280 Tornado in N. E. part of Ohio, Feb. 4, 1842. 
tively. The entire heavens, he says, were covered with dense 
black clouds moving with great rapidity. No cloud seemed to 
descend to the earth ; yet the progress of the tornado was mark- 
ed by a huge column of a dull yellow or smoky tinge, a repre- 
sentation of which is given on Plate IV, Fig. 3. The lower half 
of this column was quite dark, so that objects could not be seen 
through it; the upper half was lighter, and had several vertical 
stripes somewhat like the shadows of clouds, or like a cloud at a 
little distance from which a heavy shower is falling. ‘This col 
umn was estimated to be about eighty rods in breadth, was much 
agitated and moved rapidly forward to the northeast. But little 
rain fell—in the dialect of our informer, not enough to wet a 
man’s shirt. Some hail fell about the size of buck shot, but not 
enough to whiten the ground ; it was quite soft and porous. It 
lightened several times quite sharp just before the blow came on, 
striking a tree at no great distance ; and thunder was distinetly 
heard above the roar of the tornado. This roar was almost deaf- 
ening, and was compared to a heavy surf upon the sea-shore, OF 
to the Falls of Niagara. The house D was not much injured ; 
The east side was well spattered with mud, and the chimney 
blown N. 55° W. The house bears from the barn E, N. 62° E- 
distant sixty six paces. "The barn BE was lifted entire from its 
foundation and carried N. 30° W. It contained at the time 
three tons of hay and four horses. The bottom dropped at a dis 
tance of fourteen paces; the other heavy timbers were carr 
much farther, and lighter objects, such as boards and shingles, 
were strewn over an area of several acres. ‘Three men were I” 
the barn at the time ; they state that the barn was not lifted more 
than a few inches, but rather slid from its foundations. They 
made their escape as the barn began to move. A hat belonging 
to one of the men was carried four miles in the direction of the 
track. The grass in the vicinity of the barn was beaten dow? 
flat upon the ground as by a heavy roller, and all turned N. 48° 
W. The house G was a log house which had the appearance of 
having been blown up with powder. "The wind first burst ope? 
a door—then lifted the building en masse from its foundations 
the los ; Ope power of the wind upon the building was 
broken—the logs fell back again nearly upon the foundations 
a part of the timbers however being me Halen distance N. 27° 
W. A flock of hens was carried off in the tornado, and they 
a 
