The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-05-22

XENIA, OHIO, May IL The bright May sun
OF this morning shone on a desolate and
stricken Xena. After night of dark
ness and terror it is grateful to have
light and sun, but what an awful
scene they reveal Homes laid waste
and property swept away, and, worse
than all, the wholesale destruction of life
About eight o'clock last night mighty rain,
wind and electric storm came up, which con-
tinued with undated fury for fully three
hours. The wind came in a continual gale,
with continual gust which would down trees,
loosen shutters and do other damage. The
rain fell in sheets, while the sky was livid
with wave after wave of electricity, ana the
mutterngs of the thunder were hoarse and
continuous. Most families were huddlel to-
gether in fright for no one knew at what
moment the storm might prove to be cy-
clone. But few persons dreamed that flood
was coming which would sweep away part of
the town and drown many souls.
About ten o'clock the fire.bells rang out
their wild alarm, but no great number of peo
pie responded to the call, as they thought it
was only fire, and that it could not do much
harm in such rain and storm. But directly
the second alarm came, and brought out the
whole town The streets were dark and the
rain was coming down in torrents, but it was
soon learned what the trouble was-that
stream, had become mad, and was out of its
banks and sweeping every thing before it.
Men rushed in the darkness to the scene,
anxious to do what they could. The
district along the Shawnee from the
place above where it enters the east end of
town to its exit. For distance of from one
hundred to two hundred yards on each side
of Water street, clear down to Detroit street,
was completely under. 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 came the Cry for help from frightened
and in many instances drowning people.
Men rushed frantically from the shore
into the the waters; others ran in other d.
rections for ropes. ladders. lights and boats
to assist with. The situation was at once
horrifying and frightful in the extreme The
little stream that runs through the town,
called Shawnee creek, never known to DO
any harm before, which follows a bed laid out
for it between stone walls six feet high and
ten feet wide, had become veritable river,
sweeping along in many places two squares
wide and from fifteen to thirty feet deep. The
gas works had been submerged and every.
where was darkness, while the screams of
people in the water were most piteous and
heartrending. The first thing, to do was to
get lights and this was partially accomplish
ed by building great bontires in the streets
adjacent to the flood. Then, with
ropes, boats, ladders and such other
things as could be obtained, the work
of saving lives began, and the number of
people rescued in this way would probably
reach one hundred. From one house, which
had torn loose and tOated down two squares,
four or five young men rescued the family of
Aaron Ferguson, nine people in all. They
had no more than got safely out until the
house went to pieces. At other points along
the line of the flood, more than mile in dis
tai ce, like scenes were enacted
But while the good work OF rescuing was
going on many poor souls were going down
beneath the angry waters-how many God
only knew In Bars bOttOm-a low, narrow
tract of land along the creek--the scene was
terrible, and here the destruction to life and
property was greatest. or more than twenty
houses only four or five withstood the flood,
the rest being swep- down and wrecked
against the Cincinnati pike bridge, massive
structure. At this point later on several
hodies were recovered from the debris. AT
the Main-street brdge-two squares further
the terrible tide had fairly piled the debris of
~uined houses in an awful mass, among
which several dead bodies were found this
morning. Orrin Norris wife and seven
children lived in little frame house on
Second street. 1t was raised from its moor
ings and foated toward the bridge.
Cries came from it, and man was seen at q
window with light. when it struck and
and all was still. Mr.. Morris and his family
had met their awful fate. From the shore
there was no way to reach them, and there
WIS no way for them to escape. Afterward
two of his little girls were rescued alive
cl ngng to debris down the creek, but the
lather and mother and five children were
lost.
From ten O'Clock until daylight such scenes
as here described were witnessed, and when
morning came eight bodies had been recov
cred. BY this time the waters had subsidized
and the work of taking out the bodies of the
hours twenty-one had been recovered, and al
this hour we hear of four more being found
some miles down the stream, where it joins
the Little Miami river, and there are still
some eight or ten missing.
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 evidently beer
caught in their beds, and most of them bore
evidence OF having been injured by crashing
timbers Many were in their clothes, ant
probably died struggling to save themselves
When your reporter looked in upon the awful
sight twenty victims Ia in that solemn 81
lence we call death, on the floor. The under
takers and other kindly hands were engaged
in dressing the dead and arranging them IL
families, for here were whole families who
had found simultaneous death.
The family of Orrin Morris, father, mothe
and five children, were dressed and laid sid,
by side, one of the most touching sights thu
human eve ever witnessed. Some were ap
parently composed and peaceful in death
while Others wore d storted look as though
they had died struggling. They ranged in ag
from the two-year old child to upward of sixt!
years in age aud were of both colors, all on
common level in the dread silent halls o
the dense throng of people who had gathered
at the CITY Building were allowed to pas
through and take a look at the narrowing
spectacle This afternoon, also, large mum
bcrs of people We're allowed to visit tn
mOrgue.
The greatest cause of the destruction of if
and property in Xenia was n small culver
where the little stream passed under a hig
embankment of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
and St Louis railroad in the east end @
town. The culvert would not allow the vas
amount of water that was falling to pas
through, and II gathered in vast lax
against the embankment which suddenl
gave way, and let the water into the tow
like an avalanche, running in waves ten an
twenty feet high Two more bodies hav
been found and the total loss of life will ne
fall below thirty souls.
The railroads in all directions are so washe
out that travel will not be resumed for SCI
eral DAYS. and the town is full of traveller
anx GUS to ge; out
Will, George Thompson was trying to g,
his mother and grandmother Mrs. DR.. Crun
scross Water street through the stream
they came near being swep away bv the Gu
rent. George while holding up Mrs. Crun
fen. but soon recovered himself, and mai
eyed TO get them all out.
Georve Wilmer had 8 miraculous escap
He was attempting to cross the Sprlngte
bridge when the hank gave way under hi
and he was hurled DOVE into the raging W
tiers uf the Shawnee. He was swept down b