Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-08-02
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION
A Terrific Cyclone Strikes the
Town OF Lawrence, Mass.
Eight Persons Killed and Thirty-hve In
Jured-Nlnety Buildings Destroyed
and Five Hundred Persons Rem
dered Homelcss-other Prop
erty Damaged.

LAWRENCE, Mass, July 2s.--A cyclone,
squalling in destructive power those so
frequently reported from western COM
nunities, visited tho suburb of South
Lawrence Saturday forenoon and in fif-
seen minutes had killed eight people,
Ieriously injured from fifteen to twenty,
slightly injured at least twenty more,
eut a swath through a thickly populated
Bection 900 feet wide and mile long,
rendered 500 people homeless, destroyed
or greatly damaged from rs to 100 build
lngs and entailed loss of at least $780,
300, all of which was uninsured against
damage by wind and storm. South Law
renee is busy railroad junction and is
occupied mainly by well-to-do mechan-
les.
The northern boundary of the belt OF
destruction was but three streets south
pf the lofty mills with their tn ousands
nf workers, showing how narrow was
the escape from moro appalling loss
Of life and property. The air was hot
ind humid. Dark clouds scurried
through the heavens with an intermit-
tent rain. Suddenly the wind veered
10 the west, an inky black cloud seemed
10 drop from the cumulous mass bang
ing in the southwest and moving rapid
y with awful aspect toward the city. 1t
Vas accompanied with torrents of rain.
In an instant the crash came. Build
Ings were crushed like egg shells. Some
we're lifted from their foundations and
! tashed to pieces. Others were tipped
,ver or blown from their positions and
more or less damaged. The air was filled
with the flying debris. Most of those
who met death in the wreck were killed
Instantly. Many lay unconscious or lay
IN the ruins of their homes groa ming.
The survivors were too much terrified to
know where or when the cyclone ended
its course, but the train of ruin in its
path showed that it touched the earth at
Or near the cricket grounds. 1t crossed
Emmett street, Broadway, the railroad
and Parker street; entered Springfield
street at its west end and traversed its
entire length, demolishing every thing
in it's course.
In Union Square over 500 trees were
leveled. The storm then passed over
the Shawzen river into the town of An
dover, where it exhausted it's fury on
trees and fences. The police station
was at once notified and abulances and
officers started for the scene. An alarm
of fire was rung in and the fire men re-
sponded quickly and rendered great as
sistance in removing the injured from
| the ruins The ambulances carried sew
eral loads of crushed human beings to
the hospital. Others were taken to pri
vate houses. On Emmett street the wind
lifted house belonging to Thomas
Evans and threw it into the road, a COM
plete wreck. Mr.. Evans wife and baby
were in the house at the time, but es-
capped without injury.
House No 10 Emmett street, occupied
by family named Daily, was wrested
from its foundation and das he'd down.
No. was partly moved from it's founda-
tions In the rear of No 6 was house
occupied by James Lyons and family.
On the approach of the storm Lyons
rushed into the house, seized the baby
from his wife's arms and fed to the
street. Both man and child escaped,
but the dead body of Mrs. Lyons was
subsequently taken from the ruins
Saunders Court, near St. Patrick's
church hall, a wooden structure, was
carried fifteen feet from its foundation
and few windows were broken in the
parochial residence. At the foot of
Saunders Court switch house in which
Michael Higgins was standing was car
ried by the wind under the overhead
railroad bridge crossing Salem street,
where Higgins fell out and was killed.
The railing on this bridge was taken OF
as though cut with a knife.
The granite sheds of w. i. Jones, nea,
the bridge, were demolished. The house
of William f. Cutler was next demol-
ished. Miss Flossie Cutler was found in
the cellar with sprained ankle and
Mrs. Cutler was also slightly hurt. Lit
tie Ellen Cutler was crossing the Salem
street bridge at the time within a stones
throw of her home and was buried be.
meath pile Of lumber and ruins. She
was taken out dead. The greatest dam
age was done in Springfield street
In Andover one house was unroofed
Trees and fences were torn down. The
occupants of the ruined houses were
mostly hard-working mechanics and
laborers, whose homes represented
lifetime of toll. The engineer on the
express from Boston saw the cyclone as
he was nearing South Lawrence and
stopped his train, thus probably saving
the. lives of his passengers, as his train
was due in South Lawrence about the
time the cyclone struck. A slight fire
started in one of the houses, but was
promptly extinguished. But for the
heavy rain fire would undoubtedly have
added to the horror of the scene.
More than So, 900 has already been
subscribed to relief fund. Collections
were taken in all the churches yester.
day and the ministers alluded to the
calamity in their sermons. mass meet
ing has been called at the City Hall for
this evening. The Elks and other
charitable societies have also called
meetings to raise money for the suffer.
ers. All the patients in the hospits.
and orphan asylum are doing we'll. NJ
least 40, 900 people visited the scene OF
the disaster to-day. The authorities have
established a military guard around the
-sracked district
IT,.