Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-05-19

4
which still stand The wing wa
comparatively uninjured, and thu
scholars in there were unhurt.
In the main building, however, tn,
effect was awful. The falling foor'
precipitated the terrified children t.
the basement, where masses of bricks
and beams crushed them to the
ground and buried them from view
Persons hearing the crash made theil
way as best they could, against the
beating storm, to the scene. The
gale quickly subsided, and the worl
of rescuing was undertaken by eager
hands. Owing to the prevailing ex'
citement the first work was not very
effective, but the fire department and
police soon arrived and an organiza
ed search was commenced. The dead
and wounded were taken out as quick
ly as possible and carried to the Nat
atorium adjoining, which was turned
into a hospital Here the parents
and friends Of the little ones soon
gathered, each searching for his OF
her own, and uttering heart-rending
cries as they recognized in the maim-
ed and bleeding forms those whom
they loved. Among the first taken
out several were dead and one or two
mangled almost beyond recognition,
their clothes being torn and their bod
les covered with dust and mortar.
The deathly pallor of the skin show
ing in painful contrast against CRIME
and blood stains. Many heroic scenes
were enacted during the rescue, and
of the wounded children, some OF
them seemed to have greater control
than their elders. One little girl,
half buried in the debris, over whom
rescuers We're busy, begged them to
leave her and help boy beside her,
because, she said, he was only five
years old The scenes in the Natato-
rum as the little ones were brought
in and laid upon improvised cots, the
dead placed together upon one side,
were pittiful beyond expression. A
dozen dead were taken out during the
day and the bodies sent to the houses
of sorrowing families Several of the
children be onged to prominent fami-
lies in the city.
At ITO west Third street stood a
three story brick building, in the mid
die of the block, the third floor of
which was used as an over all factory,
conducted by Haar Brothers. The
first and second floors were occupied
by the Graham Paper Company. In
the factory were about twenty five
chiefly girls They, when
the storm broke out, started for the
cellar The building fell with crash
being razed entirely to the earth,
and five of the affrighted girls were
caught in the ruins. Six have been
taken out dead. 4 number Of others
were injured.
The County Court House stands at
Second and Main streets, on the hill,
exposed to winds from the north and
west. The building was erected near
ly twenty years ago for hotel purpos-
es, but when complete was purchased
by the county for two hundred thou
sand dollars and converted into a
court house. The building has al
ways been considered rather unsatis-
factory, and the roof has frequently
suffered injury from high winds. The
storm struck the northwest corner
to-day, blowing in the roof and the
major portion of the walls of the
third and fourth stories. The wall of
the east end was blown into the
street, and Deputy Sheriff Dougherty
was caught and killed. All others
succeeded in getting out of the build
ing alive. The jail is located in the
basement of the building, and that
portion escaped injury. The priso-
ners were intensely alarmed, but be-
came quiet when the crisis passed
and they found themselves unhurt.
Judge Stover had been holding court
on the third floor, and had adjourned
Just before the storm descended. A
portion of the roof in falling struck
the chair the Judge had Just vacated.
Across the street, on the north west
corner of Second and Main streets,
stood a two story brick building,
erected in 1860 by the Santa Fe Stage
Company, one of the oldest buildings
in the city, from which the stages
formerly were started across the
plains in stage coaching days.
The building has of late years been
occupied by the United States Engi-
neers. Adjoining that on the west
was three-story brick coffee and
spice mill, owned by Smith & Moffatt.
This building was demolished, falling
over upon the adjoining one, and
both were completely wreck. Frank
Smith, the senior pan tner of the firm,
was taken out bleeding from the ru-
ins, and died in a short time. Mr..
Moffatt was badly hurt, and three
were taken out. The de-
bris is being removed tonight in
search for any one who may yet be
buried beneath.
The second span from the north
end of the bridge across the Missou-
ri, opposite the city, was blown into
the river, the piers being left appar-
emily uninjured. A great number of
wires were carried down
with the broken span.
Many buildings were damaged in
other towns in Kansas.
The storm destroyed a great deal
Of property, houses and barns, in
Missouri On the same day storm
destroyed buildings and fences and
Up rooted trees in many places in Il
inois and Indiana.
About 9 o'clock on the 18th inst,
1t Xenia, Ohio. an extraordinary
lap of thunder seemed to open the
yates and the rain fell in torrents.
l.