The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1878-10-31

that tue storm had approached the dignity
of hurricane, being then at a velocity of
seventy-two miles an hour. 81 ~ f-ssshE
The finest oaks that stood in Independ-
ence. Franklin, Washington Jefferson,
Logans and Ristenhouse Squares, and in
Fairmount Park, that had stood since Penn's
settlement, were torn up by the roofs and
hurled into the adjacent streets and upon
the neighboring houses. ,
n The Humber of trees that fell in the streets
impeded travel SO much that at one time
there was not u passenger railway in the
whole gridiron system of this city that was
not blockaded. Drivers, conductors, and
even passengers, chopping g way through
the PROSTATE trunks and branches
Many public school buildings are damaged
and public squares devastated. Over forty
churches, of all denominations, are more or
less damaged by the demolition of steeples,
etc, several of which are expected to fall at
any moment. The Walnut-street Presby-
terian Ghurch, on Walnut-street, between
Twesfty ninth and Fortieth, was badly dam-
aged. The spire, which is one hundred and
eighty feet high, was blown down, and in its
fall struck the roof of dwelling and very
badly damaged it. In its fall portion of
the church roof was carried with it, and the
vestibule OF the church and organ left filed
with debris. The organ was completely de-
molisbei. The damage to this church will
amount to $4,000.
The steeple of the First Baptist Church,
TweDty-sxth and Chestnut-streets. one
hundred and seventy feet high, was blown
down. In its fall the spire doubled up, the
base falling into the church yard, and the
top, with the bell, fell into the street. Dam
age, $4,000. In its fail the top of the spire
struck the house opposite, damaging them
considerably.
The spire of Emanuel German Lutheran
Church, Fourth and Carpenter-streets, tive
hundred and twenty-five feet high, was also
among the. many church steeples blown
down to-day. --4.
A great many market-houses and passen-
ger railway depots are badly damaged, and
hundreds of dwellings, chiefly in the north
west section of the city, were unroofed,
some of them being entirely demolished.
The shed for departing trains at the Penn
sYlvania Railroad Depot, West Philadelphia,
was demolished, involving a loss of between
$4,000 and $4,000. The factory of F. Fitz-
gerald, Columbia-avenue and American
street. had its entire roof carried off. The
whole eastern end of the Twelfth and Fif.
teenth-street Passenger Railway Depot was
leveled to the ground, stopping the running
of cars for long time, as it was impossible
to get them out of the building. Shoe
hackers piano-forte factory, Eleventh and
Catharin e-streets, was damaged 10 the ex-
tent of $4,000. No estimate of the loss on
stock and material can be given, but it will
be heavy. ..
The knitting mills of Aaron Jones & Son,
Germantown, was uuroofed. The building
also caught fire and a panic ensued among
the operatives. The loss will not fall short
of $4,000.
| Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad, Wash
ington-avenue wharf, was reduced to ruins,
and the south side of the Pennsylvania
grain elevator, in the immediate vicinity,
was blown in.
| The two western spans, Falls of Schuyl-
kill bridge, on the Reading Railroad, fell
into the river, and stopped all travel in that
| direction.
| Along the Delaware River front no less
than twenty warehouses are without roofs,
and the water is running into the stores on
4 the east side, doing great damage to private
4 stpek ksafse ta goods stored on the wharves.
|! sIt is estimated that at least fifty store
! houses along the wharves were blown down
tffom their fastenings and great quantities OF
goods foated off with the tide. The Read
.ng Railroad ferry-house and steps, above
| South-street, were demolished.
The. tide was the highest known for
| twenty-seven years. A ship discharging
/ ballast at Reed-street wharf was blown on
her beam ends. At Point Breeze two krigs
are reported cspsized. Schuylkill River
also over flowed i S wharves, and there are
| W
| Seven fatal casualties are reported, and
seventy-fve persons severely injured. The
I1rouble came fortunately early in the day
before people had gotten out on the streets
or this list would be much larger.
| In Camden the storm was very severe
causing great damageto property. Passen
gers who came up on the est Jersey Rail
road STATE that in that locality numerous
barns were destroyed, cattle killed and
fences blown down, while uprooted trees
were scattered in all directions.
! At Beverly several houses were without
roofs, and at Delanco, Riverside, Riverton
lsPalmyra and Norris Stations the ruins o.
damaged buildings are scattered in all di
l rections. Il
At Pottstown, Pa, the Nail and Plate
Mills of the Patterson Iron Company was
blown down. Loss $4,000. The Madison
Bridge, spanning the Schuylkill River, wal
almost completely destroyed. Loss $4,000
J, Mingle Fishers steam planning mill wal
damaged to the extent of several thousant
dollars. Many private dwellings were un
1 rooted, and two churches lost their spires
4 Geo. w. Reagen was buried under seme fall
ing sheds, and instantly Killed.
At Norristown, Pa, the Presbyterian ant
Methodist churches, Reading Railroad
Depot, Farnum's Mill, and many othe
smaller structures were considerably
damaged. Stemmer's oil refinery. sam'
place, is total wreck.
At Doylestown the s'eeple of the Catholi,
Church was blown to the ground, as wal
also afportion of the Reformed Church
The new courthouse was damaged, ant
numerous smaller buildings were unroofet
in all direc ions. Barns, trees, fences anl
grain stacks in that vicinity were literally
blown away. While three trains, one o
which was the fast express, were standing
in the East-bound shed of the Pennsylvania
| Pail thc nf ha bod h,
the wind, and fell upon the cars. Thu
departure of the trains was delayed, but NJ
serious damage was done. The only persol
injured was The fireman of the fast express
who was slightly cut.
. At Hasrisburg and Wilkesbarre damag
of similar character is reported.
In New York the damage was not s.
severe as in Philadelphia, and the create
part was done as early as half-past eigh
o'clock. The bathing-houses and pavilion
at Coney Island, Sea Beach and other re
sorts We're partially submerged. Trenton
N. j., Scranton, Pa, and Albany suffere
considerable loss of property. From thes
ward, and risen. The damage on the Ne'
England coast was principally to the shiI
ping.
October "a: The storm III the whol
region about Washington turns ont to hav
been much more severe than was supposed
Nearly all the steamers afoat in Chesapeak
! Bay were injured, and at least a half doze
went ashore. Only one was lost, the E,
press, plying between Baltimore and Wasl
ington. She foundered off the mouth of th
Potomac, and twelve to fifteen lives lost.
large number of sailing vessels were drive
7 on shore, twenty-one being reported at on
point in the bay. The wind came from th
! ocean, and blew directly on land, almos
+ with the force of hurricane.
7 Detailed reports to-day show that by th
storm in Philadelphia three hundred an
i. eighty-four dwellings and stores were III
: rooted and otherwise injured, and sever,
I completely demolished. In addition I
$ these there were badly injured thirty-on
4 churches, twenty-three schools, thirty-tiy
Y factories and warehouses, five hotels, tw
elevators, and fifty other large building
9 such as depots, ferry houses, mills, and raj
f road offices.