Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-05-15
THE ELEMENTS ON THE RAMPAGE.
Lives and Property Destroyed by
Cyclones.


Portion of Akron. Ohio. Demolished.
Cloudburst at Oil City. Pa.-Death and
Destruction In Wilson County, Kansas,
and in Portions of Missouri.
AKRON, o., May 10.-Shortly after )
o'clock this evening, while the rain was
pouring down, bank of black clouds
gathered over the southern part of the
city, and Immediately thereafter a rum
bling, growing noise was heard, which
herdlded one OF the most terrific lorna
does that ever visited this section. The
devastating winds struck Akron at the
southwestern limit, and tore their way
through dwellings and barns diagonally
across the town, emerging from the
northeast. \ clean path at least three
hundred feet wide indicates the course
of the storm. This track is strewn with
destruction, and presents most de-
plOrable sight.
No loss of life attends this storm.
though no fewer than fifty persons were
badly injured and had miraculous es-
capes from death.
The loss of property is tremendous.
Great trees were torn up by the roots.
chimneys were picked up like toys, roofs
were blown off, and house were wrecked
and lifted from their foundations. \
piece of an iron roof was torn from a
building and found wrapped around a
telegraph pole. Pieces of slate were
seen embedded in:fence posts.
Electric wires were blown down; a
drunken man riding a horse came in
contact with one linz, the horse being
killed on the spot.
Many peculiaritieS of the storm have
come to light. MonStrous trees were
twisted out of the ground or snapped
off. ntwo adjoining orchards the trees
are lying at different angles. Some
houses are but slightly damaged, while
those on both sides, and just as
much in the path of the tornado, are
completely wrecked. About twenty
five buildings were entirely blown down
and Strewn about, while as many more
were terribly wrenched and twisted out
of shape or carried from their founda-
tions. At least dozen dwellings were
turned over on their sides, and fully one
hundred had chimneys blown off and
roofs badly damaged
Seventy-five buildings, including resi-
denceS and barns and Out-hOuSeS, were
damaged by the wind, and not one eS-
capped that was in direct line of the
tornado. Uprooted trees are counted
by the score. Many that were blown
down or cut off are from one to two
feet in diameter Buildings that resist
ed the winds are in a dangerous condi-
ton and many will have to be torn
down. Out-houses in some cases were
tranSplanted from fifty to one hundred
foot npd cat hnIuTN n N srl, hor.inor r1c
Of the eighteen persons who weresin-
jured all will probably recover. The
most seriously hurt are: Mrs. Wilson
Kiplinger, bruised and burned on the
legs by the overturning of stove;
daughter of Gebhart Herman, burned
on the legs and back by her dress taking
fire from the kitchen stove: Melvin Irish
was struck by timbers and pinned down
by falling floor; Mrs. Allen Coup, hit by
flying brick; John Wheeler, teamster,
blown under fence and internally in
jured; VIM. Poole, burned in the debris
of his barn and suffering from bruises
and spinal conclusion: daughter of Will
son Kiplinger, hit by flying timber and
burned by stove.
Prof. Egbert, of Buchtel College, was
an eye witness to the storm, and says it
resembled an inverted cone, with the
clouds having rotary motion opposite
the direction of the hands of watch
He judges that the cloud move mile
in fifteen seconds.
CHANUTE, KAs., May 12.-News has
just been received of cyclone which
struck Cedar valley, Wilson county, at
a p. m. Friday. Joseph Wiltseys house
was demolished, his youngest son killed,
and two other children injured. Next
the dwelling of Fank Glidden was
destroyed. his wife killed, and two other
children injured. The dwellings of
Peter Pierson, Alec. Russell and the
widow Starr were leveled to the ground.
and Mr.. Pierson and wife so badly injured
that they are not expected to 7urvive.
A scantling was driven completely
through the body of Mr. Starr He is
still alive but will die. The wife and
baby of the Rev j. R. Chambers were
blown in different directions out of
buggy. A second blast picked the
mother up and deposited her along side
the child.
OIL City, May IA special to The
Pittsburg Dispatch says: The most de-
oGI uCllNe CIOiiDuISGS anu CyClOneS ever
known struck this section about II PM,
Saturday. Houses, barns, bridges, oil
well rigs and gas lines are in ruins. At
East Sandy, about eight miles from here.
the residence of William Nunnemaker
was blown down, burying the entire
family in ruins. Mr.. and Mrs. Nunne-
maker are seriously injured, and their
two children will die of their injuries.
Mr.. and Mrs. Noah Jackson were buried
in the ruins of their residence and were
taken out dead and badly mangled. The
residences of Thomas Starr and William
Lambertson were destroyed. The Val
ley railroad also suffered severely.
ST. LOUIS, May 13-A terrific storm,
approaching tornado in destructive
ness, passed northwest over this state at
Z o'clock yesterday evening. At Edna.
Mo-, it was accompanied by hail and did
great damage to the growing crops
Ten buildings in the town were de-
molished. At Jefferson City and
Mexico, Mo-, several buildings were
blown down. In this city rain came
down in a flood, and the wind attained |
a high velocity. Chimneys, window
glass and fences, as well as telegraph |
poles and wires, were wrecked in all |
parts of the city.