Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-01-10
Death Rides the Wind
And Gathers in His Victims by
the Score.
DIRE AND DREADFUL DISASTERS.
Reading, Pennsylvania, Reports Fright
full Effects Of Raging
Cyclone.

Swarmins with Humanity Goes Down
into Ruin-Pittsburg Tells OF Similar
Disaster-A New Buiiding Blown Down
on Others and the Latter with Their
Living Occupants Crushed-The Storm
King Plays Havoc All Through Penn
syivania and Leaves His Mark ia Ohio.
READING. Pa, Jan. l0.-A cyclone struck
this city shortly after 5 O'Clock yesterday
afternoon, demolishing a number of build
ings, including Grimshaw Brothers silk
mill In the latter were upward of 200 OPP
eratives, who were buried in the ruins
Many have been killed
Whcn the cyclone struck Reading the
Philadelphia & Reading Railway company's
paint shop WAS unroofed. and in less than
ten minutes the entire structure was envel
oped in flames. Several gas chambers I'M
derneath the passenger cars exploded, and
four persons were killed aud several Others
badly injured The killed are: George
Schaifer, Sh riian Jones', Albert i.sydon
berger and John kohIer
The storm then continued eastward, deal
ing out destruction in its path. Nine dwell
ings on North Eighth aud Marion streets
were unroofed and otherwise badly damaged
The cyclone cut swath of about 80 feet,
and everything in its way was either leveled
to the ground or very badly wrecked The
next building in its track was the immense
silk mill of Grmshaw Bros, located at One
Hundred and Twentieth and Marion streets
This building was filled with operatives, and
not single soul escaped uninjured. The
structure, which was four stories high and
300 by 10 feet, Is mass of ruins Not a
single brick remains of the beautiful build
ing except the stock and eugiue-room. Tho
fire department was called ont, and TO- 900
msn, women, and children quickly assem-
bled about the wrecked mill The cries of the
wounded and dying and their friends were
heartrending Willing hands, however,
quickly sat to work, and at Q Is O'Clock some
seventy persons had been taken out Twelve
of these were dead and many fatally injured
those who were less seriously hurt were taken
to their homes, while those who received
more serious injuries were taken to the hos
pitals
were dragged out 10y their friends These
victims worked on the upper floors and were
| thrown near the top of the debris At some
places the bricks were piled twenty feet
deep, and underneath were lying human
bodies BY the score.
One body that was dragged out had it
head cut off Others were in various post.
ures, the living all suffering from the most
terrible wounds and some simost scared to
| death.
One person who entered the basement OF
| the building and CROPPED his way through
he debris noticed five bodies asu-~yecaIlie I
| lyinp.ol, -r1,-tuIt. young girls
, : eicse together. He tried to pull them
out, but they were pinned down. They were
dead and beyond all human aid.
While the townspevple firemen and police
were hard at work rescuIng the victims of
the terrible calamity night fell, but in spite
of the darkness and the driving storm the
rescuers kept on. In a few minutes por-
ton of the wreck of the mill took fire, illu.
minating the CHASTITY and awful scane.
Above the roar Of tue elements were heard
the terrifying cries OF the struggling, bleed
ing young women pinned in the building.
| The fire from the wreck was quenched
| Then it was pitch dark again. BOnfires
were speedily kindled and tue various am
| balances and livery stable forces were tele
| phoned for Scenes of terror were wit
| messed under the glare of the bonfires as the
| dead and dying were carried out. At first
the dead bodies were passed and the
wounded were taken from under the wreck
| The three stories had crumbled in upon the
first floor, leaving the big stack and boiler
house standing intact. Agonizsd ..mothcr:
wildly moved about closely scanning the
| faces of the wounded and mangled as they
were carried out By this time at leaS
5000 people had cong egated and swarms o
| vehicles had backed up in front of the wreck
| The wounded were very difficult to reach
because the entire wreck of the four storie
| of the large building had collapsed anC
fallen directly down in one confused heap
The killed recovered up to II o'clock were
Annie Reidnour. Ella Long, Amelia Christ
man, Harry Croker (foreman) Mary Reid
rour, Kate Leas, John Rober, Sophia Wrinkle
man, William Robinson, Rose Klenmer
Kate Bowman, Title Groh, Eva Leeds.
The injured are: George Newman JON
Autenbach, Sadie Rhoades, Mary Reese
George Nleman, Sallie Young, Salle Has
son, George Grimshaw. Jr. zone of the own
ers), Augustus Frossleys. Kate Aulbach, Kat
Hal tman, Sallle E Bright, Joanna Franken
nelo, nate FITZPATRICK, minnie Meshei, Al
ME and Howard Bucker, Salie Savage
Lizzie Ahrens, Buhla Hesman, Ellie Salem
Ellie Pfuern. These have been taken out.
Clerk Autenbach stated at midnight tina
he believed that fully eighty bodies were il
the ruins under the three floors. His list o
employees is lost, and owing to the confusio
In taking out the injured he was unable
furnish list of the killed, but eighty is
conservative estimate of those who lost thei
| lives.