New-York tribune., 1874-07-06
A TERRIBLE TORNADO.
DESTRUCTION AND TERROR IN WASH
JNGTON

GREAT DAMAGE DoEE--A SEASON OF TERROR
AND EXCITEMENT.
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The storm of last night
was of unprecedented severity in this city. II
rage, for about half an hour, during most of which
time 1t so severe as to endanger life. 1t seemed
| to come in belt from a north westerly direction
tnd during Its continuance swept everything before
IT, Nothing of the kind ever known here within
reasonable memory. Dark clouds had hung low In
the northwest greater portion of the afternoon,
and AT o'clock the sky was black with the impend-
ing tornado. From 7:3O to 7:45 there was heavy
gale, unusually heavy, which blew the dust in
clouds along the streets; but at 745 the tornado
burst upon the city in all its fury. 1t extended
from the northern boundary of Washington to
Pennsylvania-ave and in the southern portion, be-
low the avenue, little damage was done.
| The scene was an awful one. The of the
wind was terrible and the condition of the peoples
minds was one of terror and apprehension. Trees
were uprooted the walls of houses were overthrown,
chimneys were blown down, houses were unroOted,
shutters were thrown down, limbs Of trees broken,
fences crushed, signs wrenched from their places,
windows broken carriages overturned, and other
damages inflicted of a more less serious nature.
In some parts of the city the excitement reached
almost to panic, for at time 1t appeared as
though the whole city to be swept away. The
nothing of the damage to the fine in the public
parks, which was considerable.
Full reports of the losses have not been received.
On .one street, Fourteenth, from the boundary to
Pennsylvania-ave., 81 houses were unroofed, and
much damage done TO other houses from flying lum-
Der and breaking of windows. Sixteen houses were
unroofed on S-st.. square between Fourteenth
and FIfteenth-sts. on K-st, and over 80 IN other
portions of the city. The splre of the Metropolitan
Methodist Episcopal Church. the highest in the city
was very much bent by the wind and was IN dan
ger of being blown down. The chimes kept up an
indscriminate ringing and the spire sagged so that
il is thought it will have 20 be taken down. The
handsome and valuable trees on Lafayette-square,
the most beautiful in the city, very much dam
aged by the wind many of them being sacrificed
entirely. The trees in the Capitol grounds were
also much injured by the breaking of limbs pOr-
ton of the roof of the KrkwOOd House was blown
of, and dozens Of the windows in the Treasury De-
partment were broken. Sign-boards were flying in
every direction, and piles of lumber separated,
and boards and timbers thrown in every direc-
ton. All light articles throughout the city were
dislodged, and the wind tossed them about the
streets in wild revelry.
Few pedestrians we're upon the streets. Those
who could sought shelter wherever it was presented
They were so terrified with the roar the clouds of
dust, and the iYing missiles that they were either
unable to from fright frightened into
run. The storm did not result in much damage to
the shipping. althoug the wind was very high along
the river and the apprehensOns for the safety of
pleasure excursionsts considerable The
steamer Lady of the Lake had large excursion
party numbering about 400 persons, on board, and
the storm struck them their return Great terror
manifested for time, and many Of the passen-
gers secured life preservers and adjusted them to
their bodies. AS tar as heard, lives were lost in
the city, but several minor accidents are reported
THE FIRST WARNING AT THE SIGNAL OFFICE-THE
VELOCITY OF THE WIND SIXTY MILES AN HOUR.
WASHINGTON, July 5.-The first warning of the
storm of last evening received at the Weather
Bureau, the rapid fall of the barometer, the
decline being about l5-1OO Of an inch in two hours
At o'clock danger signals were ordered at all sta
tuns on the Atlantic coast Before the storm struck
Washington the wind was blowing from the south
at the rate of - miles an hour In an instant
the direction of the wind changed TO due
north, and the velocity increased to GO miles
an hour, at which rate il continued for Is minutes
For II minutes after that the velocity was from 90 to
40 miles an hour after which il declined TO SIX and
slowly backed around to the south again. No such
velocity of the wind has before been observed In
Washington since the establishment of the Bureau.
No reports have yet been received showing the ex-
tent of the storm.
DISASTROUS RESULTS IN PENNSYLVANIA.
LONG RAILROAD BRIDGE AT LEwIsrowS BLOWN
DOwN-TwENTY FREIGHT CARS CARRIED AWAY
WITH tan IRON FURNACE DRsTRoYED-sEvE-
RAJ LIVES LOST.
HARRISBURG, July 5.-The long railroad
bridge Lewstown. PENN the Juniata River, was
blown down about p. M, Saturday Twenty eight
freight went with it, and several persons were
killed and injured. The following are the names OF the
killed: Charles Goshen, IL, Of Patterson Penn;
william BARLEY, age II, OF Mifiin and Lewis Piascker
an old gentleman OF schuylkill County. IDiured-Her
bert ehirk and Clayton weidmap Of Patterson, PENN
and John Swan and Conrad Ulrfch Of Lewistown.
The Glsmorgan Iron Company's furnace was par
TALLY destroyed by the storm. killing Levi Bloomen
steen, Henry Bloomensteen, and George Rsyner Of
Lewistown.
Another account says:
terrible hurricane passed over the country In the
vicinity OF Lewisown Saturday afternoon The rail-
road bridge spanning the Juniata River was blown
down Several boys had taken refuge on the bridge,
and from Miin killed one fatally Injured, and
several others injured train OF 3 empty freight
was blown of the track few miles west Of Lewistown
LATER REpoRTs-sEvEN PERSONS KILLED, FIVE
WOUNDED, AND SEVERAL MIssING-TRAYEL NOT
ISTERRCPrED.
HARRISBURG, July 5.-The storm at Lewis
town was Of the nature tornado. The roofs OF the
Coleman House in and the lower hotel at the
depot blown OF. aud several other houses were
damaged The steepies OF the Lutheran and Presbyte
rian churches were blown down. The total number
killed, heard from, Is seven i've are injured
and several others are missing.
Travel on the main line Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
will not be interrupted by the bridge Lew
| istown The main line the south bank OF the