New-York tribune., 1918-03-11
Sweeps Path of Ruin
Through Northwestern
Part of State
Property Damage
Placed at $5,O00,O 900
Thirteen Towns Suffer Sc
verely; Storm Plays
Queer Franks

LIMA, Ohio, March 1O.-Six persons
arc known to be dead, several others
arc reported killed, scores are injured
scores of homes were completely o,
partly demolished and hundreds of
barns and outbuildings were razed by
the tornado which travelled acros.
Ncrthwestera Ohio early last evening
Estimates Of property damage range
from Sl.0c0,000 to $4,000, 600.
No serious damage was done in any
OF the larger cities, most of the de-
struction having been reported from
country districts. The tornado began
IN Van Vert County, on the Ohio-ln-
diana state lire, and then travelled in d
northeasterly direction, lessening in its
intensity until it died out east of Tiffin
Towns suffering the most were Var
Vert, Middlepoint, Convoy, Lima, Desh-
Ter, Hamler, Continental, Ottawa. Find
lay. Napoleon, Iolgatc, Miller City ant
Tiffin.
List of Known Dead
The known dead are:
ReNford Lyc, aged twelve. Middle
point. killed when barn fell while he
was feeding cattle.
Mrs. August Ebcr. sixty-seven, Mid
diepoint
Harry Perry, eight, three miles wes
of Van Vert
Mrs. Charles Gree, Middlepoint.
Mrs. William Geyer, seventy two
Van Vert County.
Pearl Bott. twenty-six, farmer of nea1
Cloverdale, south OF Continental.
The storm came in the form of {
"twister." 1t would swooD down
wreck several farmhouses, then jumr
from a half-mile to five miles before
doing more damage. The small loss
the tornado travelled mostly through
open country, skipping towns and vii
lagos.
Most Of the damage was done Il
Van Vert County. where five Of lie
six known dead were killed. Three
Of the dead were killed at or near Mid
diepoint, Van Vert County. The tor
nado swept path from one hundred
yards to half mile wide
Most of the injured in Van Vert
County were taken to :he Van Vert
County Hospital, where several opera
tions were performed by the light Of
small electric pocket lights, the city
light. plant having been put out of com
mission.
Queer pranks were played by the
storm. Bouders, weighing tons. were
iltted from their resting places OF
years and carried a distance. Hun
dreds Of. chickens had ali of thei,
feathers blown off, although they were
unhurt otherwise. One small chicken
was blown high in the air and landed
on telephone post, from where it was
rescued to-day. In numerous cases
houses were lifted from their founda-
tlons and carried into adjoining fields
In one instance, a heavy kitchen stove
was carried half mile by the tornado
and was deposited in q field undam-
aged.
Miller City, Putnam County. was
fard hit. Seven persons, two Of whon-
may die. were injured there One
SIDE Of large Catholic church was
blown in.
Buildings Razed at Finday
At Findlay many small buildings were
wrecked and the roofs OF several busi
ness houses were blown off. Roofs oil
two business blocks were lifted at Tiff
I'm and many small buildings wer,
Tazed AT Bascom, near Tiffin, the ca,
harms of the Tiffin, Fostoria & Easter.
Traction lines were wrecked, severa
'di@ OtiHS NdHdSeu.
Cloverdale, CUBA, Dupont anu Corti
mental also suffered
Throughout the storm districts hun
dreds of persons received minor in
Iuries caused by flying glass and debris
Twelve persons are reported seriousl,
injured. Charles Rike. near Van Vert
was driving nome in his buggy wher
overtakcn by the tornado. His buge,
was demolished and a shaft was run
through his head. Six members Of tn,
Sho"alter family. in the same county
were injured more or less scriousl
when their home was demolished d
Three members Of the Glaas family
near Miller City, also received seriou.
injuries when their home was dc
moiished
Near Miller City the tornado strucl
the home of Duke Larnison. a half
mile away, and destroyed the house an,
barns. Mary Lamson, eight, wa
hurled through the air and landed i,
barbed wire fence fifty feet away
She was unable 10 cxtricatc hersel
until her father discovered her half a,
hour later.
in the Cloverdalc neighborhooc
south Of Continental the threc-wccks
old daughter Of Mr.. and Mrs. Gcorr
Hitchcock Was hurled through = win
dow and landed in a cornGcld $50 fec
away. She was only slightly bruised
and WAS rescued by neighbors vh
were attracted by her cries an hou
later.