280 Tornado in N. E. part of Ohio, Feb. 4, 1843. 



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 distinctly 

 heard above the roar of the tornado. This roar was almost deaf- 

 ening, and was compared to a heavy surf upon the sea-shore, or 

 to the Fall's 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 E 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 carried 

 much farther, and lighter objects, such as boards and shingles, 

 were strewn over an area of several acres. Three men were in 

 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 down 

 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 open 

 a door — then lifted the building e7i masse from its foundations — 

 the logs opened — the 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 carried some distance N. 27° 

 W. A flock of hens was carried ofl" in the tornado, and they 



