Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-10
CYCLONE SWEPT.
The Wind Cuts a SVath Of
Death and Destruction
Through The State Of PennsylVa-
MIA.
Huge Brick Buildings Like
Child's Blocks Before
the Tornado.
Scores Instantly Buried Alive.
Exploding Gasoline ROasts Them In Their
T0mbs Of Brick and Mortar.
One Hundred and Seventy Girls Go
Down In the Ruins Of a Large
Six Mil.
Over Eighty Reported Killed in One
City



A cyclone swept over lhe northern section
of the city today aud laid waste every thing
within II aeh ~Ilh terrible loss of life. Tae
most reliable compu. auon at ten o clock to-
night 10 tnat not less ;han 60 persons are
killed outri. ht anl 100 injured. he story
Of the calamity Is as follows;
Ii rained very hard all the morning but
ceased almost entirely about noon. ABOUT
80 the sun tIied 10 penetrate the clouds aad
a rainbow appeared IN the eastern sky, por-
tending beautiful sunset. There was :
clear sky overhead. This lasted half an
hour. Ghen the scene changed with sud-
denness. The heecy clouds gave way TO
slgns of coming storm. Darkness anu
giUom settled over the city and there was an
un.lnuus suilness. Then the wind whistled,
rvared and tore in mad confusion. In the
west the tornid was seen approaching With
the uolse of thunder, cutting path not over
200 t.et wlde. The effect was terrible.
Persons residing along the track of the
storm saw the tirst signs Of danger IN fun
uel sha pc i mae lstrOm which seemed 10 ga n
er up every tning within reach and cast II
rIgn and left out In the county houses
and barns were unruufed, Iarm outbuildlnys
overturned, crops rooted up and destruction
spr, ad IN every direction. Passing along the
northern border OF ReaiIng, 1t nr,t touch
lhe MI Penn stove sVrks cutting on part OF
tse root nicely as If cut ~llh pair OF scis-
surs, then scurrIed across some helds taxing
on d portion ut the root Of HI SternberH $
roll,.g y mill, and unrovfed n number OF other
dwellings Thea nurrled across The proper
ty OF the Reading X. X cross ny the rail-
road oveItnrnlng Passenger car, scattering
lis sphnters Ia every dlrecu.n. Ram came
aown IN torrents.
Directly along the track of the Reading
K. X. wa. the pant shop Of the road, one
stor, buildIng, 10 BY l3o feetin size. Here
about tnlrty nen we're painung nine passen-
ger cas- bult a. the Co.'S suops in this city,
at a cost ol 5000 each.
Inc puIi-.ug Was struck square In the
mitute and the brick scattered ABOUT as mere
pls, things Inc cars were turned topsey-
tuIvry and the men buried under the debris.
some bricks were car. led square away
The chamber Vt each car were already
nled up with gas as they were ready To De
laA.u Out l.. a few days. these exploited
one atIer another wlth d report Ike cannOn
A quantity OF gasoline III the bu lding added
iu,l 10 the flames and sheet OF hauIe shot
up win roar. Some 20 men crawied out
OF the debris but tour were enveloped III the
embrace OF the flames.
Their cries were heard for moment and
then we're bushed tore,er as the men were
roasted TO ueatn Ihe hire from the nine
cars lit up the heavens FOL miles around
1 he lre depai tment's services were unavaii-
ing Ms the bulllIngs aud cars were consumed
lu Is minutes, leaving nothing but oiack-
eued runs. Ihe men burned were john
kanler. Albert Laudherger, Sheridan Joue :
aua Geo scbaeier. H. Is rumored thai sew
eral others were KILLED.
Aaron Dewalt, another employe, had an
arm broken. Geo. kusbb was injured inter
naily, no doubt fatally. The loss to the
railroad Is So, 900. he storm continued
on at the rate OF 100 miles an hour and I'M
rooted dozen private residences.
AT the cviner OF l2lh and Marion streets
stood the Reading six mill, a huge structure
aud most substantially oult, tour stories
high with basement. 1t occupied the en-
ure block, neaily 800 feet long and loo feet
vide.
It was surmounted by massive tower one
hundred teet from the ground. About 40
ylrI,yere working IN the mill. The storm
cloud struck the building directly IN the CEN
ter ON IT, pruauest side IL tell to pieces as
it cCmpvs. d OF SO many building blocks car
rylux uuwn nearly two nundred human be
floors fell down one on top OF tine other, and
ali went to the bottom
Amid the hurricane. and almost slmulta-
neous win the tall of the buudmg, came
awful cries Tor relief. Girls with biackened
faces, btulsed aud broken limos, AID their
clothing tom and ta,terei, dragged them
selves from tue ruins. Probably from 10 To
100 e,cap, d or were dragged out by their
friends These worked on the upper floors
and ", re thrown near the top of the debris.
At some piac, : Tue bricks are piled twenty
feet deep and underneath are lying human
bodie. b the scure. About two hundred
and tlfty girls and young women were usu-
ally employed IN the mil. At four clock
el.hty were relieved from duty for the day
and returned home. The most reliable estl
mate places the number in the building when
1t went down at about l15-
The fire mpanles left the burning pain,
shop and assisted TO rescue the dead and dy-
ny. 1 he entire police force were called
out. with amhulances and relief corps, and
thousands of people are at Sork among the
debris here. young Lady was taken out all
| bruised, and suffering with cuts aud bruises,
! one body was helpless, others we're IN varl'
| Gus postures thvse living are all suffering
from terrible wounds.
/ In to 10 80 probably a dozen dead bodies
were takes out, while the greater proportion
remain sull under the runs The number
dead will probably res 50 Not one es
cap,d uuiniured. In the barber shop mer
were imt risoued. while half dozen more
were buried Dt meath t1e debris. The Weld
in building hospital we're at once notified
and in short time the clang of ambulance
bells and patrol wagon gongs were heard
ttry.t expressue lent their wagons anC
aid, and helpen Rescue he victims. IL SEEM
probable tina. the numb dead will reach 50
" hen poor unfortuna.e vas found h,
was given temporary relief bv the physicians
present and carefully removed TO one of ths
/ hospitals The work continued all the after
! noon.
At 10 ?. NJ, a number of persons wert
known TO be still underneath the debris. VI
to that hour, 30 mangled and bruised bodies
had been taken from the ruins, some of then
| dead and others diving MANY were fatal
injured. One or ;wo died on the way to tn,
ho piGais. From the best information oh
tainable eight were killed outright or died il
short time. Thir,y-tve others vel re injured
! It's b lieved that the list of dead will b
largely increased before morning.
The bod of Geo. KIr.ch. a barber, age
I IS. Was found in the cellar of the bsrbe
shop. Five unknown men and one boy ar
now at the morgue awaiting Identification
Dr. J. l.. Reed, prominent ply sieian il
Allegheny vas in Weldin's At the time. II
is sill missing and it's feared is dead
Rev Father Csnevin, who was helping I
rescue the victims, narrowly escaped bein
killed while getting drink for Jos. Ching
, an errand boy employed by weldin Co
, Who vas discovered among the debris. .
. partition wall In the rear of Welden L Co.
, store fell, covering up Father CAnsvin an
three Others, but they we're not much bur