The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1885-09-18
a TORNAD0,S FURY,
An Ohio Town Swept Almost Out o.
Existence.


A terrible tornado recently strncl, Washing
ton Court House, city of 1000 inhabitants,
twenty-five miles west of Springfield, at
o'clock p NJ, and almost literally swept it
from the earth. 1t came from the northwest
and broke upon the town very suddenly. carry
ing every thing before it. The tornado whirled
up Court street, the main business thorough
fare, and ruined almost every business block
on it, at least forty or fifty in all. Hardly a
private r. sidence i'll the town escaped, fully 400
buildings going down. The Baptist, Presby-
terian and Catholic churches ali suffered the
common fate. The Ohio Southern, Pan Han
die, Narrow Gauge, and Midland railroad
depots were blown TO pieces, and every build
ing in the vicinity was carried away, making
iingress -, or egress almost impossi-
BILE The panic-stricken people were
taken completely unawares ond fled from
the tumbling buildings in every direction
through the darkness.
Another account states that - the tornado
OF last evening almost completely demolished
this place. Not single store facing Central
square, out of forty, is left intact, and a ma
jority of them are eveled. About 200 resi-
dences are destroyed, and the streets are SO
filled with debris that it is almost impossible
to pass through them
"All the gas went out when the storm came
up. BonSreS had to be built in the streets to
| give light for the searchers. The total known
! dead number five, and about fifty are in
| Jured. One of the latter, manager of the
telephone exchange, was hurried across the
street. and had one arm, one leg and his
| collar bone broken. Some houses
! were lifted up and carried bodily several hun
| dred feet, and then dashed to the ground with
! terrific force. The shattered fragments were
! then whirled in some instances quarter of
| mile. Relief committee is at work and all
the houses not destroyed are thrown open to
! the homeless Farmers are coming in by
dozens, bringing food and bedding"
The loss as near can be estimated is fixed
at 81 ,O00,0 600.
At Plain City, eighteen miles from Column
| bus, ONO, carriage factory and mil were
! demolished, and other buildings unroofed.
, This place is on a direct line north of Wash
ington Court House, and all along south to
! the Ohio river the trail of destruction is re-
ported in like manner.
Reports from various parts of Ohio and In
diana show that the storm which devastated
| Washington Court House was widespread.
In Miami county, Ohio, its course was due
east. At Colesville, in that county. two
| barns were blown down and the dwelling Of
| Mr.. Ninterstein was carried around and one
side and end blown away Three members
of the family are seriously hurt
Advices from Circlevile, Ohio, state that
the tornado passed through the country a
few miles south of that place, unroofng
houses and blowing down fences and trees
A very heavy rain fell News from Wash
ingtOn Court House is difficult to obtain, as
the telegraph wires were blown down in all
directions.
Dispatches from Adrian and Tecumseh,
Mich, report n tornado as having visited
those localities and having done considerable
damage to property. A number of buildings
were wrecked, and wheat stacks were gener-
ally demoraliZpd