Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-05-25
MAUMEE CITY EXPRESS.
SATURDAY, MAY %, 1880.

NuS NistIeu Uy totuuuo, accompanied" WIN
rain, thunder and lightning, such as has ne.
yer been before known in this section Of
country, and which in its destructive ef-
fects will not soon be forgotten. The storm
appeared to come from the southwest, in
the direction ofthe valley of the river. It's
width has not been ascertained, though it
was not great, nor have we learned how far
in length its destructive ravages have been
felt. Its principal force was probably ex-
pended upon this town, and though it did
not continue longer than five or six minutes,
the list ofits doings will rank it among the
most furious storms that have ever visited
the northern portions of the United States.
We give list of the damage, SO far as we
have learned.
The Hotel Buildings spacious bricl:
ediice, 1sO feet in length by over sixty in
depth, and five stories high, with wing 100
feet in length and three stories high, lies
ghastly heap of ruins. Whether passage
was opened by the lightning upon which the
wind took effect, or whether the position of
the building, standing in situation to feel
the direct action of the wind upon both
centre and wing was the cause, cannot be
determined. A person who saw it fall, states
that the destruction commenced at the far
thermost extremity of the wing ard cxten-
ded almost instantly through the whole of
that part; then the wall at one corner Of
the main building began to crumble: the
whole wall burst in, the cupola totter-
ed, and the whole lay mass of ruins in
moment. Only the lower story of the
main building was finished, and this was d.
yided into range of stores, of which but
one was occupied, the tenants of several
of the others having fortunately removed
only short time ago. In the store was the
clerk-Mr. Charles Cook, who has, almost
miracuously escaped, by means of the sec
ond story floor over about one half of the
store sustaining the mountain weight of
the rubbish that fell upon it, wilhelm every
other place every thing was swept from the
cupola to the cellar. 1t wasat first supposed
that no loss of life had occurred, but towards
evening it was discovered that two children
ofa Frenchman, whose name we have not
learned, having taken refuge from the
storm, in front of the building were crush
ed to death. Their mang!ed remains have
been recovered.
The cost of the Hotel buildings is estima-
ted at 40 thousand dollars in its unfinished
state; it belonged to the proprietors of
large tract of land on which it stood. Its
destruction will cause little pecuniary suf-
fering, though we have lost In it the pride
and ornament of our town.
The Commercial building, large and
most substantial three story brick building
had part OF its gable end near the roof
blown in, portion of the roof torn off and
blown completely over the building into the
street and several chimneys blown down.
Loss 8 or hundred dollars.
The old store ofRob't A. Forsyth was
struck by lightning; damage not known.
House of VIM. Richardson struck and
shattered near the roof.
Miami Hotel lost several of its chimneys.
Many buildings struck, clmneys blown
down, barns and sheds unroofed, and large
quantities of property lying exposed to the
wind scattered and destroyed
1t impossible to convey an accurate I'M
preston of the dreadful force of the storm
during the few moments that it ragged.
Some idea may be gained however from the
fact, that persons in the Commercial and
other buildings near the Hotel were not
aware ofits fall until they saw it down. The
bowling Of the tempest, the rushing of the
FILLING rain, the continued roar of the thun.
der all combined to create a scene of uproar
compared with which all other sounds were
uubucu W otIluChos v uuu W tu6 lUTTOT
ofthe scene, the whole sky was clothed in
darkness--angry clouds seemed to enshroud
us around and the lurid flashes of the light
ming became doubly vivid in the blackness Of
the atmosphere.
In the fields the fences are to great ex-
tent blown down, and in the forest the DESC
lation is fiightful. We are informed that
judging from appearances in the woods, and
comparing the number Of fallen trees, with
those that have fallen previously, it is pro-
bable that no such storm has occurred for
halfa century.
Mr.. Nitchie, the owner Of the store in
the hotel building has sustained much loss |
in damage done to his goods. though he
will probably recover nearly all of them.
In Perrysburg no great loss was sustain
ed. One small building was unroofed, and
few chimneys blown down.
2 Fft u. II
OuR LOCAL CLAIms.--In our former ar
ticJes on this subject, we pursued the COM