Historic Headlines Episode 33: April 7, 1871

These are my notes from the podcast. Listen to the episode here.

A Terrific Thunder Storm.

THE LIGHTNING DESCENDS INDISCRIMINATELY UPON ALL THINGS TERRESTRIAL

Between 7 and 8 o’clock this morning, the sky became overcast by an immense black cloud, and the distant rumbling of “Heaven’s artillery” foretold the approach of the first thunder-storm of the season. As the storm came nearer, daylight was well nigh turned into darkness, and for a time the use of gas was general. Finally, the rain began to fall, and then commenced a most fearful exhibition of electrical phenomena. The vivid lightning which danced in the heavens with gleeful mockery, was attended with heavy peals of thunder, and frequently sharp and starling crashes would announce the descent of the electric current. The scene was indeed awfully grand, and as the heavy, dark clouds rolled away to the eastward, everybody experienced a feeling of relief.

It is but seldom that a thunderstorm leaves so many traces. We hear of many instances where trees and other objects were struck, with no harm resulting, together with the following, with more serious consequences: –

BARNS STRUCK AND BURNED.

Prominent among the several casualties, the most important is the burning of a number of buildings belonging to Mr. De Witt Rose, and situated on his farm, just south of the city line, in the town of Onondaga, at about eight o’clock . The buildings were all new ones and include his horse, cow, grain and hay barns, carriage house, stock sheds, wood house, the latter filled with wood, and several smaller structures, all of which were entirely destroyed. The buildings were so connected that the flames from the barn, which was first struck, soon spread to the others, and all were quickly in one mass of flame. The heat was so great that at one time it was feared that the dwelling house would be burned also, but fortunately the wind veered in time to prevent further damage in that direction. Mr. Rose’s hired men were at work, and through their efforts all the live stock, wagons and farming utensils were rescued from the burning buildings. In the buildings burned was about ten tons of hay, fifty bushels of wheat, ten or twelve tons of straw, a quantity of oats, and about half a ton of feed and meal, all of which was destroyed. The buildings burned were valued at about $4,000, upon which Mr. Rose has an insurance of $2,500.

DWELLING-HOUSE STRUCK.

The handsome brick dwelling house of Mr. A.C. Belden, No. 125 West Genesee street, was struck during the storm. The shaft struck the top central ornament of the cupola, shivering the studding thereto in splinters. The shaft on reaching the tin roof glanced and went off to the ground. The solid timbers of the cupola were literally splintered into tooth-picks, and it is extremely fortunate that the lightning took the course it did, for had it gone downward it must have killed some of the inmates who were in rooms directly beneath the cupola. The damages done to the building will reach $300, upon which there is no insurance.

ANOTHER BUILDING DAMAGED.

When of the corner ornaments upon the brick building of Henry K. Brown, on James street, was struck and split into atoms, a few splinters being only left to tell where it stood.

TWO MEN INJURED.

The shaft in descending the shaft in descending to the ground from Brown’s building passed so close to two men, Messr. F.A. Lowry and Dundas Havill, both of whom are in the employ of Mr. A.C. Yates, that Mr. Lowry was knocked down and partially stunned, and the umbrella in the hand of Mr. Havill was torn in ribbons. Fortunately both escaped with an unpleasant sensation, so bad in Mr. Lowry’s case that Dr. Doyle had to render medical assistance.

FIRE ALARM TELEGRAPH INJURED.

Another shaft descended on Catherine street, taking effect on one of the Poles of the Fire Alarm Telegraph, and directly in front of Policeman Houck’s residence. The pole, and several others each way from it was split, and the shock caused one stroke to be struck on the City Hall bell. The second stroke of the bell, about ten o’clock this morning, was caused by testing the alarm to see that all was in order.

RUMORS.

We hear rumors of additional casualties, but have been unable to discover any foundation for them up to the time of going to press.

LIGHTING. – the Andes Insurance Company of Cincinnati O., insures against damage caused by lightning, weather fire ensues or not. T. S. Truair, No. 3 Clinton block, is agent.

Those infernal “Cacklers” which have been banished from other cities, have begun their screechings in this city. Tin cans, shoe laces and rosin will be in demand, and with them Young America will have crazed the rest of the human family.

April 13, 1865
Ohio Statesman
Columbus, OH

“Young America”

cricket team, baseball team

magazine

making noise at night with tin cans and etc.

skating

rowdyism

refusing to bow to authority, especially European – parent/child

transgressive

fireworks

consumerism

advertisements

April 11, 1865

Jubilations over the news. – between 12 and 1 o’clock on Monday morning the news of the surrender of Lee and his army had begun to circulate and even at that late hour, cheers were heard from occasionals parties passing along the street.

At a later hour the Bells rang out their clamorous notes on the night air, a cannon belched mimic thunders upon the silence, bonfires were kindled, and knots of people began to gather around them.

A little after 3 o’clock, after the important correspondence was put in type for the readers of the Courier, we strolled around to view the scene. The night was dark, rainy and disagreeable, but the darkness was relieved and illumined by several large bonfires. There were 3 or 4 of these along Genesee street, between the Courier Buildings and the Syracuse house – one opposite the Voorhees House, one opposite the Syracuse House and one or two more further South on Salina street .

Knots of people – the largest collection being near the Syracuse House and Globe Hotels and consisting of perhaps of numbers varying from fifty to a hundred at different times and the rest few in number, helped these extemporized illuminations or stood watching them. The gatherings mostly consisted of boys manifesting the irrepressible enthusiasm of irrepressible Young America. Two of the more staid and mature seemed to have been aroused by the many various sounds so unusual at that silent hour. As we passed up Salina street we found but three or four houses that were not as dark as usual, – among them was that of Stevens, the hatter, whose parlors were not only lit but decorated with the American flag suspended from the chandelier in the centre of the Room.

A jubilant party seemed bound to make a little hideous patriotic melody of their own. – They appeared by the sound to have extemporized a tin pan or something of that sort into an all sufficient musical instrument and chanted in harmony with it the old song about hanging “on a sour Apple tree,” – a favorite amusement, not happily in fact, but in imagination, of some of our Admirable Creighton’s of superior loyalty! Towards day break a little knot of jubilators still remained near the Syracuse House and Globe Hotel. More or less movement and cheering continued until dawn, and soon after daylight, a band was seen moving South along North Salina street to the stirring music of Fife and drum.

Monday was wet and stormy, but occasionalism knots gathered in prominent localities, apparently discussing the great announcement and its probable sequences. On bulletin boards notices were posted for the meeting of citizens to preparee for a regular celebration and for meetings of military companies and, firemen with a view to participating therein.

We have sketched above the spontaneous and informal midnight exhibitions of the patriotic jubilee. Elsewhere will be found sketches of the more formal one of Monday night.

Wikipedia: Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Courthouse

THE YOUNG AMERICA COFFEE POT. – Among the articles on exhibition at the Mechanics’ Fair, we desire none more deserving of notice than the “Young America” Coffee Pot. The advantages claimed for this article are a saving of coffee, it’s amber clearness, and less time in producing a strong cup of coffee than any other pot. The construction of the coffee pot is simple, it is not liable to get out of order and can be easily cleaned. The pot is provided with a perforated tin reservoir in which dry ground coffee is placed, upon which boiling hot water is poured, and in from three to five minutes a cup of strong coffee is the result. The principle of the pot is that of a “leech,” and the entire strength of the coffee is warranted to be extracted by this process. No boiling is required, and the coffee is as clear as if it had been strained. Mr. H. S. Ketchum will be in attendance each day at the Fair and will explain the merits of the pot better than we can do. He also has them for sale, and will sell State and county rights to those who desire them.

Sarah J. Wright, was arraigned charged with being a public prostitute. She pled guilty to the charge and was sentenced to pay a fine of $50 or go to the penitentiary for ninety days. The defendant was arrested in the Kirk Block about 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon in the room occupied by William Blackman and Richard Squires, into which she had introduced herself, and a row ensuing the police were sent for and the whole party taken to the watch house. Blackman and Squires were reprimanded and discharged.

William Lyon and Henry Jones, two “Lo’s” from the Reservation, got drunk yesterday afternoon, and thinking themselves on the warpath, Lyon undertook to tomahawk Jones with a sharp ax, but Jones ran until he got a stone, when Lyon showed the “white feather” and in turn ran, Jones chasing him. The battleground was Fayette street, and for some time victory was undecided upon which side to settle, and perhaps blood would have flown had not the police interfered and locked up the dusky warriors. On being questioned the prisoners told where they got their “snaky,” and after using them as witnesses, they were discharged.

Morgan Mara was arraigned, charged, on the oath of William Lyon and Henry Jones, Indians, with selling liquor to them. He plead not guilty in each instance, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to pay a fine of $25 or go to the penitentiary for 90 days, on each charge. Mara was also charged, on oath of the chief of Police, with selling liquor without licence. He pled not guilty, was tried, convicted, and sentenced to pay a fine of $50 or go to the penitentiary for six months.