY BELL also suffered severely; but is doing well, and bids fair to recover. MR. SMITH'S little girl was much lacerated, and her skull slightly fractured; but hopes are entertained of her recovery. The three other children were likewise seriously, but not dangerously injured. MR. GEORGE BELL was at his store, in another part of the town, at the time the tornado struck his dwelling, and sustained no personal injury. The inmates of some of the other buildings which were demolished, had very narrow escapes, and some of them were severely bruised.
How far the tornado has extended beyond Urbana, we have no certain information. The Courant states that MR. GEORGE BELL'S large family bible has been found fifteen miles in a Northeasterly direction from that place; and it is probable that the storm has been felt at a much greater distance. The Town Council of Urbana held a meeting on the evening after the visitation, when resolutions were unanimously adopted, expressive of their deep sympathy in the distress of the sufferers, and recommending to those who have escaped the ravages of the tornado to lay aside their usual avocations for the purpose of assisting their destressed fellow citizens. The recommendation was promptly and cherfully complied with. Many of the roofs have been already replaced; prostrate houses have arisen from their own ruins; clothing and other necessaries have been gratutiously furnished to those who have been striped of their all; and no comfort which humanity could bestow, has been withheld from the sufferers and their afflicted families.
O. S. Jour.

Huron Reflector Ohio 1830-04-20

__________________

Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!