Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-10-31
4 FURIOUS STORM.
The Eastern States Swept by . Tornado
...Great Lon Of Life and Do.
struotion Of Property.


...0reat LON of Life and Do.
struction Of Property.
General Demolition Of Churches. and
Dwellings.
A tempestuous gale of unprecedented
severity swept over the eastern states on
the Esd inst, inflicting great damage
that portion of the country.
The storm originated in the Gulf of
Mexico, the area covering a narrow belt
along the coast; velocity of wind, about
fifty miles an hour.
At Philadelphia over forty churche
were damaged. Walnut Street Presby-
terrain Church spire, $50 feet high, was
blown down, and in its fall portions of
the church roof were carried with it;
the vestibule of the church and organ
loft being filled with debris. The organ
was completely demolished. The dam
ages to this church will amount
to $4,000. The steeple of the
First Baptist Church, Seth and
Chestnut. streets, 40 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; damage $4,000. The spire of
Emanuel German Lutheran church,
Fourth and Carpenter streets, 222 feet
high was also amongst many church
steeples blown down. Hundreds of
dwellings chiefly in the northwestern
section of the city unroofed, some of
them being entirely demolished. The
shed for departing trains at the Pennsyl
vania railroad depot, west Philadelphia
was demolished, Involving loss of be-
tween forty and fifty thousand dollars.
The whole eastern end of Twelfth and
Sixteenth street passenger railway
depot was leveled to the ground.
shoemaker's piano forte factory,
Eleventh and Catharine streets,
was damaged to the extent of $4,000.
Loss on stock and material will be heavy.
The knitting mills of Aaron Jones 4
Son, Germantown, was unroofed. The
building also caught fire and a panic en-
sued among the operatives. Loss will
not fall short of $4,000. The large
depot Of the Philadelphia, Wilmington
and Baltimore railroad, Washing ton
avenue wharf, was reduced to ruins, and
the South Side Pennsylvania grain ele-
vator, in the immediate vicinity, was
blown in. The two western spans of the
Falls of Schulykill bridge, on the Read
ing railroad, fell into the river and
stopped all travel in that direc-
ton. Along the Delaware river
front, no less than twenty warehouses
were unroofed and water ran into the
stores on the east side, doing great dam
age to private stock and to goods stored
on the wharves. 1t is estimated that at
least fifty storehouses along the wharves
were blown from their fastenings, and
great quantities of goods foated off with
the tide. The Reading railroad ferry
house and slip 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. Several
persons were killed outright, and roughly
estimated, the wounded will number rs.
Detailed reports from Philadelphia
show that 384 dwellings and stores were
unroofed and otherwise injured, and sew
eral completely demolished. In addi-
ton to these there were badly injured,
81 churches, % schools, IS factories and
warehouses, hotels, IL elevators, and
50 other large buildings, such as depots,
ferry houses, mills and railroad Offices.
The fatal accidents were six, and those
seriously injured numbered thirteen.
At Pottstown, Pa, the nail plate mill
of the Pottsdown Iron Company, was
blown down; loss 1925, 900 dollars. The
Madison bridge, spanning the Schuyl-
kill river, was almost completely Destroy
ed; loss, $40, 900. J. Fishers steam plan
ing mills, were damaged to the extent of
several thousand dollars. Many private
dwellings were unroofed, and two
churches lost their spires. George w.
Reagan was buried under some fallen
sheds and instantly killed. The loss at
this point is estimated at 800, 900.
At Chester the destruction is greater
than ever before known; 20 dwellings
and stores uuroofed, 10 being blown
down altogether; three churches parti
ally destroyed, and II manufacturing
places so much damaged that work has
been suspended for a while, and a num-
Der of people thus thrown out of employ
ment. The tide rose to a great height
and washed out many manufacturing
places. Several schooners and sloops
washed ashore, and five canal boats load
ed with coal sunk in the river.
At Harrisburg, buildings were un-
rooted, bridges blown down, and Gel
lars generally flooded. At Wilkesbarre
houses were unroofed, trees uprooted,
windows broken, fences and mine drill
ing apparatus demolished, and railroad
tracks at several points badly washed
and trains delayed. At Whitehaven
several persons were injured and large
amount of lumber blown into the river
and swept away. At Scranton about
the same programme was enacted.
At Camden the storm was very severe.
Numerous barns were destroyed; cattle
killed and fences blown down, while up
rooted trees were scattered in all direc-
tions. Between Pemberton and the
junction of that road, with the Camden
and Amboy railroad, the storm RACED
dwellings, barns, etc., and in the neigh
borhOod of Bordentown. much damage
is reported. At Beverly several houses
are without roofs, and at Delanco, Riv-
erday, Riverton, Salmyra, and Morris
station, the ruins of damaged buildings
are scattered in all directions.
Along the coast the gale was terrible,
and shipping suffered unusually. A
fleet of oyster boats bound for Philadel-
phia, were caught, many of them being
wrecked with loss of life. The schooner
Buckeye was wrecked about three miles
from Newcastle, Del, and Capt. Apple
ton, wife, two sons and a seaman were
drowned. The Estelle Bright stranded
on The Jersey shore, just opposite: three
lives lost: The steamer Express, which
left Baltimore on the 22d for Washing
ton, foundered in the gale at the mouth
of the Potomac, and passengers and
crew were probably lost. The cap
tain was rescued while drifting with
fragments of the boat. The American
ship A. s. Davis, of Searsport, Me-, Capt.
I. M. Ford, ran ashore 8 miles south of
Cape Henry station and became total
loss, with cargo. The crew, consisting