1874.] The Iowa and Illinois Tornado. 359 
west, ploughing up the ground. The resistance of the ground 
and of tree roots here stopped it. It then turned up on its 
edge, and was then lifted over the tops of trees 20 feet high, 
without injuring them, and carried 100 feet to the north-east, 
falling entire, and going to pieces as it fell. The house 
stood with its end to the south; the area of this end was 
280 square feet, or thereabout; the area of the floor of the 
house was 480 square feet, or thereabout ; the weight of the 
house could not have been less than 20 tons. The trees 
over which the house was carried are young, and were pro- 
bably so bent as to allow the house to rise at an angle 
of 45°. 
A heifer, weighing 700 lbs., was carried away by the wind, 
and thrust head foremost into wet soil until her fore- 
quarters were buried. 
Fic. 23. 
s 
Sketch of Mr. Waters’s House. a, the Granary; b, the Cave; c,c, Trees uninjured ; 
d, Trees hurled; e, Sill. 
Thomas Waters, Jackson Township, Section 19, witness: 
—Saw the tornado coming rolling on the ground like a wave. 
Went to the cave, and called upon Mrs. Waters to follow ; 
she would not. Stood in the mouth of the cave, which was 
8 yards south from the house, and facing it, and saw the 
house blown away: it was struck from the south-west. 
First, a portion of the roof was blown off; then the house 
went bodily like lightning. When the house had gone I 
came out of the cave, and was blown to the E.S.E. 
