Zanesville, OH Tornado, Jun 1912

Zanesville, June 17. - The furious cyclone which left death and destruction along its path early Saturday morning in Zanesville centered its force on the magnificent Gothic Temple, the St. Thomas Catholic Church, in North Fifth street, and after whipping the lofty steeple 100 feet high from its foundation, sent it crashing through the church roof and to the alley below, snapping out the lives of two persons, injuring 22 others and entailing a property loss of $25,000.

Heroes saved the lives of scores of the congregation of 600 rushed toward the exits, and it seemed an act of providence that many were not trampled to death in the rush to escape.

But for the prompt action of Rev. Father J.P. ROACH the loss of life might still be greater. Others too, were equal to the occasion, and by their coolness re-established the confidence of the people and with in a short time the church had been emptied and the injured and dying cared for.

Outside the congregation was even more panic stricken than within. Fathers searched about to reunite their families. Mothers were hysterical in their efforts to locate sons and daughters. But as the last of the injured were carried from the structure order was restored, and though many remained on the scene to view the work of destruction, others hurried to their homes, their clothing drenching wet from the veritable cloudburst.

Speedy Work Of Rescue.

The clatter of ambulances arriving on the scene and the whirl of automobiles bringing surgeons in answer to hurry calls, the arrival of the police and police patrol to assist in the work of life saving and the presence of the firemen all lent an air of disaster to the scene.

The work of rescue only consumed a few moments, but the work of the destroyer was even shorter. There was a steady quivering of the floor noticeable in all parts of the edifice. In another instant the stately tower came over, crashed through the roof, tearing off the direct southwest corner of the roof and sending tons of stone and debris down into the choir gallery and upon the floor below, crushing out lives and injuring many others.

Fully 700 members of the congregation had assembled to hear the first mass of the Sunday morning. Father Roach was celebrant. The first gospel, the real opening of the mass, had just been read and the priest had just turned from the altar to read the weekly announcements.

He had scarcely begun when the floor seemed to tremble under him. Taking in the situation, he urged the congregation to be calm and then he beckoned the people to follow him. Immediately the congregation arose as a man and entered the sanctuary. The faithful priest led his flock into the sacristy, where they either entered the basement or the rear yard of the parsonage to safety.

As the congregation passed him father Roach knew there must be dead or injured left behind. He returned to the altar, secured the blessed sacrament, and making his way through the wreckage, he reached the side of the dying and comforted them with the holy morsel. This done, he was able to again approach the sanctuary and secure the holy oils, and before life had passed THOMAS SKINION, the most fatally injured, had received the last rites of the church. In another moment he had expired. His life had been crushed out by stones, a quarter of a ton each, striking him on the head and pinning him to the floor.

JOHN F. DINAN also received the last sacraments of the church before he was removed from the wrecked edifice. He was hurried to the Good Samaritan hospital, where he died two hours later.

The list of injured, so far as can be learned, numbered 22. The most serious were sent to the hospital and the others were taken to their homes.

Heroic act of many in caring for the injured and in helping women and children to safety must needs go unrecorded. It is singular, however, that not a woman or child was seriously hurt in the wreck or in leaving the church.

A most pathetic story of the wreck is told by Father Roach, the only person facing the wrecked portion of the building.

“It was terrible,” he said. “I felt the floor quivering and it startled me. Then the glass began cracking and flying about and it was less than five seconds until the ceiling fell. The needle-pointed stone pinnacles on the tower came crashing through the roof, the gallery floor and into the pews. The stones of the battlement tumbled down through the rafters striking men on their heads. The heavy pillars under the choir loft held up some of the weight otherwise a hundred would have been killed in the rush through the middle doors. Stones are resting on the roof, and more of it might have fallen.

“I marvel that the storm stood in such a storm.”

Continued on page two (below)
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Transcribed by June. Thanks June!