Tornado in N. E. part of Ohio, Feb. 4, 1842. 279 
by inspecting Plate IV, Fig. 5. From this it will be seen that 
the tornado passed not far from the centre of Mayfield; over a 
corner of Chester; near the centre of Kirtland; over corners of 
Mentor and Concord; and directly over the southeast part of the 
village of Painesville. It is said that no trees are prostrated one 
hundred and fifty rods south of the south line of Mayfield. Im- 
mediately on receiving intelligence of the disaster, Prof. St. John 
and myself started to survey the ruins, and the subsequent ob- 
servations were made by us jointly. In measuring the track, 
each of us carried one end of the chain; and in taking the bear- 
ings of prostrate objects, Prof. St. John usually observed the com- 
pass, and I recorded the readings. We surveyed the track with 
special care in Mayfield, Kirtland, and Painesville, and crossed it 
at other places. Our first observations were made in Mayfield in 
the vicinity of Chagrin river. Plate IV, Fig. 1, gives a view of 
this part of the track. This was near the commencement of the 
tornado, and was also the scene of the greatest violence. The 
bed of the Chagrin is depressed about three hundred feet below 
the general level of the surrounding country. A section shew- 
ing the undulations of the ground is exhibited in Plate IV, Fig. 2. 
In Fig. 1, A A.A, BB Bare trees chiefly of the variety called 
whitewood. Their average size is from two to four feet diame- 
ter, and they were mostly prostrated. The ground descends at 
first gently, afterwards quite abruptly, to the bed of the river. 
The forest approaches within about a hundred rods of the river, 
yet upon this slope the small timber was not greatly injured. 
The larger trees were mostly prostrated. O represents the house 
and barn of Chester Ellsworth, not much injured ; D, the house 
of Ezra Carpenter, chimney blown off; E, his barn entirely de- 
molished ; F F, woods; G, log house of Mr. Alderman, entirely 
destroyed; H, house and barn of Anthony Sherman, entirely de- 
stroyed; I, Benjamin Wilson’s hay barn unroofed; K, another 
hay barn unroofed ; L, Samuel Dean’s large framed house, torn 
entirely to atoms; M, school house, entirely destroyed; N N N, 
0.0 0, trees entirely uprooted or broken off; P, a log cabin 
with north side of roof taken off and a few shingles from the 
Windward side. Beyond Pa line was measured with a chain 
perpendicularly across the track two hundred and thirty rods. 
Mr. Halsey Gates, standing near his mills under a shed open 
to the north, saw the tornado pass, and observed it very atten- 
