Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-09-10
AT WASHINGTON COURTHOUSE, o.
The Town Almost Completely DemOI-
tshed-Ftve Persons KILLED, and Over
Three Hundred injured


The Town Almost CompIeteIy DemoI-
Ished-Ftve Persons Killed, and Over
Three Hundred injured
WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, o., Septem-
Der 9,-The cyclone which came upon this
town last evening at o'clock almost COM
pletely demolished it. Not single store
out of forty facing the central square is
| left intact, and the majority of them are
ieyeled. About 200 residences are de-
stroyed and the street so filed with debris
hat it is almost iwpossible to pass.
Sheriff Rankin ordered cut the militia,
which took charge and helped to get order
out Of chaos. All the gas went out when
the storm came, and as the works were
destroyed, boDfires had to be built in the
streets to give light for the searchers. The
total known To- pe dead is five, ard about
fifty ipju ed. One of the latter of these was
the manager of the telephone exchange,
| who was hurl5d across the street and had
one arm and one leg and collar-bone brok-
en-. Some houses were lifted up and car
ried bodily several hundred feet aud then
| dashed to the ground with terrific force.
| The shattered fragments we're then whirl d
| IN some instances quarter OF mile. A
relief committee is at work and all houses
not destroyed are thrown open to the
homeless Farmers are coming in by doz
| ems, bringing food and bedding. Every
hotel, bank, church and business house in
the town is ruined. The utmost desola-
| ton prevails. People coming in report
finding debris ten miles from town.
LATER AND MORE COMPLETE DETAILS.
| CINCINNATI, o., September 9.-Washing-
ton Court house, the scene of one of the
| most disastrous visitations by the elements
last night, is the county seat of Fsyette
county. 1t has had a most extraordinary
business growth within the pass fifteen
years, and being the center of a rich sgri-
cultural district, with excellent railroad
facilities, 1T had grown to be business
| place of considerable Importance. It's
res,d =nts had bsautifed the town with
tasteful dwellings, and its recent y COM
pleted courthouse was one of the best in
the State. To-day this prosperous town is
a mass of ruins. Last nights experience
of its inhabitants has no parallel in the
experience of any town in Ohio. A heavy
ralI fall 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 been much observation of the
heavens. Shortly after the rain began
the wind came with terrifying
sound. It's work was almost instantaneous
People say it was over in two minutes
but nobody could take note of time III
such in fearful experience. The fierce
roaring of the terrible tornado, the crash.
ing of broken and falling buildings, the
sharp flashes of lightning, the rolling
thunder and the pitiless rain combined t.
produce sensations of the most horrifyin.
character. The two minutes of this start
ling experience was followed by new
feeling among the scattered and terrified
! survivors, more sickeniDg than that
through which they had passed. 1t was
! the uncertainty of the fate Of friends anC
, relatives. All who escaped alive felt SURF
that many lives were certainly lost WheI
the fierceness of the storm bad passed anC
men could communicate with each othel
3 it was found that all were in dGrkness
t The gas works were destroyed and all th'
! street lights were out. Orly by the light
! ming flashes were the frightened peopl
able to catch glimpses of the desolatiol
8 that had wre ecked their little city. Friend
It called for friei DIS, and as answers cam
y the first shock of dread was relieved
q The number OF deaths was miracu
ously small The next duty wa
o to search for the imprisoned an
d wounded. In this there was a prompt an
3 Whole-hearted effort. Bonfires were light
:. ed and torches improvised, and whereve
Il cries were heard ready aid was giveU
j. More than that, the debris was ovel
It turned to see if any more dead could b
n found. With cheerful welcome the door
of such houses as were not destoyed wei
opened for the houseless ones driven int
N the rain. In many cases these were ute
as ly bereft of all thei. - isehold good
b, The night was fearful ne, but it WI
Of full of helpful work for the stronger. IT
at sheriff called upon the militia to set
IN guard over the exposed stocks of all Il
e. business houses, for they we're all broke
or destroyed, and proving thieves we
not wanting, even in the fret hour of Il
city's misfortune. OF cours their nuI
h ber grew to-day, when the Gro DIS of Wis
or ors poured in. With daylight came mo
ID disheartening spectacle. The fair town
10 Yesterday lay torn and wrecked IN d
ordered heaps, the streets well-nlgh II
OF nassable from the trees and pal
n of houses cast into them, worst OF
in was the sight Uf the poor, who had 10
:, ali, and had no place to lay their hea(
III They wandered nopelessly about as
1g they we're strar gers. OF course the peo
be whose houses were not ruined are dol
no all thew can for their unfortunate fello
: sufferers, but the farmers soon began
10 pour into town, drawn by curiosity, but
the same time bringing with them su
lis srantial aid for the destitute. Before I
,rd day ended the council had taken torn
~ | action by organizing a relief committ
-, -, and by night much can be done tows
"a preventing actual privation. The gre
- wonder is that more lives were not lc
N N In the Odd Fellows hall forty memb
lio were gathered at meeting in the seco
PIG story when the storm came. The buildi
N was literally thro gn down and yet no c
-; Wss injured. Thiity-one went down "
IN the ruins and escaped, while nine clu
to the walls Of an adjoining block 8
were rescued by ladders.