Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1885-09-17
A TOWN LYING In RUINS.
A Tornado's Terrible Destruc-
ton in Ohio.
Washington Court House Leveled
to the Barth-Five Persons Kill
d,Three e md cd Injured
Loss Over Sl,OOO,OOO.

WASHINGTON, &. H., o., Sept. "a
tornado last evening at eight o'clock al.
most completely demolished this place.
Not single store facing Central Square
out of forty is left intact, and major
ity of them are leveled.
The storm came from tue northwest,
and broke up the town very suddenly,
carrying everything before'it. The tor
nado whirled up Court street, the main
business thoroughfare, and ruined al
most every business block in it, at least
forty or fifty III all. Hardly a private
residence in the town escaped, fully
400 buildings going down. The Bap-
tist, Presbyterian and Catholic church.
es all suffered the common fate.
The Ohio Southern, Pan Handle.
Marrow Gauge and Midland Rallr0a
depots were blown into "Smithereers, -
and every building IN the vicinity was
carried away. making ingress or egress
almost impossible. Every wire within
circuit of two miles is down,
The reports OF the catastrophe were
sent by telegraph operator who tap
ped wire two miles west of the town,
and, sitting In heavy rain storm,
worked his instrument. The panic
stricken people were taken completely
unawares, and fed from the tumbling
buildings In every direction through
the murky darkness.
A mad frenzy seemed to seize the
people, and they hurried hither and
thither in their wild distraction, little
knowing whittier they were fleeing. Af-
ter the whirlwind, which lasted about
ten minutes, heavy rain set in, which
continued unabated throughout the
night. Sheriff Rankin ordered out the
militia, which took charge aud helped
get order out OF chaos.
All the gas went out when the storm
came up. The gas works were destroy
ed. Bon fires had to be burut iii streets
to give light for the searchers One of
the injured is the manages of the Tele-
phone Exchange. lie was hurled a.
cross tie street and had an arm, leg
and collar bone broken. Some houses
were lifted mp and carried bodily sever
al hundred feet.
As soon as few of the cooler heads
recovered their senses searching parties
were organized AID the sad work of
looking for the dead began. The glim-
mer of lanterns, procured from farm
houses in the vicinity aid from the
few houses left standing, was the only
light they had to work by. Two or
three bodies were stumbled upon i'm the
middle of the street, where they were
stricken down by flying bricks or tim
bers. The cellars OF houses aud every
sort of refuge were filled with shiyering
people, huddling together in the vain
attempt to keep warm. One babo i'm
arms died from exposure.
LATER PARTICULARS.
CINCINNATI, Sept. GA special dis
patch from Washington Court House
says: Mrs. Mollie Jones, Edith Floyd,
Ella Forsha, Jennie Forsha and Flora
Carr were killed, and Hurbert Taggart,
James Jackson and John G. VanPelt
are supposed to be fatally injured. Fu'-
ly 800 persons were hurt. The loss will
exceed 81 100000. The council has ap-
pointed relief committee. The mill
tia are guarding the stores whose con-
tents are all exposed. Washington g.
Ii. is a town of about 1000 inhabitants.
THE TRACK OF THE TORNADO.
CINCINNATI, O., Sept. 9.-Advices
from Circleville. Ohio, state that last
nighta tornado passed through the
country south of that place, unroofing
houses and blowing down fences and
trees. A very heavy rain fall accom-
panied the storm.