The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-11
FATAL FOURTH.
FRIGUTFUL CALAMITY NEAR
PITTSBURGH

Picnic Party Caught In WhirlWnd-SeVen Killed
and Dozen Others InJured-Oll Tanks Struck
by Lightning and $4,000 Worth Of Oil and
Other Property Destroyed.
Pittsburgh, July 4-One of the most terrible
wind storms that ever visited this section caused
the loss OF large number Of lives this afternoon.
A picnic was given by the Sabbath sCnool Of the
German Lutheran Church Of sharpsbuTg at the
Sugar Camp" small grove ten miles up the Al
legheny from this city The ground does not oc-
cupy above a quarter Of an acre and is composed
almost entirely ofgigantic sugar trees,
About three O'Clock very black cloud was OBJ
served In the west, approaching rapidly, It's pro-
gress was heralded by furious wind. The light-
ming glanced athwart the sky in great s1eaks Of
zlg.zag fame, and the pealing thunder rolled and
crashed almost without cessation. Suddenly "a
great forked chain Of the electric fluid was OBJ
served to descend upon the Vesal Oil Works on
the south side Of the Allegheny directly opposite
the grove referred to- The great sheet Of flame al
| once issued from one OF the mammoth sulls and
in a moment eight large tanks and four stills has
| igmted and were furOusly burning. The fire was
| not controlled for three hours, and destroyed So
600 barrels of oil, worth $4,000, and buildings and
| machinery worth Sl5OOO.
Less than FIVE minutes after this stroke, while
| the large crowd at the sugar camp from the half
sheltered positions they had sought hastily were
looking at the fierce wreck caused by the fiery
| element the hurricane suddenly struck their lit
| Tie place of shelter with terrific force, 1t seemed,
from its effect having extended no further to any
| serious extent, that whirlwind must have come
into existence just at this point Giant trees, four
| feet In diameter snapped suddenly in twain, and
| tough saplings were twisted until their brOkeh
| trunks resembed bundles OF wilhes.
A large covered wagon belonging to Mr., Conrad
| Reithmiller which afforded apparently good
| shelter had been taken possession of by number
| of people. There were nearly twenty young la
dies and children inside Of the vehicle ana as
many under it. Other vehicles had been hastily
driven to other quarters, but this one was allowed
to remain. giant maple stood close beside It,
which snapped In twain the moment the wind
came up, and, falling directly across the Reith-
miller wagon, cut 1t directly in two, and accom-
plished fearful word of slaughter. It lasted
| scarcely an instant. The fierce gust was over al
| most at moments notice, and with the end OF
| that the whole storm had terminated when the
Mortified spectators rushed to the rescue Of their
friends. horrible spectacle was presented, AZ
least twenty lay dead, dying or insensible, One
| boy, Door Willie Prayer was recognized only By
his linen clothes His head was crushed into
| mass of bone and brain and hair spread out upon
| q surface two feet square. Rev waltz, pastor Of
|
there was not sign of injury upon him, The
poor mans fright had crszed him completely anG
when | saw him an hour ago he was as void Of
| intellect as the veriest mailman His son was,
among the killed, but he knew nothing of that.
| Miss Gentleman, beautiful young lady, was be-
| headed as smoothly as though by knife, All the
dead and injured belonged to sharpsburg and
| Etna boroughs, They were taken to SharpsbuHg
Church ard the dead laid out in q becoming
Christien manner for burial. None of the injured
have since died, but at least two will. The fol
lowing is a complete list of the killed and wound
ed:
Killed-Mrs. Conrad Reithmiller.
Mrs Rethmiller's babe in arms
Willard Prayer aged fifteen.
Herman Prayer, aged eight.
Lewis Waltz, son Of the pastor, aged seven.
Miss Sophia Gentleman, aged eighteen, all Of
Sharpsburg.
Mis- Staebner of Etna
Iniured-Fiye children of the Reithmiler fami-
ly, aged from four to nineteen years.
Lizzie Craft aged twenty,
George Prayer, aged twelve.
Three children named Burngood one boy Of
this family has his back broken, and will die.
VIM sentz aged ten fatally,
Rey L. Waltz mentally.
The greatest excitement prevails.