Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1854-09-07

Sunday few minutes before I2 o'clocI
noon, one Of the most terrific tornadoe
passed over our city. which has eve
visited any portion of the Ohio valley.
The morning opened with brigh
sun, and the thermometer at O'Clock
stood at go degrees. There were few
Pickering clouds in the sky which lec
many to hope would result, before tht
day passed, in shower which has beer
SO long needed. Large congregation;
assembled at the various churches, and
in most of them fervent prayers were
offered up to the throne of Grace, to be-
stow upon suffering people, rain which
was SO long looked for and prayed for
But alas whilst these pious citizens were
thus engaged, the clouds gathered, the
thunder roared, and the vivid fiashings
of lightning assured them that their
prayers were being answered. Little
did the most of them dream that de.
voted band of Christians, who have
been struggling for years to cree: in the
lower end of our city a Presbyterian
church, should have been in an instant
of time, cut down and smothered be-
meath the ruins of the edifce they had
been laboring to erect, and which they
had dedicated to the service of the living
God. 1t has been our lot to see many
sad sights and calamities; but we have
never witnessed one SO terrible and ap-
palling as the destruction of the Sd
Presbyterian church. The edifce is
one vast pile of ruins. The whole top
having been blown in and crushed the
floor of the church down upon the con-
gregation that had assembled in tie
lecture room beneath. There were
about l20 persons in the church at the
time. The Rev. Mr.. Morrison was
preaching Just as he was about COM
mencing his discourse, the roar OF the
wind was heard, and most of the con-
gregation rushed to the windows to get
out. But so sudden was the wind in
its effect, that but comparatively few
made their escape. We have heard of
some most remarkable escapes, some of
which we will here relate. Mr.. John
Martin, one of our most worthy and
oldest citizens, had succeeded in making
his wayeo the door of the church, fol-
lowed by Mrs. Martin, This wife) and
Mrs. Wicks his neice. Mr.. Martin es-
capped, but large timber fell about six
inches from him, killing instantly Mrs.
M. and her neice. Thousands of our
citizens were about the ruins, and hun
dreds toiled for hours incessently in un-
covering the victims. Among them
most conspicuous, and for whose hu-
manity are worthy of honorable men
ton, we notice Mr.. Joseph Mitchell and
Mr.. ]. NJ. Hewitt; there were many
others who were equally active but we
have not their names. While we stood I
there, we saw uncovered a man and
woman, and between them was a child
about ten years old. The man and wo-
man were both crushed in a horrible |
manner, but the little girl was rescued |
unhurt. From the time of the incident
until late Sunday night, hundreds were
at work removing the ruins, and every
now and then a body all mangled and
crushed would be recovered. 1t is ut
terly impossible to convey to our dis
tant readers an idea of the intense ex-
which pervaded all classes of
our citizens. The many relatives and
friends of the deceased were most fran
tic with grief and anxiety.
The Coroner held an inquest over
four bodies in one room, all members of
The same family, mother and three child
rem; to see the fathers anguish as he
sat viewing the corpse of his whole
family, was terrible.
The following is a list of the killed
and wounded:
KrLLED.-Mrs. John Martin; Mrs. t
William k. Wicks, Mrs. Vildibill and
hree children, named Adelaide 4, S
Charles 10, and Eliza 19 years old; F,
Tohn Bradford, aged 1G, nephew of s
George Gowan; Mr.. Swinney, shoema- ]
tel; Mrs. Salisbury, wife of the pump ,
maker; Alex. McClelland, fnisher at t
he Locomotive Works, late of New
York; R. B. Davis, moulder at Law {
on's foundery, late of New Albany; ].
4. Taylor, carpenter; Mr.. Barbour; !
dr. Godfrey, an Irishman; Mrs. Mar I
ell; Mr.. MARCEL. t
WoUNDED.-Mrs. ]. NJ. Taylor, dan
not expected to recover J
Misses Taylor, daughters, one very Sc J
iously, the otf:er slightly; Mrs. John
Hewitt, seriously, and her daughter !
lightly; Miss Duff. very seriously-ti
Hiss Wolfe, seriously; Miss McDou- :
,all, very slightly; Miss Headley, seri- J
'usly; Mr.. Samuel Browning and child.
lightly; Mr.. Jones Locomotive Works.
md wife, slightly; Mr.. Milne. slightly;
Wash. Ragan, day-watchman of Eighth /
Tard) slightly; Joseph Bradley. severe
:; Miss Gibbs slightly; Miss MARCEL, v
eriously. but not dangerously. il
Missing.-The sexton, a colored .,
nan, was missing. His hat was found d
4 the ruins. Il
We learn that a child in one of the S;
near the Locomotive Works
Ias killed.
Loss of Property.-The greatest loss : :
! property was the destruction of two :
ew four-story warehouses on Main !"
treet, between Eighth and Ninth !.
Inc was owned hv Cant Roht- Realty