Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1886-05-20
A NIGHT OF TERROR
Succeeded by Day that Dawned on
Utter DesOlatiOn.
XENIA STRUCK BY A FLOOD THAT CARRIES
AWAY HOMES, WIPED OUT FAMILIES
AND DELUGED A PORTION
OF THE TOWN.
THE UNPRECEDENTED RAINFALL THROUGH GEN.
TRIAL AND SOUTHERN OHIO.

XENIA. May 13-At o'clock last night
this city was visited by a most terrible
calamity, the parallel of which has new
or before happened in this section of
the country. During the earlier part of
the evening the sky became dark, and it
seemed as if the city was to be visited
by heavy rain storm. But few were
prepared for the awful calamity which
followed. At few minutes before 7
o'clock the lightning and thunder be-
came most intense and heavy rain set
in. This had been in progress but a
short time, when the whole heavens
seemed to open and deluge of water,
never before experienced. fell upon the
city. While no Part of the place escaped
this unprecedented fall of water, yet that
portion lying near Shawnee creek suf-
fered the worst. A short distance
above the Little Miami railroad station
the lower branch of this stream passes
through a culvert under the railroad and
then under bridge over which the
the tracks of the Springfield branch
runs. After the waterspout bust the
driftwood stopped up this culvert and
as result the water backed up on the
south side of the railroad embankment,
turning the low land there into a vast
reservoir. But the railroad embankment
was not intended for such service and
could not resist this terrible pressure.
1t gave away and the water swept down
upon the homes of the poor people of
that neighborhood with mighty rush.
Houses were picked up as as if they
were egg shells and carried in this mad
rush of water until they were dashed to
pieces against bridge abutments and
whatever they might come in contact
with.
When the storm came up the people
took refuge in their homes and there
fore had no warning. When this mighty
volume of water struck them it was i'm
possible to effect an escape, so that every
person who was so unfortunate as to be
in its path was carried to a watery grave.
Barre bottom, a portion of the city
which lies along this creek Immediately
north of the Little Miami depot, suffered
the greatest loss. The north branch of
Shawnee creek empties into the main
body at this point, and here the vast vol
ume of water was increased by the flow
from above. This portion of the town
was inhabited mostly by eOlored people,
and few of them escaped. The gas works
are also located near this point, and they
were so badly damaged that the city had
to depend upon the electric light for il
and as this does not cover
all parts of the city, it rendered the work
of rescuing the uDfortunates much more
difficult. In fact the extent Of the ca
tastrophe was not fully realized until
this morning, when the work of collect
ing the bodies commenced.
The Mayors office was turned into
morgue, and at one time to-day there
we're 2s bodies laid out upon the floor,
the largest part of which were those of
colored people.
The scene at the mayors office beggars
description. All of the victims are from
the ranks of the working class, and me-
cessarily had to be cared for by the city.
The relatives of those who were missing
gathered at the Office, and eagerly scan>
ned each body as it was brought in.
Now and then father would recognize
a son, a child his parent, or perhaps one
member of family, who had happened
to be away from home when the accident
would recognize dear one
and then would follow scenes which
would turn the hardest heart. The city
council held a meeting to-day and ap-
propriated $1,000 to be expended in bu-
rying the dead. A citizens meeting was
held and committees appointed to solicit
clothing and provisions for the home
less. The number of deaths reported at
this time is %, and IL persons are still
missing.
MOST TERRIFIC IN YEARS.
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