Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-07-22
A Church Drmniishrd-A sunday School
Buried tn the Ruins.


The telegraph reported from Dayton,
Ohio, on Sunday last, a terrific storm of
wind and rain which visited that town,
doing much damage to property and
involving painful loss Of life. The
Dayton Journal, of Monday Of last
week, contains a detailed account of the
occurrences, chief among which was the
destruction of the German (St. John's)
Lutheran Church. The church editice
was a new structure erected during the
wear 1869 and 1870. The cost of the
building was $4,000. The building
was a neat and imposing structure, 100
feet deep, with handsome front Of G6
feet ON Third street, the side walls be
inc 60 feet in height and the front
walls surmounted by a tower 50 feet in
height. The side walls were l3 inches
in thickness, substantially built, and ap-
parcntly Of sufficient strength to resist
the force of any ordinary storm. The
Journal says:
The destruction Of the German (St
John'S) Lutheran Church, on East Third
street, proved TO be the great calamity
of the day. The storm had struck the
church when the Sunday school schol-
ars and the teachers were assembling
Between three and four hundred chill
dren and teachers had gathered when
the storm burst i'll AL It's fury.
The school-room is on the ground
floor. \ teacher heard the crash Of
falling brick. Messrs. Dcgenhart, Frank
and Ischudi, teachers, and Mr.. Thom-
as, superintendent, went up stairs and
discovered the north gable falling in
ward, and that the wind was lii)in" the
roof The side walls had not vet begun
falling in, but the danger being innm-
ncnt, the teachers and superintendent
hastrned down stairs and gave the
alarm. Rev. Mr. Pritze, pastor Of the
church, also warned the school Of the
impending danger, and urged them to
save themselves by flying from the
building. The panic-stnc&en children
aud teachers crowded toward the front
door filling up the aisles, falling ovel
each other i'll their frantic flight. a
few had reached the sidewalk and 9TH
ers were still inside the lccturc-room
when the roof and walls came crashing
through, breaking down the rear end q.
the second floor, over the altar, and
about one-third OF the extent Of the
whole room, piling up mass Of brick
and timberS Oh the floor of the lower
room. Fortunately the larger portion
OF the asSemblage had reached the front
portion OF the room, and escaped crush
lng by the falling mass, which fell with
such force Us to break down the lower
floor partly into the cellar Others, less
fortunate, were caught and buried un-
der the timbers and mass Of brick
Three of them were instantly crushed to
! death, and four others receI 5cd serious
injuries, bat were taken out alive. The
frightened survivors, nearly AL Of whom
were children, there being only fifteen
or twenty teachers III atten lance at the
school, rushed en m4sse from hefaliina
building and sought shelter from III,
storm III the residences in the ncighbor-
hood. While the storm was still raging
at It's height the fre-bclls rang out the
alarm, and before the rain ceased hun
dreds Of people had con 5regated at tn,
scene Of disaster.
\ humber Of tiremen and other citi-
zens commenced the work Of extrica-
ting the dead aud wounded from the
mass OF ruins. 1t was adangerous task,
for the heavy timbers Of the root and
loosened brick OF the walls resting on
that portion of the second floor which
still remained intact were liable to IA !
at any moment and crush all engag, d
beneath them. Nevertheless the wO k
was vigorously prosecuted, fortunately
without further accident.
1t was sad sight to witness the ago
ny OF relatives and friends waiting to
ascertain the fate of the missing ones
known to be buried beneItn the ruins.
b. the time the storm subsided the
news of the calamity bad spread
throughout the city, AMI thousands Oh
people had gathered on the street in the
vicinity of the building.
The first body taken from the wreck
was that of Leonhart Weyraugh, one OF
the pupils OF the school, aged abont six
teen years He had been crushed under
the falling timbers and doubtless instant
" Killed. The remains of Mr.. Christian
Thomas, a worthy and highly esteemed
citizen, the superintendent Of the school,
we've next extric ted IRON the ruins.
Up returning hoY up stairs, whittier he