The News-Messenger from Fremont, Ohio • 28

28 The News-Messenger, Fremont, Friday, July 1, 1977 Damage heavy in many areas A wide section of downtown Fremont and areas well beyond carry the scars of the tornado which roared through the community shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday. Buildings on both sides of the Sandusky River stand as grim reminders of the storm's power. Huge trees still block many roads today. Among the hard hit areas was the section along North Front Street, Justice Street and North Arch Street.

The Kroger store was badly damaged. Fremont Candy and Cigar Company on North Arch Street looks like a bombing victim, standing without roof or windows. In the north end of the same building is Ben's Sports Shop and late Thursday evening owner Ben Yount and some of his employes-were busy removing guns and ammunition from the damaged building. Across Arch Street, much of the roof is gone from Warner Parts and Jim's Place, the popular triangular shaped bait shop, is in ruins. Bait store owner Jim Ochs and his wife were in the building when the tornado hit.

"We were sitting at the table," Mrs. Ochs said. They resided in the apartment above the shop. There is no longer an apartment there. "You wouldn't believe," said Mrs.

Ochs. "We were sitting at the table upstairs, the whole building fell on the table. "There was no warning," she said. "We heard the sirens from the Central Fire Station (located west of the downtown area) but there was no warning here." "We were listening to the police monitor and heard that a severe storm was coming," she continued. "I heard the windows in the building across the street (The Fremont Candy and Cigar Company) break." The Ochs family were able to gather near a cement wall when the tornado struck.

No one was injured. "We lost the building. Our car and our truck were demolished." "You always think it can happen to someone else." At Price Lumber Company, 304 N. Front a reporter spotted Jim Oman, mill foreman, walking out the door of the damaged building. He and other employes had boarded up broken windows.

George Mead, the owner, walked out behind him. "It is hard to estimate the loss, at least $20,000." Gone are two storage sheds to the south and west of the building. Mead speculated that the front overhang over the sidewalk would be torn off for safety reasons. "We'll be wide open for business at 8 a.m., he said. "We'll need the customers now more than ever." ri-j yjmiB -ji mjmm warn mvj, mmtmmiKmm-mmmi jvmmm fe, I This is the second catastrophe to hit the business.

"One year ago Monday we had the big fire," he said. That was contained to the office area. Mead stopped to talk to a neighbor, Paul Thatcher, owner of Thatcher Cleaners, 322 N. Justice St. The two discussed losses.

"We lost the eave troughs, the back porch and the marquis," Mrs. Thatcher said. She did not know if there was any damage to the roof. At Warner Parts Company, 218 N. Front Richard McCloy manager of the business was sitting with his wife and mother-in-law after the storm.

McCloy received a telephone call at his home near the Ballville Bridge. He was told the roof to his building was missing. "I didn't believe the damage could be that bad. I thought that maybe a corner or a portion of the roof was gone," he said. "By the time I got off the phone and down here, my 'adrenalin was about 700 thousand degrees." The roof was missing and water was coming through the opening.

McCloy said that employes had gone for covers for the supplies. "There is about $160,000 damage to the building, maybe, more," he said. The roof and the southeast corner of the building were the main areas that sustained heavy damage. "We'll cover the storage bins upstairs and close all the windows on the main level. We'll seal and board the windows temporarily.

I'm afraid we'll have to put up a new building now." The McCloys were at home on the south edge of the city when the tornado struck. "It got real-dark in color, sort of bluish black," he said. "Then it got real still and we heard a roar." "We heard a roar and the trees kissed the ground," said Mrs. McCloy. "We didn't believe the damage would be this bad," he said.

"You always think it will happen to the guy in the other town." McCloy said he would be open for business in the morning. "If anybody needs help, they just have to ask." Glass all over the place was the common site at Front Street Thursday night, as nearly all downtown businesses had some windows lost when the tornado hit. There is heavy damage at the corner of Front and State, metal siding was blown off and left hanging down the sidewalks like sheets of ribbons at a party or wedding reception. Across the street a roof blew off the J.C. Penney the Bank and Stotler Co.

Reports were that the roofing on top of th complex rolled up like a big ball," according to John Bloom, who was helping direct traffic on Front Street. In the block south of Croghan Street Lords, Lytle's, the WSOS building and Kuebler Shoes Store seem to be hardest hit. The roof was ripped off at Kuebler's Shoes and the store appeared to be nearly destroyed with the inside gutted and pile of bricks blown out from it. The inside of the WSOS building was badly damaged and the awning blown off. Next door to Kuebler's at Jupiter's Store as across the street damage is less severe.

There are broken windows at Jupiter's and City Loan and Savings, with awning ripped off at Tome's Clothing Store and Jonesy's Shoe Repair. There was severe glass damage at Joseph's Department Store, but apparently no roof damage. Joseph's also had the upper part of its sign broken off. The roof was ripped from the Fremont Sewing Center and Harvey Oaks Jewelry Store. Other signs ripped off on Front Street were the northern section of the Fremont Savings Bank parking lot sign, Miller Pontiac-Cadillac, Revco Drug Store and Capone's.

Reports were that the corkscrew sign in front of the front window at Capone's blew across the river. The storm took care of most of the windows at the old Montgomery Ward Store and Lane's Furniture Store and the Fashion. Front siding was blown off at the old Wickes store at the corner of Birchard and Front. THE ROOF OF THE J. C.

PENNEY COMPANY LANDED ON THESE CARS Music center, autos in lot heavily damaged by storm By CHRIS CELEK For The News-Messenger Thursday night's tornado caused extensive property damage along East State Street, from the State Street bridge to Ohio Avenue. Several restaurants, gas stations and store fronts had windows blown out, display signs mangled and awnings torn down by the high velocity winds that hit the downtown area early last evening. Bill Karl Music Center, 120 E. State was extremely hard hit as the tornado's force blew out a cement block wall at the rear of the building. The tornado also apparently lifted the building's roof, which sagged down into the store after the storm had passed.

Across the street, sheet metal siding was shredded from the building and hurled into at least 20 automobiles parked at Downtown Motor Sales. Other debris covered many of the cars which were badly damaged by the tornado. Next door to the used car lot, Uncle Tom's Pancake House appeared to have survived the intense wind gusts. Mark Smith, a pancake house employe, herded about 30 customers into the establishment's food cooler as the storm hit the downtown area, and all reportedly left the pancake house safely. A Sohio service station, 328 E.

State also had one of its front windows broken and a large sign blown over. At the Bud and Brutus restaurant, 312 E. State the tornado ripped down an awning and the establishment's sign. Another used car lot, Al Hetrick, 308 E. State suffered less damage'that the Downtown Motor Sales lot.

A metal awning covering many of the cars remained intact during the storm, although much wood and metal debris covered the lot. The building housing Meyers TV and Appliance, 200 E. State also was damaged, with parts of the building's roof being torn away. Tenants living in the building's second and third floors said three of the apartments "were a mess" caused by the high winds and water leaking through the damaged roof. Maggie Rensford said her apartment was the only one in the building that escaped damage..