Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-07-02

,Act1o' ntorttt tttoC OCCutIou III t1o oouthokh
part Of this state.
It was my misfortune to be at Monroe at
the time ii occurred. All day Sunday the
atmosphere there was very close and OPP
pressive. The sun shone with great fer
vor and intensity. The closeness Of
the atmosphere and the heat made
the day one long to be remembered.
Near night it began to cloud up and
soon the horizon was overcast with dense
black clouds, out of which could be seen
the nimble lightning darting in fantastic
shapes from one cloud cap to another and
the low muttering thunder could be heard
coming from the direction in which the
tongues of lightning were wildly playing.
By ten o'clock in the evening the whole sky
was oyerspread with dense nimbus cloud,
and the lightning had increased until
the flashes were momemtary and very vivid,
and danced in all part of the heavens,
while the believing thunder seemed to be
all around us. About this time the rain
began to descend first in heavy drops, then
in greater volume and force until finally it
seemed as though the hood-gates of heav-
en- had all been opened and the water came
down in perfect torrents, as if some
mighty hand had taken up a
lake and poured it in vengeance upon the
land. BY half-past twelve o'clock more
water had fallen in the vicinity of Monroe
than had ever before been seen at one
time upon the ground by the oldest inhabi-
tant of the county. The rayine running
through the south part of the town had as
summed the character and appearance OF a
great river, rolling turbulently over every
thing along its course; and, as it were, with
one mighty sweep it dashed almost every
thing away that stood in its course.
1t swept away fences chicken-coops,
out-buildings, wagons, animals, &c,
and as if in mockery of the power of man,
tossed barns, houses stone and wooden
bridges, piles of timber, lumber, &c from
their resting places and carried them down
stream until they found lodging places
against banks of earth or lodges of rocks,
and seemingly not content with that the
water rushed into Easements an6
cellars along the ravine, in
some places to the depth of five
feet, driving people out of their beds, and Q
few out of their houses entirely, and carried
away several walls Of solid masonry. The
trestle work on the railroad this side oi
Monroe was badly daMaged, and portion
of it taken out, and 1 heard that on the
flats near Brodhead q section Of track foul
miles in length was swept away, and the
track broken in many other places. The
lightning struck chimney belonging to {
Mr.. Wolcott, in Monroe, but did no serious
damage. also heard, but cannot voucf
for the truth of it, that man was killed
Just west of Monroe. could not learn his
name.
Yesterday / took team and went tc
.Freeport, Ill, in order to get to GAINESVILLE,
as the livery men would not venture 6
drive to GAINESVILLE without being paid 6
fabulous price. At Orangeville, ILL.,, an6
all along the Richland fats, evidences o.
inundation were everywhere prominent.
saw plowed fields where the force and fury
of the water had carried off nearly the en-
tire surface soil, asdeepasthey were plowed
Large fields of splendid rye were sub
merged, and others partly SO, with mud
that had been washed from sloping fields
and deposited on level ones The Peeaton'
lea at Freeport was very rapidly swelling
when left there last night
1t is impossible to estimate the damage
done to property by that storm Along the
Orange Creek, Illinois, great trees were
borne down by the fury of the waters and
wind combined. 1t was considered very
unsafe to cross Sugar River on
the Racine and Mississippi road this morn
ing, the water was washing the stringerS
of the bridge, and still rising.
About three o'clock this morning, as we
came up near Stockton, the train ran into
a large flock of sheep and killed about
twenty--as near as could be estimated in
the hurry and darkness. H.w,R.