Many buildings were demolished, including private residences, stores, barns, and the M. E. church, which occupied the site of their present place of worship. Nearly 200 people were left houseless as the result of the great tornado, many of whom lost every vestige of their household goods and clothing save that upon their backs; and the condition of many others was such as to move the stoutest heart.

The generous aid so freely rendered to the sufferers by surrounding localities, will ever be remembered by the people of Viroqua, who themselves vied with each other in acts of kindness to the unfortunate. The fairest portion of the town was laid in ruins and a less industrious and self-reliant people would have seen good cause for depression and discouragement. But the energetic citizens of Viroqua, bent their whole energies to repair the damage done to property; and while they mourned the terrible calamity which had overtaken them and their still more unfortunate neighbors, they were assiduous in building up the waste places of their beautiful village; and removing all traces of the terrible scourge which had so sorely afflicted them.

IV. WHAT HAPPENED TO MRS. W. R. PURDY.

Mrs. W. R. Purdy, then a little girl, eight years of age, with her sister two years older, were returning from school, and when but a few rods from the school house, the latter, realizing more distinctly the danger of attempting to go farther, caught hold of a tree, entreating her sister to do the same, which she did not do, but ran on towards their home, a couple of blocks distant. When between where the waterworks are now located and Smith & Lytle's hardware store, (then I. K. Buck's store) on Jefferson street, she was taken up by the storm and tossed back and forth from one side of the street to the other. Timbers were flying promiscuously around, and once, after she had been blown against the store, and while lying there, a piece of timber, or board was sent whizzing through the building directly over her

head. She was finally carried by the wind across Main street, and on to the porch of Nichols Bros' drug store, then in ruins. I. K. Buck seeing her from his door, ran across in the storm, picked her up, aud carried her into his store, keeping her there till the storm had subsided. Mrs. Purdy received injuries from which she will probably never recover.

V.-W. F. TERHUNE'S RECOLLECTION. On the afternoon of June 28, 1865, I was at the intersection of Main and Jefferson streets in Viroqua village, when I saw a great agitation of the clouds in the west. It was about 4 o'clock. There seemed to be an unusual quiet and stillness all around, a dead calm prevailed; meantime the disturbance appeared to increase in the westward. I heard a roaring sound, deep and approaching. I then observed that the air was filled with limbs and trunks of trees, having the appearance in the distance of birds rapidly flitting about. I very well knew what was coming, that a tornado was rapidly approaching; and I hesitated whether to endeavor to reach my residence or return to my office, which was near; as I was fearful I might be struck by the storm if I ventured to attempt to reach my home.

Just at that moment some one took me by the arm and proposed we should go into the office; there were several standing around. We thereupon stationed ourselves at the doors as the storm struck, in order to hold them shut. By this time the noise became very loud and ear-piercing, like a thousand steamboat whistles all blowing at the same time, sharp, shrill and vicious. Two of the office windows were at once blown in, and one of the doors was blown open which three strong men tried in vain to close again, until the force of the wind was somewhat spent. An unusual gloom and darkness pervaded the atmosphere at this time. The whole duration of the shock was not to exceed a minute and a half, probably not so long. No one was hurt in my office, because of the building being sheltered by another and

higher building, the store of J. Henry Tate. There was a girl writing in the office at the time, Alice Goode, who was terrified and shrieked with fear. Mrs. Susan Graham, wife of the late Hon. Carson Graham, had run into the office and assisted in trying to keep the doors shut. My own sensation was a very great concern for my family, so much that I had little if any personal fear.

My residence was about three blocks distant. As soon as the storm permitted, I started for home in great haste. I at once noticed that the street ahead of me was filled with the debris of ruined buildings, and I heard around me as I advanced, cries and shrieks of pain and alarm; children and female voices mostly. I had gone but a few rods when I passed a Mr. Langley, who was holding on to a tree and bleeding from wounds he had received on the head and face. I also observed the two-story building of J. H. Somerby, where the North western Times had been printed, lay in ruins before me, and I was compelled to run over them. I likewise noted that the store occupied by the Nichols', was leveled to its foundation. I did not of course take much time for observation, as I was running. I saw persons here and there darting about, but I have no recollection who they were. I soon came in sight of my house, which, with a feeling of very great relief, I saw was still standing and the thought flashed across my mind that my family was safe. My building stood in a native grove, and as I approached it I found all the larger trees blown down or torn up by the roots or their trunks twisted off above ground; while the smaller hickory and oak trees lay bent over, with their tops upon the ground.

I made my way through them as rapidly as I could and found that my building had been in appearance bombarded. The heavier timbers from the demolished houses of my neighbors, and from the M. E. church building had been hurled with great force into the air, some of them striking upon the north side of my house,

driving in the windows and doors and making holes like cannon shot, through the siding, knocking down the supporting pillars of the porches on that side, and carrying away the blinds and sash of the observatory.

On entering my dwelling, I found my family in the cellar all unhurt, but in a great state of alarm and terror, from the effects of which my wife was rendered very ill and has never fully recovered. I got my family up from below as soon as I could re-assure them and prevail upon them to come. I found my son Leonard, then ten years of age, was missing, and I at once started to find him. He had found shelter in a neighbor's house and was safe.

My wife's experience was that, when she discovered the darkness coming on, she and the hired girl went up stairs to close the windows; and after they had closed them, she observed, through the window, the trees bending their tops to the very ground. Frightened by the noise of the storm, she reached the head of the stairs in haste to descend to the cellar; when the girl, in a paroxysm of fear, grasped and held on to her. They both descended into the kitchen where our two children were and she hurried them all into the cellar, she being in great fright and trepidation during the time; and it was there, as I have said, that I found them.

When I had time to look about me, I found my young orchard and all the fences around destroyed and my barn unroofed. I then went immediately to the assistance of others. I saw all the buildings south of Terhune street, were either shattered or blown down, except my own. By this time I began to realize the awful nature of the disaster and became agitated. I threw open my doors for the dying and wounded in my immediate vicinity to be brought in. It was a most sickening spectacle, heart-rending in the extreme. The first to be assisted in was the wife of Dr. W. W. Weeden. She was only slightly injured but her child was killed. Their house had been blown away and

the little one was found buried in the ruins. There was also a young lady in the bloom of youth brought in a corpse; it was a Miss Gillett.

A family named Barstow, consisting of six persons, received a terrible visitation. Mr. Barstow himself and wife and mother-in-law, Mrs. Drake, were brought in mortally injured, the brother-in-law, a Mr. Drake, was found dead in a field near the destroyed residence of R. C. Bierce, and little boys were left homeless orphans. Mr. Barstow died the same night, and the wife and Mrs. Drake were removed to the hospital improvised by the citizens the next day, where after lingering in great pain for several days, they died. Places were found for the boys, I think, with some distant relatives. Mrs. W. S. S. White, wife of the register of deeds, was brought in with a broken leg and remained in great bodily suffering for ten days, when she also died. On every side were heard the cries of suffering and distress, and for a week were seen the tears of lamenta tion and woe. The loss and destruction of property was at first little considered, so great were other calamities. The blow fell so suddenly and unexpectedly that those who escaped had time only to feel emotions of gratitude for their own safety and that of their families and sympathy for the afflicted and distressed.

There was a silk dress found near New Lisborn, in Juneau county, belonging to Mrs. Dr. H. G. Weeden. A dwelling house door of Joseph Buckley was found in the mill-pond at the village of Hillsborough; and his army discharge was picked up two miles from Viroqua, near the residence of J. Wallace. Articles of clothing and pieces of damaged furniture were found miles away from the scene of the disaster.

VI. STATEMENT OF H. M. ISHAM.

On the 28th of June, at about half past 3 in the afternoon, I was in my brother's house, on section 3, in township 12, range 5 west, in

the town of Jefferson, where my brother, Cassius B. Isham, came in pretty brisk, saying: “It is the worst storm coming I ever saw in the west," when just at that moment the house (a log one) began to go. The roof went first, and then a good part of the logs. Besides my brother, there were, in the house at the time, his wife and four children, and Mary Rowe. My brother was some hurt, and one or two of the children. His wife, also, was slightly injured. A few logs were left remaining. We all had all we could do to hold on to the logs that were remaining, to keep from being blown away. It rained considerably at the time.

I had ten or a dozen steel traps up in the loft, and they were all blown away and never found. A trowel was found a mile and a half away belonging to me. The clothing, bed-clothes and articles were blown out of the house and never recovered. A spinning-wheel spindle, found sticking in the siding of a house in Viroqua, was recognized as belonging to my brother. This was the first house struck by the tornado. It was repaired afterward, and stood several years, but is now demolished. It stood about 100 rods south of the town line, which runs to the south part of Viroqua. The roaring of the wind was very loud, and the clouds very black. The air was full of leaves and vegetation, that seemed to be whirled up from off the ground.

The next house east of my brother's that was struck was on section 2,in the same town, belonging to Morgan Neff. It was blown to the ground. I went to Viroqua immediately after the tornado passed. I stopped at Neff's on the way. I had to walk about three miles and a half in a straight line before reaching Viroqua. Arriv ing at the village I assisted the sufferers the best I could the rest of the day.

VII. NATHAN COE'S NARRATIVE

I was living in Viroqua on the 28th of June, 1865, when the great tornado devastated a large part of the village. My dwelling was on Main street, where Joseph Buckley now lives-that

is, on the same lot. I was in the court house when I first noticed a strange appearance of the clouds. There seemed a very black cloud in the south, but a white one in the north. James Lowrie was county treasurer, and William Keir was at the moment paying his taxes. He and I were looking west, and the treasurer was attending to his books facing us. I saw the two clouds through the west window, which was up at the time, . come together. They whirled around, presenting an appearance of a white streak and a black one in a spiral form. I remarked, "Those clouds are getting pretty badly twisted up." Lowrie looked around, and shutting up his book, exclaimed: "I am going home," at the same time closing the window.

Of course we had to go out, as he locked the door of the office. Lowrie went west to his home, but Keir and I came into the tavern, then called the North Star, kept by Luther Polan, now the Tremont House. However, before we reached the tavern, it appeared as if it was raining; it was the water from the Skippen's pond, which we mistook at first for rain. When we reached the North Star, we had hard work to get in, there were so many inside holding the door. Keir got in first, and when I tried I was successful, but my coat-tail was caught in the door, and the pressure against it was so great from those who were holding it, that I could not get loose. Just then I looked out of the south window, and saw the east side of the court house roof go off.

Just at this moment some one said to me, "There are two of your horses coming down the street, and one with a piece of board hanging to the halter." It was a part of the manger where the horse had been tied in the barn. I had, at that time, seven horses in my barn. I then pulled myself out of my coat,the garment being left in the door. I then turned around, gave my coat a jerk, and the door came open.

I looked out toward the south, and I saw the buildings were pretty much all down. I then went directly home. I found the east of my

house gone, and the windows blown in on the north side. I asked my wife if any of the family were hurt, and she replied that there were none. Then I started to go to my mother's home-Mrs. Margaret Coe's. On my way there I met a boy who told me that all my horses were piled up in a heap on the barn floor the barn was all gone and the floor too, except where the horses were. I had a new wagon standing beside the barn. It was blown away, and I never saw any part of it afterward. Still I went on to my mother's. I found her and my two sisters and Emily and Edward W. Hazen,not any of them injured. My brother, William Coe, had been in the house. My mother and the four children went into the cellar kitchen; but my brother refused to go down, and was blown away with the house.

I found him a short distance away from where the house had stood; the rest of the family by this time, had come out of the cellar. My brother was fast under one of the sills. Mr. Keir went all the way with me from the tavern, and he helped me get my brother out, who was badly hurt. It was eight or nine days before we knew whether he would recover or not; but he finally got well. Five sacks of wheat and some kitchen furniture were blown away from the cellar kitchen, and the clothes of my mother and of the children were pretty badly torn. The chickens around the house were all killed, and most of them had their feathers off quite as clean as if stripped by hand. One of the family garments-a cloth circular-was afterward found about forty-five miles away, to the eastward.

VIII-JOHN DAWSON'S ACCOUNT.

Before the approach of the storm, the day was very hot, but the weather was threatening, and we could hear thunder for, perhaps, an hour before. I was very busily engaged at the time in my store, which was located nearly opposite my residence, and took little notice of the dangerous aspect of the storm until it was very near the village. When I first noticed it, some