The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1885-09-17
AMONG THE RUINS.

AMONG THE RUINS.
Terrible Scenes Of Death and Dis
aster at Washington @. Il.
Hundreds of Buildings Demolished by the |
Storm-The Most Remarkable Es-
cape on Record.
WASHINGTON, C. H., O., September g.
This morning our beautiful little city is in |
ruins, caused by last nights storm, and
pile of debris meets the eye at tevery glance.
Large buildings were lifted from their
foundations and demolished. Every hotel,
church, bank and business house was blown
down. Over one hundred buildings were
completely demolished and as many more
wrecked. Seven lives are known to be lost
SO far, and a large number wounded.
A mother and son who had removed from
jamestown after the cyclone at that place,
in view of escaping such catastrophies,
were with difficulty exhumed from an
enormous mass of brick and mortar, man
gled almost beyond recognition. The boys
bones were utterly crushed, while the
mothers flesh was reduced almost to jelly.
Among the incidents connected with the
affair, the Salvation Army was holding
services in Music Hall. When the wind
struck the building, driving window-glass
in a perfect storm through the hall and
screamed and wept, while men in terror
turned pale. The Salvation Army had
an unusual occasion to manifest
their zeal, and falling upon their knees,
with uplifted heads and streaming
eyes they implored the mercyi of the Al.
mic In
time in his life he was ever frightened, and
the old Marshal, who had stood faithfully at
his post as al regulator of conduct among
the boys at the salvation meeting, relaxed
his hold upon the door and let the frenzied
multitudes swarm into the streets. A part
of the roof and ceiling caved in.
The Odd Fellows were in session, and
some twenty were present, who narrowly
escaped with their lives, and after the
building had sunk to the ground six men
stood on the narrow edge of the north wall,
which still remains. 1t was one OF the most
narrow escapes from instant death in the
history of the world. Not one OF the men
in the hall was killed, while all were more
William Tharp has family composed OF
wife. daughter "a young LADY, and
son. They lived in small house just over
the creek, west of town, and last night all
except Mr.. Tharp were seated in their
house when the tornado struck it. The
knows where. The three occupants were
lifted from the ground and carried fifty
yards, across the road, where they were
landed without sustaining more than few
slight bruises. This is considered one OF
the miracles of the tornado.
The vast crowd which poured into Wash
ington to-day to witness for themselves
the great damage of the tornado was mar
velous. 1t was estimated all the way from
twenty thousand to thirty five thousand,
and it is safe to say that this city never
before held such multitude. There are a
| great many suspicious looking characters
| in town, and the citizens should watch
| them. 1t is regarded as a calamity that
| the three leading Presbyterian, Baptist
| and Catholic Church edifices are so COM
| pletely ruined as to be beyond repair.
The cemetery, one mile east of town, has
been wonderfully damaged. Scores OF
monuments were thrown to the ground ,and
it will be many months before adequate re.
| pairs can be made.
| All assistance on the part of Ohio cities
towns or individuals to the unfortunate
| Washingtonians will be received with
| glad hearts. Washington is in grea
| need of help, and there is no doub
that her sister cities will come to be-
| rescue. Governor Hoadly has done as h,
did in the case of the Jamestown tornado
He has arrived on the spot as soon as th'
| cars could bring him. After taking a tou,
of the city to-day he said that he had de
cided to appeal to the people of Ohio tt
| come to the rescue of the sufferers o
Washingtt n, whom he realizes to be in
pitiable condition. Governor Hoadly sub
scribed 500 to the Relief Fund, and re
turned to Columbus tonight to issue hi
appeal to the people. -
We have thus far found It Impossible t
! get at the real damage of the storm. 1t |
so universal and disastrous that all figure
will be mere guess work for several days
yet we have every reason to believe, how
ever, that no less than half the buildings @
this city are more or less damaged.
The cyclone was q half mile wide.
large beam of timber penetrated the resi-
dence of Mrs. Abe Shouts. Marshal Col
lier's wife and child were standing in on
corner of the house, while the other porto
was carried away. and they escaped
Judge Gregg, John Vanpelt, Henry Arnold
Mr.. and Mrs. Peters, and Mr.. and Mrs. El
Pyer (who were hurled from their hous
against stump), are among the injured
Carpenters. brick-layers and laborers ar
| pouring in from all parts of the country
There will be a great deal of work here fo
the next year to come.
Hon. John Little, our Representative i
| Congress, who has been here all day takin
estimates as to the damages, says this
| actual damage to property will be in th
neighborhood of $1,00O,O00.
GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION.
COLUMBUS, OHIO, September 9.-The Gov
nation:
To THE PEOPLE OF OHIO: On the evenin
of September 8 the town Washington {
n. was struck by cyclone. have just r
ruins ruins. The newspaper accounts % are e n. n
} exaggerated. Nearly all the business house
in the town TO- were dest%royed % and IS, stocks
and i severely injured. A Very large nnr
Der of residences, including many yesterds
occupied by the poor. are in ruins. Fl,
, | lives have been lost The rich have suffere
heavily, and the houseless and homeless,
of except by aid from abroad. A relief cor
mittee has been organized composed of Il
first citizens of the place. viz: Colonel H.
( wangler and B. H. Millikan.
Committees of assistance from surroun
and s Circieviiie, have today Visited Washin Shin
ton c. H. What is most needed is money
procure the shelter and food necessary f,
pie pie Of Ohio for assistance. s Remittappe, pe
may lie made to any of the abo,
: named gentlemen, or to ~ Mare,
ton a. HareaH e. haysr yearnest2f 9f hope washin tn
!. no delay will intervene to prevent the cha
Of ae of shs 81 stas
ington c. H. The county of Fayette has tn
year lost its wheat crop, and last year its hs
Tse faen tte a
name and charitable. fellow-citizens, asst
d them in their hour of need.
Given under my hard and the great seal
A. D. 1885. GEO. HoADLY.
-Ice-cream has become standal
for Judging of peoples social statu
|, At Newport there isn't an ice-crea
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