Hanover Tornado-1837

This letter was printed in the New York Plain Dealer describing a tornado that damaged Hanover and Hanover College, an event that has been written about several times in Indiana histories. But this is the most detailed first-hand account I have seen. It also gives some details about Hanover besides the campus.

The Plain Dealer, New York July 15, 1837

Destructive Tornado.—An extract of a letter, from South Hanover, in Indiana, dated the 6th instant, is published in the Cincinnati Gazette, giving an account of a most appalling and destructive tornado which passed over that place on the previous day.

The letter says: " I sit down in haste lo give you some account of a scene the most terrifick and appalling I have ever witnessed! Our village, that yesterday was peaceful and cheerful is now in ruins. Yesterday evening about six o clock, the heavens wore the appearance of a coming storm, and in one hour a most fearful tornado burst upon us.

The scene was terrific beyond my powers of' description. The boarding house here has the whole one gable end torn out. Mr. Young's store, a substantial brick building, is a heap of ruins—Dr. Matthews' house is taken off at the eves—the house in which Mr. Bishop lived, on the hill, is torn to fragments—one end of Colonel Morrow's house is torn to the ground—Mr. Chever's house is torn to pieces—the college roof is riddled, and the wing level almost with the ground, and about one-fourth of the eastern wall of the main building lying scattered over the earth—Professor Niles' house is torn up from its very foundation, the very floors and sills are carried away —all the furniture and the professor's library are totally lost. Mr. Butler occupied the house, but fortunately there were none of them at home. The new steam saw mill is destroyed.

These are but some of the principal losses: some ten or fifteen other buildings dwellings, out-houses, shops &c. are destroyed. Trees of all sizes and kinds are torn up and dashed to atoms. There are but few buildings in the place, especially in the northern and central parts of it, where all the most important buildings were, that are not racked and seriously injured. The streets are covered with fragments.

This was the work of certainly less than five minutes —yet wonderful as it appears, amidst the crash of falling buildings, the fury of the bursting tempest, the peals of thunder, and the livid glare of lighting, not a soul in Hanover or its vicinity was either killed or seriously injured.