Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1878-11-01
A Destructive Storm.
PHILADELPHIA, DC


A tempestuous gale, unprecedented in
severity, swept over this city early this
morning, commencing about 2:30 a.
m, reaching its height between and
| 1880 a. m, and subsiding with heavy
rainfall toward 8 o'clock. During these
brief morning hours incalculable dam
age was done by the wind, which ragged
with the fury of a hurricane. Not in
many years, if ever before, has there
been so much damage done in the
streets, public square, and along the
river fronts. Many public school
buildings were damaged, and the
public square was devastated Over
forty churches of all denominations
were more or less damaged by the de-
molition of steeples, etc., several of
which were expected to fall in at any
moment The Walnut Street Presby-
terian Church, on Walnut street, be-
tween Thirty-ninth and Fortieth, was
badly damaged. The spire, which was
1S0 feet high, was blown down, and in
its fall struck the roof of dwelling
and very badly damaged it, In its fail
portion of the church roof was carried
with it, and the vcstibule of the church
and organ loft filled with debris, the
organ being completely demolished.
The damage to the church will amount
to $4,000. The steeple of the First
Baptist Church, Thirty-sixth and Chest
nut streets, 10 feet high, was blown
down. In its fall the spiral doub-
led up, the base falling into
the church yard, and the top with the
bell fell into the street; damage, $685.
900. In its fall the top of the spire
struck the houses opposite, damaging
them considerably. The spire of the
Emanuel German Lutheran Church on
Fourth and Carpenter streets, 222 feet
high, was also among the many churches
which had steeples blown down. A
great many market houses and passen-
ger railway depots were badly dam
aged, and hundreds of dwellings, chief
ly in the northwestern section of the
city, unroofed, some of them being en-
tirely demolished. The shed for de-
parting trains at the Pennsylvania
Railroad depot, in West Philadelphia,
was demolished, involving a loss OF be-
tween $4,000 and $50, 900. The factory
of F. fitzgerald, Columbia avenue and
American street, had the entire roof
carried off. The whole eastern end of
the Twelfth and Sixteenth street pas
senger 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
makers pianoforte factory, Eleventh
q and Catharine, was damaged to 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, Aaron Jones & Son, German
town, was unroofed. The building
also caught fire and panic ensued
2 among the operatives. The loss will
/ not fall short of $4,000. The large
depot of the Philadelphia, Wilmington
s & Baltimore Railroad, Washington
: Avenue Wharf, was reduced to ruins,
and the Southside Pennsylvania grain
, elevator, in the immediate vicinity,
: blown in. The two western spans of
the Falls of Schuylkill bridge on the
. Reading Railroad fell into the river
q and stopped all travel in that direction.
Along the Delaware River front no less
! than twenty warehouses were unroofed
n and the water ran into the stores, doing
great damage to private stock and to
Z goods stored on wharves. 1t is estima-
e ted that at least fifty storehouses along
; the wharves were blown from their
: foundations and great quantities of
q goods floated off with the tide
The Reading Railroad ferry house and
. slip above South Street were demol-
y ished. The tide was the highest known
. for twenty-seven years. A ship dis
charging ballast at the ReeG street
9 wharf was blown on her beam ends Al
a Point Breeze two briggs are reported to
h have capsized. The Schuylkill River
| olCn QUAD SIC rbor and
o. are reports of much damage IN that
5, vicinity. Several fatal causualties are
reported. Morris Dinner, watchman
ID was killed by large beam falling Oh
as him at the Reading Railroad Com
Of pany's machine shops, at Richmond
An unknown man was killed at Bridge
.c and Holmesburg Pike by the roof of {
= stable falling upon him. John Altins
q. was instantly killed by the roof of
4 building on Allegheny avenue falling
a upon him. An unknown man wa
a. killed in Cedar Hill cemetery by a falling
tree. An unknown man was killed at tn
10 Reading Railroad Company's coal shed
10 On Lehigh avenue an unknown maj
4, was killed by a falling roof. On Bridg
ed avenue newspaper carrier Was struc
of by falling tree at the Naval Asylum
Ii and killed, 1t is roughly estimated tina
d. heinjured will number seventy.fve.
ho In Camden the storm was very severe
at causing great damage to property
% 's' Passengers on the West Jersey Railroa
'ia state that in that locality numerou
barns were destroyed, cattle kille
IN. and fences blown down, while III
Of rooted trees were scattered in a
directions. Between Pemberton an
ed the junction of that road with the Can
den & Amboy Railroad the storm playe
ce sad havoc with dwellings, farms, ct,
rte In the neighborhood of Bordentow
,ry much damage is reported. At Beverl
of several houses are without roofs, an
oy- at Delanco, Riverside, Riverton, Pa
eat nyra and Morris station the ruins
err damaged buildings are scattered in q
ces directions.
err At White Haven, Pa, several persol
the were injured.
Seventy dwellings and stores we
TIA unroofed and nineteen blown down {
ex- together at Chester, Pa. three church
ria, were partially destroyed, and elev,
the manufacturing places so much damag
It a that work will have to be suspended
while. The damage to shipping
the considerable. The tide rose TO gre
yed height and washed out many man
featuring places. Several schoone
ex- and sloops were washed ashore and ii
INST canal boats loaded with coal sunk in 4
led river.
ich Reports from the country surroun
ing Harrisburg, Pa, shoY that gre
/ OF damage was done.