The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1878-07-10
Terrible Catastrophe nj Pitts
burgh ON the Fourth.

The storm which passed OVER the
city on the afternoon of the Fourth
was terribly destructive in its results
SO far as learned twelve persons lost
their lives and a score or more O,
persons were injured. OF these sew.
en- were killed and thirteen wound.
ed, nine seriously, at a picnic of the
Herman Lutheran congregation Of
S~harpshurg in Sugar Camp grove, on
the Ross farm, above Sharpsburg.
A full description of the terrible
events Of the day is given below.
THE GREAT DISASTER.
The great disaster of the day &C.
Cured at Sugar Camp Grove, on the
Ross farm, about three miles above
sharpsburg. The congregation OF
the German Lutheran church, o.
Sharpsburg. Of which Rev. Charles
Waltz is pastor, were holding q pic
mic in this grove, which is not Of
large extent, but was composed OF
very old and large maple trees. The
day bad been clear, bright and pleas
ant, with the exception of the heat,
antil between twelve and one O'Clock,
when a brief thunder storm came up,
and for a few minutes the rain fell
briskly. The shower was of short
duration, and as soon as it was over,
the sun came out again bright and
warm, and seemed TO indicate that
the remainder OF The day would be
fair. The pienicers, therefore, did
not leave the ground. but resumed
their festivities. The clouds again
gathered, however, and about half
past two O'Clock the heavens were
overcast, the thunders were rolling
continuously, and the black clouds
were Iurid with frequent flashes of
lightning. AT three o'clock the
storm broke, and the rain commenced
falling in great sheets. The crowd
sought shelter at once, such as could
be found. The nearest house was
over four hundred yards away, and
the rain commenced so suddenly that
no one had time to seek its shelter.
The ~picnicers therefore gathered un-
der the trees, while nineteen got in
side q covered grocer's wagon, be-
longing to MI. Conrad Reithmiller,
which stood about thirty feet from
the largest tree ia the grove. Sew
eral persons also took shelter under
the wagon. Within . very few min
utes after the storm had commenced
the wind had increased to a regular
hurricane, or more like q whiflwind.
Just at the height OF the storm, when
the rain was falling hardest, the
thunder rolling and the lightning
flashing without intermission, the
crash of falling trees vas mingled
with the pealing of the thunder.
Great trees, three and four feet in
diameter, which had stood for centu-
ries, were felled, broken aud splinter
ed, to the earth, or torn up. bodily by
the roots, and sent crashing down
amid the crowd of humanity gather
ed beneath them. The people be-
came panic stricken, and commenced
running FOR the open space beyond
the grove. The large tree under
" hich the Reithmiller wagon stood,
was torn up by the roots and thrown
directly upon the wagon. crushing it
aud its living load of humanity 70
the earth. 1t was the trunk of the
tree, just at the forks which struck
the wagon. The latter was crushed
to atoms; the top, bed and running
gear we're smashed, and the wheels
were sunk into the earth, clear up TO
the axles.
As soon as it was realized what q
terrible accident had occurred, axes
were secured, andtwilliug hands be-
gan the work of rescuing those be-
meath the wreck. This work was
socn accomplished, when it was
found that seven had been killed out
and twice that many wounded.
As soon as possible after the accident
all the killed and wounded were re-
to their stricken homes in
Sharpsburg and Etna. After con-
sultation among the friends it was
decided to bury all the victims at
once on Friday afternoon.
The scenes which t%ranspired both
ut the grove and in Sharpsburg, can
more easily be imagined than de-
scribed. The excitement was most
intense, but was Of that quiet nature
great calamity causes. In
Pittsburg and Allegheny. too, ru-
nors Of the disaster caused large
numbers to gather wherever it was
bought possible that definite news
could be obtained.
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