Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-11
THE READING HORROR.
Mourning and sorrow In Hun dreds
of Households.

READING, January 10.-There is mourn
ing and sorrow in many households in
Reading to-day. The pail of death hangs
over the city. Fathers, mothers, broth
ers, sisters, relatives and friends are grief
stricken over the wreck of last night.
Over one hundred spirits are hushed
forever in death, as the result of the
wreck and ruin wrought in this city by
the storm. The cyclone left the entire
city in darkness relieved subse-
quently by the electric lights and
huge bonfres which shed lurid glare
on the scene of death. All night long
brave and willing hands assisted in the
work of rescue. The disaster is fully as
bad as reported last night. The list of
fatal cases will fully reach one
hundred and may be more. Hospitals
and undertakers' Establishments are filed
with the victims. The physicians are all
busy. Many private houses have been
opened for the accommodation of the in
jured.
This morning everything was directly
in contrast with the fury Of last night.
All was again bright and glorious in the
last night. The Polish church disaster of
60N0T6l nlOubu6 6kO Wn6 Ou0 vi Lu6 LuO6l
horrible accidents that has startled this
community, but the loss of life by that
fatal CAVERN sinks into comparative in
significance when placed in parallel
with the awful visitation of last even
ing.
PROCLAMATION BY THE MAYOR.
Mayor Kenney at O'Clock this morn
ing issued the following proclamation: l
hereby earnestly appeal to the profes-
sional, business and other citizens who
may be able to favorably respond, to meet
at the courthouse this afternoon at 80
O'Clock to devise ways and means to aid
the injured and assist the families of
those who perished last night in the fall
of the silk mill and at the Philadelphia
and Reading Railroad paint shop. The
fearful cyclone that struck this city at
$50 last evening has brought sorrow and
want to many of our people, who are in
such circumstances as to be unable to
meet the emergency, and the occasion
calls loudly for immediate action. Quick
to respond to others in distress, do not
fail to do speedy justice to our own grief
stricken people.
POSITION OF THE WRECK.
The work of rescue is greatly retarded
by the singular manner in which the silk
mill collapsed. 1t did not fall, but was
bodily crushed down, turning in upon
itself in one mass. Not vestige of the
walls remains standing above the stone
foundation save the big tower and
,smokestack and ten feet of the western
wall.
The rafters and timbers of the flooring
project in all directions. As the build
ing was steam heated, the ruins did not
take fire. Otherwise not one Of the un-
fortunates could possibly have escaped
death in the most appalling form.
STORY OF AN EYEWITNESS.
The only eyewitness to the disaster,
30 far ss known, was Mrs. Gemmlll, re-
siding near the mill. "About 20 minutes
of 6 O'Clock" ;" said she to an Associated
Press reporter, ~ heard an awful crash.
Thinking it was new house being put
up alongside of us, | ran to the front
door. A great cloud of dust hung over
the silk mill, and could hear the crash
ing of timbers and roar OF falling walls.
The next moment saw the mill q great
heap of ruins, from the midst of which
came such awful moaning and groaning
and terrible cries as never want to hear
again. Not soul did see come out of
the mill, and it seemed many minutes to
me before anybody came to the spot"
INCIDENTS OF THE DISASTER.
Teams of every description, omni-