Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-05-20

Iell so last C0aI J1e S6W0IS were hOI aux
TO carry the great volume off. and the
streets were soon filed with one great
body of water, sweeping everything be-
fore it. Houses were inundated, house
hold goods destroyed, fences and out
buildings swept away, and many families
were compelled to fee for their lives.
All the railroads running through here
report numerous washouts, and the only
company sending out trains to-day is the
Indiana, Bloomington & Western, from
here TO Columbus. Telephone and tele'
graph wires are down in many instances,
and it is almost impossible to get full
particulars from surrounding towns
Great damage was done throughout
Clarke and adjoining counties. 1t is re-
ported that IS per cent. of the bridges
have been washed away. Farmers have
suffered severely from loss of small
stock, fences and Outbuildings, and sew
sral hundred sheep were drowned. No
loss of life is reported as yet.
DAYTON DEvAsTATED-sECTIo OF THE
TOWN UNDER wATER-THE CoUN-
TRY LAID WASTE.
DAYTON. May 13-The severest and
most damaging wind and rain storm
that has ever occurred in this section
took place last night, and devastation
and ruin to-day mark the course of the
destroying elements. In the country in
all directions from this city the scene is
terrible beyond description. Fences are
leveled for miles. barns and stables
blown down. trees uproOted and splin-
tered, and acres upon acres of land laid
waste by the rushing waters. Both tel
egraphic communication and travel by
rail were completely suspended, and
even yet the prospects for speedy re-
sumption are not very encouraging.
Every train in transit near Dayto was
stopped last night either by blOeksded
tracks or washouts.
In this city the damage was principal
ly caused by the enormous rain. Whole
sections of the town were under water
and the people compelled to flee for safe
ty.
Nearly every bridge and culvert in
this county has been washed away and
destroyed. 1t lis etimated that this alone
will aggregate loss of 100000 to the
county. 1t is almost impossible to go
anywhere in any direction from this
city. All the small town and villages.
in the county suffered more or less de-
vastation. The entire section of country
between this point and Beavertown is a
complete wreck; also in the direction
from Shakertown to Fairmount. At the
latter place nearly every house was dam
aged. some of them almost beyond repair
At BeavertowD, the church, in which a
prayer meeting was in progress at the
time the storm burst forth, was blown
down. The congregation had just time
to escape. Three other buildings we're
destroyed there and still many others
damaged.
Throughout this entire stretch of
country cattle and horses were killed
and injured and though large number
of people were hurt, it is thought all the
injured will recover. 1t is impossible to
estimate the damages. though there is no
doubt that S1,OOO,OOO will not begin to
cover it in this city and the surrounding
country.
CINCINNATI, May 13.-The storm of
last night which did such fearful work
at Xenia, Ohio. was far reaching. 1t is
heard of in Illinois. through Indiana and
Ohio, and at Winchester, Va. Here
there has been an unusual electrical dis
turbance for the past three nights. On
Monday night there was almost uninter-
rupted lightning, from II p. N. until 6
a. N. Tuesday night similar condition
existed, accompanied by heavy rains and
hail.
Last night there was another electric
al storm with wind, heavy rain and hail.
The Xenia storm, however, was much
more furious. The counties of Mont
gomery, Clarke. Butler, Warren and
Greene ale adjacent in Ohio, and form
an elevated plateau with but shallow
valleys and low hills. In these counties
are the towns of Dayton, Springfield,
Hamilton, Lebanon and Xenia. In Fay
cite county, Indiana, adjoining this dist
trict, is Connersville. At all these places
the rain of last night wes the heaviest in
volume ever known. At Dayton it meas
ured AZ inches in about three hours.
Xenia was situated 80 as to meet the
worst results. Shawnee run traverses
the portion of the city adjacent to the
Little Miami railroad, which lies lower
than the main portion of the city. The
railroad embankment rises above the
general level, and the stream flows thro'
it in large culvert. Last nights rain
fall was entirely too much for the capac-
ity of that culvert. The water rose and
at last swept away the embankment, and
with accumulated force rushed upon the
small cottages located in the lowlands,
and without warning bore them from
their foundations.
At Sprinsli field, the flood was of nearly
equal volume, but the drainage was bet
ter. East High street bridge was under
mined, and is mass of ruins. In the
eastern and southwestern portions of the
city many families were driven from
their homes by the encroaehing flood.
Dozens of bridges over the streams were
washed away. The losses cannot be es>
but will be exceedingly heavy. |
At Lebanon, the Methodist Episcopal
church, the Lebanon House, grist mill,