The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-20

just in time to escape being buried in tn
ruins. Miss Brewer, the servant girl at Mr.
Johnson's, failed to reach the cellar, wa
caught in the falling timbers, disiocating he
shoulder and otherwise bruising her person
On the farm owned by Joseph Copp live'
his son-in-law Edward Sauer, only married
few months ago. Mr.. Sauer had gone on al
GRAND to West Alexandria, leaving his wifi
and a brother at home. When the storm
struck the dwelling the couple were attempt
ing to reach the cellar, to do which they ha,
to pass out of doors on a porch. Mrs. Sauel
was caught in the whirlwind and hurled som,
two hundred feet through a tree and no doub
instantly killed, as her body was recovered
about 2 O'Clock in the morning, almost strip
ped of its clothing. Her brother escaped with
out injury. The house was completely wreck
ed and also the barn. The fatal and distress
ing death is a severe blow to the young hus'
band, and also to the parents of the wife, bott
of whom were absent in Darke county at the
time of the sad occurrence.
All the farms along Twin Valley suffered
severely from high waters in loss of crops Of
oats, corn, tobacco, lumber, fences, stock, &c.
and wash out of bottom fields. We under
stand that Edward Stotler and J. II. Marley
are among the heaviest. But one or two
bridges are left standing on Twin Creek.
On last Sunday thousands of people visited
the Halderman and Toney scenes of destruc-
tion, and crowds fingered all day long around
the ruins of the Sauer and Johnston dwell
ings. No pen can give anything like a true
description of the ruin and desolation visited
upon these two sections of our prosperous and
beautiful county. Mr.. Holderman had forty
acres of timber in which not a quarter of an
acre of sound trees can now be found. He es-
Inmates his loss at $40, 900. Chickens were
picked clean of their feathers, clover fields
moved as if a moving machine had passed
root and scattered in every direction! That
there were not hundreds of lives lost Is al
most as remarkable as the freaks of the storm.
IN EATON AND VICINITY.
The damage done in Eaton and vicinity was
principally from water. The tin roof on G.
P. Thum's residence in Commercial Block was
damaged slightly; the north end of the old
fax mill was blown in and Geo. Chambers
"family phDton" crushed to pieces; the roof
of a one-story frame on Main street, between
the Preble county bank and VanAusdal's
brick, partially torn away, a few shade and
fruit trees, sky lights and window glasses,
was about the extent of the wind damage
About IL O'Clock Sevenmile Creek swelled in
to a raging river beyond anything ever known,
sweeping away everything movable within its
reach. The cold red bridge" that had stood
the winds and waters of forty-four years, and
the prayers" and BLESSINGS" of our citizens
for half that length of time, folded up its tim
bers and disappeared dow the turbulent
stream never to be seen again. Many of our
citizens were standing on the banks when it
went over. We pause to drop a tear over its
loss, but were it not that Brothers AbnerD Dun
lap and Judge Gilmore suffer very heavily
from other damageson the turnpike, the tear
would not have dropped. In its downward
flight it took Herpes water-wheel, and the
iron bridge that SPAWNED the creek at the old
Bruce mill property. The tan yard and prem
Uses of Martin Rhefuss were submerged and
his bottom field with potatoes and corn badly
washed out. The slaughter house belonging
to John d. Campbell, south of town, was car
ried away; cattle, hogs and sheep of Camp
bell and Willis, butchers, were swept down
the stream, but mostly recovered; the bottom
lands of Geo. Deem are almost ruined, and
crops and fences all gone. The same story
tells the fate of all who live along the creek
south or north of Eaton, and the loss to farm
property and to the county in bridges and
pixies, cannot be estimated.
NOTES.
"Cyclone TIMBER can be purchased by the
acre.
The Twin bridge at the Stotler mill stood
the racket.
Who held the chickens while the cyclone
picked them?
Dixon, Casper and Lanier Townships have
no more material left for cyclones.
The cyclone seemed to have a particular
spite at barns and tobacco sheds.
Ten years will hardly obliterate the traces
of the terrible cyclone through Preble county.
A sheep was blown thirty feet into a tree or
the farm of Michael Fleisch. High mutton,
wasn't it?
Cellars proved great "life preservers' to
families living in the track of the demon Of
destruction.
A large piece of timber was blown hall
through a 800 pound hog on the farm of Viii
liam Toney.
Tho fnpar,I of Nrs Souar tool nla,a a.,
Saturday and was largely attended by sym
pathizing friends and neighbors.
1t is strange how the cyclone would miss az
old rickety building and close by scoop up
fine barn or dwelling house!
Many families that suffered from the cy
clone need assistance. Those who have plen
ty and can spare, should lend a helping hand
President Dunlap of the Dayton and Eator
turnpike thinks the company will abandon tn,
western portion of the road, from the two mil
gate to the State line.
Uncle Abe Halderman took the destruction
of his premises in good humor, thankin,
God that the life of himself and family wa
l.spared.
n ohiah ouhuihS ou tue idrul vi JOSepl
Fleisch was moved about twenty feet from it
foundation and completely reversed, with Blu
slight damage.
The flood in Sevenmile "quarried'' out of it
bottom several hundred perch of splendi
stone, ready for delivery. 1t is an ill win
that blows no good.
A maltese kitten and a young chicken wer
the only live animals around the Sauer dwell
ing the next day. Mollie Coffman brough
them home and has named the kitten "cy
clone"
When the bridge is put across Seventh
creek on Main street, let there be a foot wal
on each side of it-and don't forget 1t!
may just as well be built right now, as tn
cost will be but a trifie more.
Persons who have visited the Fleisch, Tone
and Druly settlement, and the Haidermal