St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-14
SENT TO ETERNITY
Thirty People Swept Away and
Drowned by a Torrent at
Xenia, Ohio.
A Cloud-Burst Suddenly Over
whelms the Little City in the
Dead Of Night.
And Brings Desolation and Death Where
Before Had Been Peace and
Prosperity.
Pitiable Scenes of Sorrow at the Morgue
When the Bodies Were
Brought in.
Thousands ofDollars of Damage Done
TO Railroad and Other Property
in the State.
Large Loss of Life at Attica, Ind.--
Madrid, Spain, Visited by a
Severe Storm.
Thousands of Dollars of Damage Done
TO Railroad and Other Property
in the State.
Large Loss of Life at Attica, Ind.--
Madrid, Spain, Visited by
Severe Storm.
A Fearful Flood.

NENIA, o., May 13.-Ihe bright May
sunshine of the morning fell on desolate
and stricken town. After night of dark
ness and terror. it was grateful to have
light and sun, but what an awful scene it
revealed-homes laid waste. property
swept away and worse than all. the whole
sale destruction of life. Like all calamltleS,
the awful story we must relate this even
ing is of a disaster that no one would even
have suspected could or would happen
to Xenia, a flood carrying death
and destruction in its path. About
s o'clock last night wonderful rain
wind and electrical storm came up, which
continued with undated fury for three
hours The wind came in continual gale
with an occasional gust, which broke down
trees. slammed shutters and did other DAM
age The rain fell in sheets, while the sky
was livid with wave after wave of electrical
disturbances and the muttering of the
thunder was hoarSe and continual. Most
families were huddled together in fright
for no one knew at what moment the storm
might terminate in a cyclone. But few
persons dreamed that a flood was coming,
which would sweep away part of the town
and drown so many. In the midst of the
storm, about 10 o'clock, the fire bells rang
out. but 10 great number of people re-
sponded to the call, as they
THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY FIRE,
and that it could not do much harm in such
a storm, but directly the second alarm
came and brought out the whole town, so to
speak. The streets were dark and the rain
was coming down in torrents, but it was
soon learned that the trouble was that
Shawnee creek, that heretofore harmless
little stream, had become mad and was out
of its banks and sweeping everything be-
fore it. Standing on the banks of this
mighty stream in the rain and darkness, it
was an appalling situation. There was no
light, and above the roar of the angry
waters and the flashing lightning and
from frightened and in many in
stances drowning people. Men rushed
frantically from the shore into the waters.
Others ran iii other directions for ropes,
ladders, lights and boats. At the corner of
Detroit and Water streets. a bonfire of store
boxes kept up with coal oil was built,
which gave light to work by but which
threw a lurid glare over the untold and
fearful scene. Here Morris, TarboX and
Byers did heroic work in reScuing nine per-
sons from the Ferguson house, and also
some people from the old HeatOn house.
Further down, at what is known at Bars
bottom, a strip of low land right along the
creek,
SCENE OF TERRIBLE DESTRUCTION
was witnessed. A bonfire was built which
threw glazing light out on the dark and
rushing waters, and everything was done
for the assistance of the people of that I'M
fortunate locality that could be done. Of
the fifteen or twenty houses that occupied
the flat only two or three could be seen. the
rest having gone with the mighty rushing
waters. At the Main street bridge the ter
rible tide had piled the debris of ruined
houses in a mass, among which several
dead bodies were found this morning.
Orrin Morris, wife and seven children lived
in a little frame house on Second street.
1t was raised from its moorings and fioated
towards the Main street bridge. Cries
came from it, and a man was seen at the
window with light, when it struck.
partly sinking. The light went out, and
all was still. Nj. Morris and his little
family had met their awful fate. From
the shore there was no way to reach them.
and there was no way for them to escape.
Afterwards two of his little boys were
rescued alive, clinging to debris, down the
creek. The following are the
KILLED AND MISSING:
Mrs. NELLIE ANDERSON and sister, LY-
OLA CASEY, (colored) both widows past 60
years of age.
Mrs. SAMUEL CORCORAN and tive sons.
aged II and 25 years.
MAT EVANS, (colored) wife and child, the
child missing.
ORRIN MORRIS, (white) wife and FIVE chill
dren, three girls and two boys, the oldest
girl Is years of age and the youngest babe
of 10 months.
STEPHEN DONTON (colored).
WIN. POWELL, wife and six or eight chill
dren, are missing.
LEWIS ANDERSON and wife (colored);
Mr.. Anderson is missing.
Mrs. ED. LINDSAY.
Mr.. POWELL and two children.
The scene at the mayors office this morn
ing is beyond all description, for here were
conveyed the bodies of the dead. Some
were in their night clothes and had evil
IDENTIFY been caught in their beds, and most
of them bore evidence of having been
: INJURED BY CRASHING TIMBERs
as their houses went to pieces. Many were
in their clothes, and probably died strug-
Cling to save themselves. The undertakes
and other kindly hands were engaged in
dressing the dead and arranging them in
families. for here were whole families who
had found simultaneous death. There
the dead around, indeed many of them
had none left. The family of
Orrin Morris, father, mother and five chill
dren, were dressed and laid side bv side.
The destruction of property was heavy.
Correct figures are wanting, but it is safe
to say that to the city and its citizens it
will reach SIS, 600, while the railroads will
suffer as much more. Three bridges be-
tween here and Spring Valley on the Little
Miami are out and as much as five miles of
track gone. The first section of the night
express from Cincinnati reached this
place ahead, but the next section got
caught between bridges and there it remains.
q large amount of track below the valley
is out, and the loss will be $50, 600 or more.
The Dayton 81 Ironton road between here
and Treleins is washed out badly, and the
Little Miami track is
IN THE SAME CONDITION
all the way to Dayton. 1t is impossible to
gather the full extent of the damage, but it
will take days and probably weeks to repair
it. This state of affairs exists on all pixies
east and west of Xenia. One of the causes
of the destruction in Xenia was small
culvert under the Columbus & Xena railroad
just east of the Wilmington pike, it being
insufficient to let the water through and it
rose to the top of the road, forming a great
lake which suddenly broke the embank-
ment, letting the water out with a great
rush. 1t came down into the doomed part
of the town in a body ten to fifteen feet
high, carrying everything before it. The