Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1886-05-20
FATAL DELUGE.

FATAL O6lO06s
Property at Xenia, O., by bursting Rain
Cloud. :.
CINCINNATI, May 1.-THE storm of
Wednesday night, which did such fearful
work at Xenia, was far reaching. 1t is
heard of in Illinois, through Indiana and
Ohio and at Winchester, Va. Here there
have been unusual electrical disturbances
for the past three nights. On Monday night
! there was almost uninterrupted lightning
from eleven p. m. to six a. ~. Tuesday o
similar condition existed, accompanied by
heavy rain and hail, the latter of very mar.
row range. Wednesday night there was
another electrical storm with wind, heavy
rain and hail. TIE Xenia storm, however,
was much more furious. The counties of
Montgomery, Clarke, Butter, Warren and
Greene lie adjacent in Ohio and form an
elevated plateau, with hut shallow valleys
and low hills. In these counties arc tile
towns of Dayton Springfield, lIamil-
ton, Lebanon and Xenia. In the
eastern county of Indiana, adjoining
this district, is ConnersviIle. At all these
places the rain of last night was of tho
heaviest volume ever known, measuring
four and half inches in about three
hours. Xenia was situated so rs to meet
the worst results. Shawnee river trayerses
the portion of the city adjacent to tho
Little Miami railroad, which lies lower
than the main portion of the city. The
railroad embankmcnt rises above the gen.
cral level and the stream flows through it
in large culyert. The rainfall was en-.
tirely too much for the capacity OF that
culvert. The water rose and at last swept
away the embankment and with accumulated
force rushed upon the small cottages
located upon the low banks ard without
warning bore them from from their founda-
lions. The waves were fifteen or twenty
feet high and swept twenty or thirty houses
away and did 100000 worth of damage.
The gas works were flooded and the town
was in darkness and terror. The cries of the
people in the flooded district were awful TO
hear. Many acts of herosm in saving the
drowning are reported. Donfrcs were
lighted and the people worked all night.
Twenty-eght bodies have been recovered
and there are still number missing.
districts. There was great damage to prop
erty all around in the country, and the eX-
tent now can not even be Appropriated.
The following is a partial list of the dead:
Mrs. Nellie Anderson and sister; Mrs.
Carey, widow; Mrs Samuel Cochran and
two sons; Matt Evans, vito and child;
Orrn Morris, wife and five children;
Stephen Dalton; William Rowcll, wife and
six or seven children; Lewis Anderson and
wife; Mrs. Ed Lindsay.
TIE STORM.
About seven O'Clock in tie evening terri.
bic clouds were seen gathering and terrific
lightning was followed by peas Of thunder.
This lasted until nine O'clock, when an eX-
traOrdinary clap of thunder seemed 10 open
the food gates and the rain fell in torrents.
The people living in houses on Water street
escaped by every way possible. Tho spout
seemed to vent its fury Oh that portion of
the city. For a stretch of $50 yards the
Little Miami railroad was swept away. The
spout struck the houses on Water street aud
tore them to pieces as if they were shells.
A resident Of tho street states that within
two minutes after the clap of thunder he
stood in water to his waist, he being about
twenty-five yards from tho creek. When
the water reached the residence Of Aaron
Ferguson it was swept away with nine in
mates and lodged against bridge where
they were aftcrward rescued. The next
damage was at the coal yard of Samuel
Stark on which was located tenement
house occupied by Z family named Powell,
nine in number. Up to nine p. ~. nOns
of them had been heard from. The next
point of destruction was in what is known
as the bottoms, a dozen houses occupied
away. Dozens OF horses were lost and rail.
roads leading out of the city were swept
away so that it is impossible 10 hear from
here and within few mics of the
city. Telegraph wires are down and
business has been suspended. One
family by the name of Morris were swept
away. The last seen of them was at the
Miami street bridge, when man was seen
at the window by the terror stricken crowd
waving lighted lamp. The next instant
the house collapsed and they were gone.
Only one, a boy thirteen years of age, has
been found. The work of finding the bodies
still continues. The mayors Office has been
turned into: mOrgue and there arc now
twenty-five bodies there. The scenes arc
heartrendiEs. Whole families lio disfig-
urcd OH cots. The loss of property is great,
whole lumber yards and all the bridges be-
ing completely gone.
SAD DROWNING.
Orrin Morris, wife and seven children,
lived in little frame house on Second
street. 1t was raised from its mOOrings and
floated toward the Main street bridge.
Cries came from it and a man was seen at
the window with light, when it was
smashed, partly sinking. The light went
out ami all was still. From the shore there
was no way to reach them, and there was
no way for them to escape. Aftcrward
two Of his little boys were rescued alive, |
clinging to debris, down the creek.
Hurricane in Spain.