The large frame house of John Spensley was uplifted and crushed in the remorseless maw of the aerial monster, the remains being distributed over a wide range of country. At the time there were twelve persons in the house, including William Coates, a visitor from Dubuque. Seeing the portentous black clouds approaching, with their Cimmerian darkness illuminated with intermittent flashes of forked lightning, the family and their guests hastened into the cellar, running down a stairway leading from the dining room. All succeeded in gaining the basement, except Mrs. T.C. Roberts and Mrs. Maria Waller. The latter occupied a position on the stairs, urging the former lady to follow her down, but suddenly it occurred to Mrs. Roberts that one of her four children remained upstairs. The two ladies started together to recover the child. Simultaneously the storm struck the house, which oscillated and cracked violently, while the stairs on which Mrs. Roberts stood, swayed to and fro in an ominous manner. The ladies then retreated to the cellar stairs. The windows of the house were blown in, and the glass was showered around the females like hail. The following instant, the house was torn into two sections and the whirlwind, penetrating, seized Mrs. Waller, and bearing that hapless female through the air for 400 yards, dashed her lifeless body to the earth, in a terribly bruised condition. Her feet were denuded of shoes and stockings, which were carried away. The house was forcibly removed from its foundation, leaving the terrified women and children unharmed in the basement. A part of the house was on the ensuing day found one mile away, and a rafter was discovered over a mile distant, driven five feet into the soil. A commodious barn and carriage house, situated about three hundred feet northeast of the house, together with its contents, proved a total loss. One horse alone escaped. One of the hubs of Mr. Waller's buggy, was cut out of the wheel, with all the apparent precision of work accomplished with the aid of mechanical ingenuity. The ruins of the barn were elevated into the air, where, seized by a cross current, they were borne toward the southwest.
NOTE: All of the children were safe and were already in the basement.
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Character of the Country, pg 79 (James Broderick's published diary), Monday, Feb 19, 1877
We went to Mrs. Waller's in the evening. Mrs. Roberts and her daughter Luella and Robert Coates played at Snap, afterwards they played "pachesa" and I played on John Waller's violin. We had apples.
NOTE: All of the children were safe and were already in the basement.
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Character of the Country, pg 79 (James Broderick's published diary), Monday, Feb 19, 1877
We went to Mrs. Waller's in the evening. Mrs. Roberts and her daughter Luella and Robert Coates played at Snap, afterwards they played "pachesa" and I played on John Waller's violin. We had apples.
The large frame house of John Spensley was uplifted and crushed in the remorseless maw of the aerial monster, the remains being distributed over a wide range of country. At the time there were twelve persons in the house, including William Coates, a visitor from Dubuque. Seeing the portentous black clouds approaching, with their Cimmerian darkness illuminated with intermittent flashes of forked lightning, the family and their guests hastened into the cellar, running down a stairway leading from the dining room. All succeeded in gaining the basement, except Mrs. T.C. Roberts and Mrs. Maria Waller. The latter occupied a position on the stairs, urging the former lady to follow her down, but suddenly it occurred to Mrs. Roberts that one of her four children remained upstairs. The two ladies started together to recover the child. Simultaneously the storm struck the house, which oscillated and cracked violently, while the stairs on which Mrs. Roberts stood, swayed to and fro in an ominous manner. The ladies then retreated to the cellar stairs. The windows of the house were blown in, and the glass was showered around the females like hail. The following instant, the house was torn into two sections and the whirlwind, penetrating, seized Mrs. Waller, and bearing that hapless female through the air for 400 yards, dashed her lifeless body to the earth, in a terribly bruised condition. Her feet were denuded of shoes and stockings, which were carried away. The house was forcibly removed from its foundation, leaving the terrified women and children unharmed in the basement. A part of the house was on the ensuing day found one mile away, and a rafter was discovered over a mile distant, driven five feet into the soil. A commodious barn and carriage house, situated about three hundred feet northeast of the house, together with its contents, proved a total loss. One horse alone escaped. One of the hubs of Mr. Waller's buggy, was cut out of the wheel, with all the apparent precision of work accomplished with the aid of mechanical ingenuity. The ruins of the barn were elevated into the air, where, seized by a cross current, they were borne toward the southwest.
NOTE: All of the children were safe and were already in the basement.
-------
Character of the Country, pg 79 (James Broderick's published diary), Monday, Feb 19, 1877
We went to Mrs. Waller's in the evening. Mrs. Roberts and her daughter Luella and Robert Coates played at Snap, afterwards they played "pachesa" and I played on John Waller's violin. We had apples.
NOTE: All of the children were safe and were already in the basement.
-------
Character of the Country, pg 79 (James Broderick's published diary), Monday, Feb 19, 1877
We went to Mrs. Waller's in the evening. Mrs. Roberts and her daughter Luella and Robert Coates played at Snap, afterwards they played "pachesa" and I played on John Waller's violin. We had apples.
Inscription
Born Yorkshire England wife of Robert
