Tornado in N. E. part of Ohio, Feb. 4, 1843, 281 



have not since been seen. One goose near the house had its 

 wings and legs broken, and was almost entirely picked of its 

 feathers ; it was carried N. 20° W. The house and barn H were 

 entirely destroyed — mostly carried N. 88° E. Hay from the barn 

 was carried S. 87° E., leaving a perfectly distinct track upon the 

 ground. The chimney of the house was carried S. 50° E. Mr. 

 Peleg Sherman, a half mile distant on the north side of the track, 

 observed the tornado as it passed. Solid hail fell here three quar- 

 ters of an inch in diameter — not half enough to cover the ground. 

 There was but little rain. An orchard in front of G and H was 

 almost entirely destroyed. Two apple trees were torn up by the 

 roots and carried N. 8° W. fifteen paces, leaving several marks 

 where they struck the ground at intermediate points. Another 

 tree was carried N. 23° E. thirty paces ; another sixty paces in 

 the same direction. Several trees had their limbs on the south- 

 west side twisted round the body of the tree by west and north, 

 and left half broken, pointing towards the northeast ; while those 

 on the northeast side were wholly uninjured. 



In crossing Chagrin river, the tornado appears to have elevated 

 considerable water into the air. The general impression among 

 the inhabitants is, that the bed of the river was left entirely dry, 

 although from the previous rain its height was said to be two feet 

 greater than it had been before for four years. The river varies 

 from twelve to sixteen rods in breadth. There are distinct marks 

 of a considerable rush of water on the Eastern banks. A saw 

 log twelve feet long and three feet diameter, known by its mark, 

 and supposed to have been floating in the river at the time, was 

 found after the tornado about twenty rods from the bank on the 

 east side. The house L appears to have been near the seat of 

 greatest violence. First the cheese house was taken, was carried 

 N. 18° W. sixty feet, and striking the ground was dashed in pie- 

 ces. An old log house near by, was carried N. 35° W. A south 

 door of the dwelling house blew open — a boy about eleven years 

 old attempting to shut the door, was whirled through a window 

 just burst open, and carried N. 65° E., a distance of fourteen rods 

 as measured by us with a chain. Here he was deposited, having 

 received no other injury than a slight scratch upon the face. On 

 looking back for the house he found it gone. It was a large two 

 story framed house, quite new, and remarkably well built. It 

 was lifted entire from its foundations, carried N. 46° E. a dis- 



Vol. xLiii, No. 2.— July-Sept. 1842. 36 



