The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1885-09-17
A TERRIBLE TORNADO.
Wild Work of tho Winds In Ohio
struction Of Property, and Loss OF Life

struction orProporty, and Loss OF Life.
CINCINNATI, September 0. - The
| Commercial Gazette has telcpraDhic
advccs from Washington Court House,
Ohio, that Il terrific cyclone passed
over that ncighborhood last night,
doing great damage to property. a
number Of lives were lost. "A Bloom
lngburg special to the same paper
adds that that town is in ruins. Owing
TO tho condition of the telegraph wires
details cannot be given. A violent
electrical disturbance was seen to the
north from Cincinnati last night,
although the storm here was not very
| heavy.
Most alarming reports are current
regarding the loss Of life and property
IN Washington &. III. Help was sent
to destitute families. At Plain CITY,
eighteen miles from this CITY. i car
rage factory and mill were demolished
and other buildings unroolcd. This
place IS on Il dnCct line to the north
of Washington G.. H., and all along
south to the Ohio river the trail of
destruction is reported in like manner.
"A special from Springfield says q
terrible cyclone struck Washington
at eight o'clock last cvcningand almost
literally swept it from the earth. 1t
came from the northwest and broke
upon the town very suddenly, carry
ing everything before it. The tornado
Whlrlcd up Court street, the main
business thorOughtarc, and ruined
almost every business block On it-at
least forty or fifty in all. Hardly q
private residence in the town escaped,
fully four hundred buildings in ali
going down. The Presbyterian and
Catholic churches suffered IL common
fate. The Ohio Southern, Pan Handle,
Marrow Gauge and Midland railroad
dcpots were blown into smithcrccus,
and every building in the vicinity was
carried away, making ingrcss or cgrcss
almost impossible. Every wire within
circuit of two miles is down. Res
| ports received of the catastrophe arc
from telegraph operator, who tapped
the wire two miles west of tie town.
ana sat IN heavy rain storm and
worked his instruments.
The panic-stricllcn people were taken
completely unaware, and fled from the
tumbling buildings in every direction,
through murky darkness. A mad
frenzy seemed to seize them, and they
hurried hithcr and thithcr in thnir
wild distraction, little knowing whith-
CT they were fleeing. After the whirl-
wind, which lasted about ten minutes,
a heavy rain fall set in which continued
unabatcd during the night. AS soon
as few Of the cooler heads recovered
their senses searching parties were or
| ganiZcd and the sad work of looking
for the dead began. So far fifteen
bodies have been recovered from the
debris Of various ruined buildings, and
the drcary work is Just beginning to
get under way. 1t is probable as
many more will he found. The plim-
MGR of lanterns procured from farm
houses in the vicinity, and from the
few houses left standing, was the only
light they had to work by. Two or
three bodies were stumbled upon in
the middle Of the street, where they
were stricken down by nving bricks
or timbcrs.
The cellars Of houses and every sort
OF refuge were filled with shivcriug
people huddling together in vain effort
to keep warm. One baby in the arms
has died from exposure.
Fully three hundred persons were
hurt, and the losses in popcrty will
exceed million dollars.
Rcports from various parts Of Ohio
and Indiana show that the storm which
81 "SN w a9iliiS tOil u. H., was WluC-
. spread.
A Rich Hill, Mo-, special saws that
high winds visited that place causing
several thousand dollars damage. The
fine brick residence Of Mr.. KlatZchc.
was partly demolished, and his SON
aged fifteen crushed TO death. II. NJ.
Booths house was torn from It's toun-
daLlonS and Il number of others uu-
rooted scattering death and dcstruc-
ton everywhere. For eight long
minutes thcd isastrous work went on.
Music hall was filled with people
attending the Salvation Army meeting
and as aportion of the roof and ceiling
fell in disastrous panic and stampede
was prevented with the greatest diff
Guilty. Among the incidents of the
disaster was the blowing of the house
or W. Sharp entirely to pieces and out
OF sight. Three occupants were drop.
ped across the street, with only Mrs.
Sharp severely bruised, others having
but Slight hurts. The house cannot be
found.
MORE ABOUT TIE STORM.
CHICAGO, September 1O.-A tclc-
gram received this morning states that
u vessel struck on the horbor pier at
Two Rivers, Mich, and went to pieces.
1t is supposed that the crow ofsix men
were lost.