Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1890 — CYCLONIC DEVASTATION [ARTICLE]

CYCLONIC DEVASTATION

HAVOC BY FIRE AND WIDE-SPBEAD STORMS. Destruction of Life and Property Reported from Ohio—Electric Storm at Pittsburgh —Cyclone in Alabama—Do alls of the Storm’s Devastation. An Akron (Ohjo) dispatch says: A terrific cyclone swept, over Summit county, cutting a path twelve miles long and a quarter of a mile wide. It started in the northwestern end of the county aud its path was southwesterly, nearly to the countv line. Tie devas : tated district is in Sharon, Copley, Akron and Springfield townships. Frame houses were crushed like esrsr-shells and whirled end over end, brfck buildings were scattered to the wind, and huge trees snapped off. People who saw it coming took refuge in iheir cellars when they had time, and others took their chances out of doors, clinging to the nearest staple object. ' At Sharon two enormous black clouds swept toward each other from the north. No breath of air stirred for a few moments. Suddenly the cloud's met with a fearful crash. Then the consolidated cloud began to whirl and approach the ground in a trail, which rapidly grew and lowered vOth an awful roar. All was darkness except for intermittent flashes of lightning which showed the air full of flying timbers and debris. The greatest fury of the storm was felt in Sharon. The first victim was Matthew Bromley. He was trying to make his way from his barn to his house when the cloud descended, lifted him into the air, hurled him .twenty rods, and deposited him among the falling timbers of his barn, which had been lifted from its foundation and whirled to pieces, leaving the horses standing on the ground floor unharmed. Bromley was crushed under the lieavv beams, sustaining injuries from which he soon died.

On a knoll near by stood the large two-story frame house of Hugh Frank, with barns and outbuildings. Mr. and Mrs. Frank, who were in the house, heard the awful roar and rushed to the cellar. They never reached it. The house was torn into kindling-wood above their heads and borne awav with the storm. Neighbors found Frank’s dead body in the ditch across the road. He had been driven head-forward with snch force that his hdad was buried in ’he earth. The body was shockingly mangled by contact with missiles In the air. Mrs. Frank was found in a wheat field thirty rods from where the house had stood, with several bones broken. She died several hours later. Frank Bramblv and his family huddled in their cellar while their house was lifted from its foundation and carried several rods. The ruins caught fire and were consumed. Pittsburg (Pa.) dispatch: Western Pennsylvania has been visited by an unusual rain, wind, and electric storm. Great damage was done, and at least two lives were lost. In this city a number of houses were struck by lightning and several persons stunned, but not seriously injured. v The rain fell in torrents for several hours, flooding cellars and causing small streams to overflow. At West Elizabeth two children of George Reattie, a hoy and girl, aged 7 years, were drowned on their way to school while crossing foot log over Lobb’s run. The little girl lost her footing and fell in the water and her brave little twin brother in trying to rescue her lost his life also. A Coiumbos (Ga ) dispatch says: Columbus has been visited by . a terrific cyclone, which came from the Alabama side and swept over the city with terrific velocity. The shaft over the electric-light company’s building was blown over, crushing through the roof and damaging the machinery. One man had a narrow escape. The electric lights were extinguished last night. Some houses were unroofed and a number of signs blown down. The wind was followed by heavy rain and hail. The storm was very severe in east Alabama. Roanoke (Va.) dispatch: The greatest tornado lor many years passed over this eity last evening. The cast house at the Crozier iron furnace was blown down and three laborers killed and one mortally woundi—l. Loss to the furnace company, $5,000. Nearly one hundred dwellings in course of erection were completely demolished. The Salem furnace was blown down, a heavy loss being reported, and buildings in that vicinity were reduced to ruins.