The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-05-14
WRATH OF THE ELEMENTS.
NATURE LETS HER FORCES LOOSE
WITH ORDERS TO DESTROY.
Some Dispatches Showing How Well
the Work was Done-A Period of
Cataclysm and Death.

Teff'Dle report OF devastation IN SPAN |
The Country Swept by Hurricane |
Which Mows a Swathe of Death and |
Havcc-The Storm-King Very Busy |
Collecting a Ghastly and Fearful Tribute
Everywhere.
XENIA, Ohio, May IA terrible storm
raged,here from until T. o'clock Wednesday
night 1t is supposed to have been water
spout tstruck the southeastern part of
the town and followed the course of the
Shawnee river, which was swollen in few
moments so as to inundate all the banks
and neighboring streets, sweeping away or
totally running more than 100 houses. Many
were swept down the current with families
in them. One of these, that of Paron Fer
guson, contained nine persons of his own
family and three of John Burch's who had
fed there for safety A man named Earbor
risked his life by throwing himself INTO the
current and floating against the house, and
with a rope in his hands, succeeded in saT-
ing the inmates of the house by means of a
boat Twenty dead bodies have been taken
out of the stream and are now lying in the
mayors office, and many more are sup
posed to have been lost The Pan Handle
railroad, including its emtankment is a
total wreck in this entire vicinity.
The greatest excitement prevails TIL
building which contains those who perishel
Is surrounded by crowds anxious to view The
remains of the dead. Many narrowing
stories are narrated A family named Nor
ris was iloated away in their house and
drowned, with the exception of a child
about years DID, who was founl Thursday
morning clinging to n tree
Up to this hour I 80 Thursday afternoon,
twenty three dead bodies bad been recov-
cred from the ruins of the once happy
homes which are now naught but tangled
nIlSs of timbers and slime Relief parties
were hard at work. the doctors were all
overworked and nearly every uninjurei
house was a hospital The condition of the
town was sickening. Groans of the wounded
filled the air, and whole families have been
railroad is completely gone and no trains
eau be run The ntaret approach is
Dresden junction.
DAYTON, Ohio, May IA fearful thuI
derstorm visited this city Wednesday even
ing, commencing at $40 and lasting several
hours The electrical display was decidedly
brilliant, and the rainfall very heavy, flood
ing many cellars in various parts of the city,
particularly among the business houses on
Main street, between Third and Fourth The
| loss will reach many thousand dollars. The
storm was accompanied by heavy fall OF
hail, which lasted about ten minutes This
haiistones were very large and solid, and did
| great damage to windows, shrubhery, flow
| ers and fruit
a later dispatch says: The levee broke at
midnight, washing away the Panhandle
railroad bridge and the large wooden car
| rIage bridge Telegraph and railroad com
municaton Is cut off from the west Water
| flooded the business portion of the city and
damaged goods over $4,000 Trains are al
being held. The Ree Line midnight express
for the east is held four miles south of Day
ton by 20j-foot washout The Dayto q
Michigan trains are held at Hppecanoe
| The l.ayton a Western and Panhan he
| trains are held at Trotwood. -Four houses
in the submerged district fioated away with
their occupant, but were rescued by swim
| ming horses to them. One family is miss
| ing. Horses, cattle, wagons, etc, were
swept away. The steel tubular bridge over
the Miami WAS broken by floating debris II
is Impossible to estimate the loss, as all ].
| tumult.
LATER.-A wreck occurred on the New
York, Pennsy lvania & Ohio railroad at Os
born Thursday morning. Seven passenger,
were killed and many injured No larticu
| lars ohtainnble
The track of the cyclone where the dam
age is the greatest is four miles south o.
here Fairmount, with population O
$50 inhabitants, is swept away, Beavertowr
is wrecked. A church was blown dow
while prayer meeting was in progress
| CINCINNATI, Ohio, May Il. About II
O'Clock Wednesday evening terrific hal
and rain storm swept over this city
Numerous windows and sky lights wer
demolished AMI many chimneys blow
down. Telegraph communication was on
tirely cut oil from the city foi severa
hours, The loss, considering the violence o
the storm, was very small the heavies
loser heing a. b. Burkhart, who estimate
his loss from broken plate glass and sky
|