Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1873-06-06

rapidly in noftheasterly direction. The
first obstacle IL encountered was the Jones
Schoolhouse, in the vicinity of Lancaster.
School was in session. The teacher and
scholars barely noticed the darkening sky,
when hail began to fall, and the sound OF
the approaching cyclone smote their ears
like a messenger of death. They were
frightened but did not anticipate serious
danger. Suddenly the building was lifted
from the ground, turned around and car.
ried twenty feet away, where II was laid
down right side up with care, as If the
Storm King felt there were within precious
Innocent lives that should not be sacrificed
The inhabitants of the building hardly
knew what happened before the destroyer
passed in search of other victims. The
children were bruised and cut by the fall.
ing desks and seats, but none were seri.
ously injured
On swept the irresistible column, an.
nouncing its approach by the same loud
roar, which brought the people of Lancas.
ter to the doors. They saw 1t in the dis
tance-a dark, cone-like, Opaque mass,
moving with appalling swiftness. 1t was
coming directly toward them 1t struck
terror into their hearts; women swooned
and brave men held their breath. 1t lifted
family were crouching in fear, and the
roof was raised from another building.
The outskirts of the village suffered most,
probably because the houses, being iso.
lated, had nothing but the foundations to
hold them to the earth. The smoke-house
and granaries of B. c. Moore, one mile
from Lancaster, were utterly demolished,
and JacObson's log house was caught up
and the logs of which it was constructed
distributed far and wide. jacobson was
hurt, but not fatally. Louis Bennett S
home and fences went to the four winds,
his loss being perhaps $1,000. Mr.. Low,
an aged invalid, was seriously wounded
by flying timbers Having created conful-
sion and alarm in Lancaster, the storm
swept proudly by until it reached the barn,
out-houses and fences of Mrs. Daggett,
which were broken up into kindling-wood
and carried off on the current
Near Skunk River woods flock of /, 800
sheep were quietly grazing when the storm
arose With an instructive dread they
gathered in circle, that companionship
might alleviate the sense of danger. They
congregated directly in the line of the
storm, and when it came it elevated them
until, as an eyewitness expressed it,
they looked like a flock of birds" They
circled round and round, the velocity OF
the inner current overcoming the attrac-
ton of gravitation, until the centrifugal
motion moved them to the edge of the
cyclone, where, the velocity being dimin.
ished, they fell to the earth. OF the 1900,
only 40 were found alive up to this after,
noon, and it is believed that the remainder
were killed. Their remains are found
hanging on the trees and bushes, and
strewing the ground.
Mr., Ash was the next victim, if there is
any such thing as consecutiveness in dis
aster so sweeping. His house, barn and
fences were leveled; he was severely
wounded, and his wife's arm was broken
The Doggett graveyard, not far from
Lancaster, was swept as if with Bosom
The tombstones were thrown down, and, ac
cording to some, several were carried away
The storm maintained its northeast
course carrying everything before it for a
width of from 100 yards to a quarter of a
mile. Fences were laid fiat Houses
were of no account Men, women, and
children, and all kinds of animals were
mingled in the moving mass of air at a
height of from forty to sixty feet Trees
a foot in diameter were snapped in twain
and the forests seemed as if an immense
had cut all that dared to be in its way
The swath marked the path of the de
stroyer. Over hill and valley it moved
leaving woe in its track. For few miles
from Lancaster the country is rather thin
ly settled, but il left its marks upon the
face of nature.
1t had reached Clear Creek Township
three or four miles from this place, where
there are many houses, and where lis
fury was most sadly felt 1t came down
on the house of Mr.. Nicholas Engle-
dingle. whose wife was lying sick, her
husband being absent She was alone
with her child. The house was carried
away and torn to atoms, and the unfor.
tunate woman and child went with it to
destruction. Her fate is very sad. She
was literally rent asunder. The trunk
from the neck to the abdomen was found
in one place, the arms in another. and the
head and neck further away. One limb
stuck in the sand where it fell. Probably
she was instantly killed. Her child was
killed, the top of the head being blown
off, giving the appearance of scalping.
Michael Fuhs was sitting in the house
with his wife and child, when twas raised
from over their heads, the child being
killed. This happened about five miles
from Harper's Station, six miles west OF
here.
l met Mr.. Stowne, living seven miles
from Harper, as he and his hands were al
work repairing the damage. He believed
the storm passed his farm at 3 o'clock
He likened it to an immense funnel, reach
ing from earth to heaven, and coming from
the southwest. 1t was black. He could
not see through it. He lost seventeen
head of cattle, and had from eight tC
twelve crippled. He could see the funne
for fifteen minutes before it disappeared
He understood three horses belonging tC
Mr.. Yomas were killed, and six belonging
to Mr.. ComitZe, besides 100 hogs and {
dozen hogs of Riddolphis'. Nichola:
Lake lost two cows. Fred Letze's barr
was thrown down and three of his horse:
wounded. The loss of stock will nevel
be known.
Mr.. Snarr was working cheerfully il
the ruins. His timber near was cut anC
bent, and would never grow again. Hi,
fences were undergoing repair Over in
his field lay dead beef just skinned, anC
dead hogs and sheep were scattered here
and there. Fence posts were stuck firmly
in the ground where they stood, and thu
terrific strength of the storm was visible
on every hand. In another place pumI
was drawn out of the ground and deposit
ed in the soil half mile away, where i
could be pumped, though pumping would
fetch no water.
The horsepower of threshing machine
weighing 2,340 pounds, was raised as if i
were feather, and dropped quarter of /
mile from home.
The house of Peter Marsh was blowr
down and one child killed. 1t is stated
that all the rest of the family, including
seven children, were stripped of every
vestige of clothing. The dead child wa
found eighty yards from the site of tn,
dwelling
Mr. Campbell lost his wife. His TIVE
children were badly hurt. Mr.. Bevins, o
Germantown, lost his barns and fences
and Mr.. Lentz new barn just finished
The town stood in imminent danger
Citizens saw the column approaching, an,
one gentleman had calculated that /
would strike the postoffice first. SO
would, had it come directly, but fortunate
ly it did not. Three miles from here i
seemed to jump over the town, and tn