and brothers came out uninjured, their families gathered about them and wept tears of joy. But to three women and their children the fathers and husbands

came not.

At Xenia every building was badly shaken and many windows broken. The people rushed out of their houses into the street fearing that the buildings were about to fall; while north of the city could be seen an immense white cloud of smoke and débris hanging over the scene of devastation. The cloud was photographed from Xenia. Reports of the explosion were heard 100 miles distant. A house three miles from the explosion was completely demolished and the covered bridge on the Yellow Springs turnpike, half a mile distant, was blown in ; while a number of people in the vicinity were so prostrated by the shock that they were confined to their beds for several days after.

THE XENIA FLOOD.

In May, 1886, the southern and western parts of Ohio were visited by perhaps the most severe storm or tornado known in the history of the State. The destruction of property was very great throughout several counties, but the greatest damage to life and property prevailed in Greene county, in and about Xenia. On the evening of Friday, May 14, 1886, between 8 and 9 o'clock, a violent storm of wind, rain and hail struck Xenia and grew in violence until about 12 o'clock. The wind came in a continual gale. At 10 o'clock the fire-bells an alarm, and the people came forth from their houses to assist in the rescue of the unfortunate. Owing to the dense darkness and the severity of the storm, they could only grope around and were not able to do much. Above the roar of the elements came frantic cries for help.

rang

It was found that Shawnee creek had burst its banks and was rising at the rate of one foot in every five minutes. The stream became a torrent and threatened to submerge the entire southern part of the town, through which it passed; houses on its banks were most all swept from their foundations or floated down the stream. The house of Aaron Ferguson was carried away and lodged against the Detroit street bridge, where nine persons were rescued from it.

From this point to the Second street bridge the flood swept everything in its way. The dwellings were mostly occupied by poor people and the waters rose so rapidly that it was with the utmost difficulty that any were rescued. Screams and cries for help came from every quarter, and many acts of heroism were performed by the rescuers. Ladders and lanterns were procured to aid in the work, and huge bonfires kindled that the workers might see.

Alongside the Springfield Railroad, in Barr's Bottoms, the destruction was terrible; of twenty houses only three remained. The gas works were flooded and coal-oil lamps were in use all over the town.

The flood seemed to start at a small culvert on the Little Miami Railroad, where the water formed an immense lake rising to the top of the embankment, when it suddenly broke through and swept down upon the town. In some places where the houses were carried away the ground was washed as smooth as a floor, leaving not a vestige of plank or timber.

It was prayer-meeting night in Xenia, and many people had attended the meetings, leaving their children at home alone; the storm detained them in the churches, but when they learned its disastrous results they rushed forth in an agony of apprehension for the safety of their children, who had, however, mostly been taken to places of safety by rescuing parties. Their anguish while searching for the missing little ones was heartrending to see. Strong men wept and women wrung their hands while rushing hither and thither, and were filled with doubt, hope and dread.

A house containing Orin Morris and family was seen floating down the stream, and the screams of the family could be heard above the roar of the relentless

waters. Then the house struck the solid masonry of a bridge, sank, and all was still. Afterwards two of his children were saved.

Among many others whose heroic efforts saved many lives that horrible night were six young men, named Watson, Tarbox, Byres, Morris, Paxton and Eyler. (The town of Xenia presented these young men with medals commemorative of their bravery.)

Byres made three attempts to swim to the Ferguson house (which lodged against the Detroit street bridge) with a rope around his waist, but was swept away each time by the swift current. Finally Tarbox succeeded in reaching the house by going farther up stream and allowing the current to carry him against the house, from which the family was rescued, the house going to pieces just as the last person was taken out.

A colored boy named Booker, who was rescued with his mother from one of the buildings, could have saved himself but would not leave his mother, whom he placed with great difficulty on top of some furniture; then groping his way around, with the water up to his neck, he found a rope and after great effort succeeded in fastening the floating house to a tree, where the two remained until rescued. Rev. Mr. Yorkey and Homer Thrall succeeded in rescuing Mrs. John Burch from her house; she was found with the water up to her neck, holding her baby above her head.

The scene at the mayor's office next morning was a sad one; here were brought the bodies of those who had lost their lives; some were in night-clothes, having been swept away while in bed, others were partially dressed. Side by side lay the bodies of the Morris family, seven in number. In all there were twenty-three bodies, although the total number of lives lost was about thirty, as other bodies were afterward found one or two miles below the town, carried there by the powerful current. The dead included the young and old, white and colored.

The mayor and city authorities took active measures for the relief of the surviving sufferers, and aid was generously forthcoming from other cities.

The loss of lives by this storm was confined to the town of Xenia, but the loss of property extended throughout a large district of territory into many counties. Railroad bridges were destroyed and tracks washed away throughout many parts of Southwestern Ohio. In Greene county nearly every bridge in the county was destroyed, while the pikes were so washed out that access to Xenia was almost entirely cut off. The day after the flood the correspondent of the Cincinnati Commercial Gazette, from whose communication to that journal most of these facts are gathered, was five hours going from Dayton to Xenia (16 miles), being compelled to walk, make use of boat, farm wagons, railroads, hand-car and carriage.

TRAVELLING NOTES.

To have chats with old gentlemen has been to me in my years of historic travel a great source of amusement and instruction. Such grow mellow and sweet under the revival of memories of events and characters of their early days. I always found they ran largely to anecdote, and the humorous rather than the sad formed the burden of their talk.

In Xenia two elderly gentlemen. ministered to my entertainment-Dr. Geo. Watt and James E. Galloway. The first named was born in the county in 1820, was surgeon in the One hundred and fifty-fourth Ohic, and is an invalid from an injury to the spine, a direct result of his love for the old flag.

Feeding Joe Hooker's Soldiers.-The first point of our talk was the passing of Joe Hooker's army corps of some 30,000 men through Xenia. They were on their way from the sea-board to the mountains of

Georgia. It was a mighty host, and it was days in passing; and these boys in blue had to be fed. The whole town was alive in the good work, women busy cooking and all ministering to the blue-coated host, a free offering of hospitality on the altar of patriotism. Such were the scenes and the common sacrifices of that period in Ohio on the lines of transportation. It helped to ennoble the people, but is one of those minor matters illustrating the spirit of the times that rarely finds a place in formal history.

Indian Anecdote.-The Doctor's memory went back to the time "when the Indians were about," and so he told me this. About the year 1825 Father Mahin, a local preacher of the Methodist church living in the eastern part of the county, having lost his wife, and his children being properly cared for, went as a self-supporting missionary to the Wyandot Indians near Upper Sandusky.

passed through his shoulder and stopped in the back of his neck. He carried it there for many years, and brought it with him to Ohio. It was a great source of annoyance, which varied much with the state of the weather. It served one useful purpose-acted as a barometer; so much so that when anything important was to be done requiring good weather, the neighbors would send to him to learn the prospect. Finally grandfather con

cluded that he must part with his barometer; it was getting altogether too demonstrative. There was no surgeon about, so one day he sent for a cobbler and seating himself in his big arm-chair the cobbler extracted it, using his shoe knife and awl."

Having told me this, Mr. Galloway took me into his attic and brought out the identical old arm-chair in which his grandfather had sat when the cobbler had turned surgeon. I found it the most comfortable of seats. It

was hand-made, very strong, the wood maple and hickory, and a great deal of thought with faithful workmanship had gone into its construction. The seat was very elastic. It consisted of a network of deer-thongs covered with buckskin, so that it yielded gently to every varying pressure or movement of the person. The back slats were each curved with a due regard to exactly fitting the part of the form leaning against it, the lowest having, as it should, great curvature. The chair arms were a curiosity, inasmuch as each terminated in a knob in which were cut grooves to admit the spreading fingers of a sitter, while resting in comfort.

..

Tecumseh Smitten with Rebecca Galloway. -Having shown me the arm-chair, Mr. Galloway gave me some anecdotes of the great Indian chief. "Tecumseh," said he, was a young man of about thirty years when my grandfather first moved into Greene county. He lived some fifteen or twenty miles away. They became great friends, Tecumseh being a frequent visitor. Whether the chief was attracted by friendship for grandfather or his fancy for his daughter, my aunt Rebecca, was at first a matter of conjecture; it was soon evident, however, that he was smitten with the "white girl," but according to the Indian custom he made his advances to the father, who referred him to his daughter.

Although Tecumseh was brave in battle he was timid in love, and it was a long time before he could get his courage up to the stickingpoint, which he did finally and proposed, of fering her fifty broaches of silver. She declined, telling him she did not wish to be wild woman and work like an Indian squaw. He replied that she need not work, as he would make her a great squaw. Notwithstanding his rejection, he ever remained friendly with the family.

a

Tecumseh on a Spree.-The books speak of Tecumseh having been a large man; but this, I can assure you, was not so; he was but a moderate-sized Indian. He was fond of "fire-water," and would go on a spree sometimes, when he would become very troublesome and provoking. On one occasion, when at the shop of Blacksmith" James Galloway (a cousin of my grandfather's who lived on the banks of Mad River). Tecumseh, being on one of his big "drunks," became very insulting and annoying. Galloway grew angry, and being a very powerful man took him, much to his disgust, and tied him up to a tree until he became more sober and quiet.

THE SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' ORPHANS' HOME.

This noble institution of the State is located at Xenia. The Home farm consists of 275 acres, on a healthful site a mile southeasterly from the centre of the town and about three-quarters from the depot of the Little Miami railroad.

The buildings consist of an administration building with large dining-room attached, the two forming an Egyptian cross; twenty cottages, ten on each side of the administration building, a school-house, chapel, hospital, laundry, industrial building, engine room, gas houses and all necessary farm-buildings. The build