The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-08-21
Terrible Explosion.
POWDER MAGAZINE STRUCK BY LIGHT.
MING.


CITY was visited this afternoon by one
of the heaviest wind and rain storms
that has ever been known in his
part of Pennsylvania, which left
death aud destruction in its path.
About G O'Clock this afternoon it
struck the city, being accompanied
by vivid lightning and thunder and
heavy rain. AS the storm passed
over the city the lightning struck the
large s,eeple of the First Presbyteri-
an Church, completely demolishing
it, as also the steeple Of the Lutheran
Church. which followed the same
fate. The wind blew d perfect bur
ricaDe, trees being uprooted and
snapped eff As if they were strsws.
Bat what caused the most terrible
destruction was the demolition of a
large stone structure used by the
Gate Vein Colliery as a powder mag
ezine for storing powder which was
to be used by the miners. The build
ing contained about eight hundred
kegs cf powder, and hen the light
ming struck it the explosion was ter
rible in its effects. Ii was located on
the outskirts Of the city, but houses q
mile away were shattered by the
terrible force. occupants shaken up
and macy Of them severely injured.
Large plste-giass windows in stores
were completely demolished. Some
twenty-five or thirty houses were
more or less injured. The most dis
a>trous part of the explosion was
that a Sunday school was having a
picnic in a grove near the scene, and
when it occurred the greatest on.
sternation and excitement prevailed
when it was discovered that the fol-
lowing persons were killed and
wounded
William Reese, q young man aged
seventeen years, had bis leg SO badly
hurt that it had to be amputated-
Andrew Gallagher, aged twelve wears
old had his head completely torn from
bis body. Richard Vaughan, leg
broken in two places. aud body so
badly injured that his. entrsils pro-
truded. lie has since died. Richard
Stevenson, leg torn of. Sadie Breeze,
leg blown of. Many others whose
names could not be learned were
badly hurt. Two young ladies iu q
carriage made q narrow escape with
their lives, their horses being killed.
Everything is being done to relieve
the sufferers. The loss to property
is very heavy, and a not be given
at present.
Later-At this hour, | A NJ, the
city is quiet, although more reports of
accidents are coming very fast. Ply
sicians were called from Palo Alto,
St. Clair and other tow ns near this
city, 10 assist our doctors here in at-
tending TO the wounded. IN addi-
ton to the last reports, Union Hall
was struck by lightning and CON-
pletely destroyed. The ball was the
largest in the city, and was valued at
$50, 900. John Myer had both legs
broken. Mary Fasig had her arm
broken by a flying glass, and was
otherwise injured. A large number
of small children were injured, bat at
this hour it is impossible to obssin
names. The loss to property is
roughly estimated at Sl50.001-
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
PoTTsYILLE, Pa, Aug l7.-At
hslf-psst four O'Clock this afternoon a
mssC of black and terrifying clouds
swept up in majestic grandeur from
the est. and 10 o few moments the
entire heavens over Po,tsville were
crashing and blazing with electric
discharges. The storm ragged 10 sub
lime fury, then spread its wings to
distant horizons and sped on toward
the east. While the sky over Potts
vile was in full possession Of the
terrible storm, and bolts IT electric
fluid were playing among the neigh
boring mountains, q shaft of red-bot
forked lightning descended With q
frightful oar into the very founda-
iiops Of g powder magazine. The
arsenal belonged to Wtldy l. Co..
About twelve hundred kegs r. giant
blasting powder were stored away
in the reces ses If the massive build
ing
But with the Understandable bright
ness Of ibs lightning the magazine
and oil the buIldingS around il were
literally blown into atoGs. Words
can give no idea OF the rhoek.
1t wss like the bursting forth Il al
volcanic crater, where explosive gas
ses have been accommodating for ages
Pottsville is a large town. Its build
ings rest on solid rock foundations,
but on this afternoon, when the Ill
900 kegs Of giant powder were touch
ed by the glowing lightning. the
town end al the earth around 1t
shook IS II splanet had struck them.
To recount the numberlcsss distant
windows destroyed on this remsrka-