Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-09-10
ANOTHER ACCOUNT.

are sun exposed.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
CLEVELAND, September 9th.-A Leader
special from Springfield says: A terrible
cyclone struck Washington Courthouse, a
city of 1000 inhabitants, twenty-five miles
west of here, at o'clock in the evening,
and almost literally swept it from the
earth. Hardly private residence in the
town escaped, fully 400 buildings going
down. The Baptist, Presbyterian and
Catholic churches all suffered common
tate. The Ohio Southern, Panhandle, Mar
row-Gauge and Midland Railroad depots
were blown to smithers, and every building
in the vicinity was carried away, making
ingress or egress almost impossible. The
panic-stricken people were taken COM
pletely unawares, and fled from the tum-
bling buildings in every direction through
the murky darkness. Mad frenzy seemed
to seize them, and they hurried hither and
thither in their wild distraction. little
knowing whittier they were fleeing. After
the whirlwind, which lasted about ten
minutes, heavy rainfall set in. which
still continues unabated at this writing. AS
soon as few of the cooler heads recovered
their senses, searching parties were organ
lied, and the sad work OF looking for the
dead began. So far fifteen bodies have
been recovered from the debris of the vari-
Gus ruined buildings, and the dreary work
is Just beginning to get under way.
THE STORM WIDESPREAD.
CINCINNATI, September 9th - Reports
from various parts of Ohio and Indiana
show that yesterdays storm, which devas-
tated Washington Courthouse was wide
spread. In Miami county. Ohio. its course
was due east. At Colesville, in that coun-
ty, two barns and several dwellings were
blown down. Three members of one iami-
ly were severely hurt On the other side
of the Miami river grain-house was blown
away, and frame house blown from its
foundation and wrecked. The path of the
storm was from forty rods to half mile
wide. At Cambridge City, Indiana, and
Dublin, several houses were wrecked
MUCH DAMAGE TO PROPERTY
TOLEDO, September 9th-A heavy wind
storm visited the vicinity of Napoleon, O..
last night, doing much damage to farm
houses, barns, orchards and crops. But
little damage is reported in the town, the
storm passing two miles north of the place
moving in northeasterly direction and
covering space of half mile in width
1t crossed the southern division of the Lake
Shore Railway, near Elmore. Ohio, and the
northern division near Oak Ha.bor. pros
trating nearly all lines of telegraph in its
course, and doing much injury 10 farm
property of all descriptions
SCENE OF DEVASTATION.
CINCINNATI, September r9th.-Washington
Courthouse, the scene of most disastrous
visitation by the elements last night. is the
county seat of Fayette county. 1t has had
a most extraordinary business growth
within the past fifteen years, and being the
center of a rich agricultural district. with
excellent railroad facilities, it had grown to
be business place of considerable impor
tanCe. Its residents had beautitied the
town with tasteful dwellings, and its re-
Gently completed Courthouse was one of
the best in the State. To-day this prosper
Gus town is a mass of ruins. Last nights
experience of its inhabitants has no paral-
lei in the experience of any town in Ohio.
4 heavy rainfall began about s O'Clock
last night. That and the darkness drove
everybody into shelter, so that while
there are some who say they
saw funnel-shaped clouds, it does
not seem possible that there could have
Shortly after the rain began, the wind came
with terrifying sound. Its work was
almost instantaneous. People saw it was
over in two minutes, but nobody could
take note of time in such fearful expe-
rience- The fierce roaring of the terrible
tornado, the crashing of broken and falling
buildings, the sharp flashes of lightning,
the rolling thunder and pitiless rain COM
blned TO produce sensations of a most
horrifying character. In two minutes this
startling experience was followed by new
feeling among the scattered and terrified
survivors, more sickening than that through
which they had just passed. 1t was the
uncertainty of the fate of friends and rela-
tives. All who escaped alive feel sure that
many lives Were certainly lost. When
the tierceness of the storm had passed,
and men could communicate with each
other, it was found that all were in dark
ness. The gas works were destroyed. and
all the street lights We're out Only bv
lightning flashes were the frightened peo-
pie enabled to catch glimpses of the desc
iation which had wrecked their little city.
Friends called for friends, and as answers
came fast, the shock of dread was relieved.
The number of deaths was miraculously
small. The next duty was to search for the
imprisoned and wounded. In this there
was pIoilpt anu NnOfe-nealIeQ eflOrt.
Bonfires were lighted and torches impro-
vised, and wherever cries were heard, ready
aid was given. More than that the debris
was overturned to see if any more dead
could be found. With cheerful welcome
the doors of such houses as were not de-
stroyed were opened for the houseless ones
driven into the rain. In many cases they
were utterly bereft of all their household
goods. The night was a fearful one, but it
was full of helping work for the stronger.
The Sheriff called upon the militia
to set guard over the exposed stocks
of all the business houses, for they were
all broken or destroyed, and prowling
thieves We're not wanting, even in the first
hour of the city's misfortune. OF course,
their number grew to-day when crowds OF
visitors poured in. With the daylight
came a most disheartening spectacle. The
fair town of yesterday lay torn and wrecked
in dissrdered heaps, with streets well nigh
impossible from the trees and parts of
houses east into them. The worst Of all
v5as fhe sight of the Door who had lost III