Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-10

READING (Pa.), January 9th-This was the
saddest night in the history of Reading.
death-like pail hangs upon the city as the re-
suit of the most horrible disaster in its history.
hundred households are in mourning as the
result of one ofthe greatest calamities known in
Pennsylvania. A cyclone swept over the north
ern section of the city this afternoon, and laid
waste everything within its reach, and with a
terrible loss of life. The lives that have been
sacrificed and the number that have been in
jured can only be estimated. The most reliable
computation at 10 o'clock to night is that not
less than sixty persons have been killed out
right, and one hundred injured How this ter
rible calamity occurred is as follows:
1t was raining very hard all the morning.
Toward noon it ceased almost entirely. and by
IL o'clock there was every indication of an en-
tire cessation of the rain-storm. Half an hour
afterwards the bright sun made every effort to
penetrate the clouds. Tints of rainbow were
seen IN the eastern sky and there was clear
sky overhead. This continued for half an hour
longer and the scene changed with a sudden
ness that was appalling. The feecy clouds gave
way to
OMNIBUS SIGNS OF A COMING STORM
selves toward the town, and soon the gloom
seemed to have settled over the city. Then
the wind whistled, roared and tore in mad CON
fusion. The storm clouds grew heavier still. and
louder roared the wind In the western sky the
storm was seen approaching with laundering
noise. The swath it cut was narrow. but its
effect was terrible. Persons residing along the
track of the storm say they saw the first signs of
danger in funnel shaped maelstrom of wind
and debris which seemed TO gather I'D eyery-
thing within its reach and cast it right and left
Out in the country, houses and barns were nm
rooted, buildings overturned, crops roo,ed m
ana des tructlon spread in every direction.
1T STRIKES THE CITY.
The track OF the destructive element was mt
touched the suburbs of the city. Ii came from,
the west, but passed along the northern border
OF keadlng. First 1t touched the Nj Pennsyl-
h wanna stove WORKS. Here the corner of the
Duilding was struck, and portion OF the roof
was cut OIL as nicely as if done with a pair of
scissors. Then the stornl-cloud scurried across
some neids, too6 Of portion of the roof of J.
. StelnDergs Rolling Mill, and a number of
dwellings were unroofed as readily as if their
tin roofs were of paper.
The storm then hurried across the pronortv M
the Reading Railroad Company and crossed the
railroad Here a passenger car was standing
ms was overturned as quickly as if it had been
toy, and its splinters scattered in every dire
tlon. Meanwhile the ram poured down IN tor
i Ienes; me atmosphere became heavy and OPP
pressive, ana 1t was almost as dark as night
RAILROAD SHOPS DEMOLISHED.
Directly on one side of the track of the Road
ing Railroad was situated the pail t-shop of the
company. 1t was u one-story building about
6oAl9o feet in size and held about 800 men. who
There were eight or nine of the cars in fhe
building. They had been built at the com.
peny's shops at a cost of ST, 900 each. The build
lug was struck squarely in the mi3dle, and the
playthings. The cars were turned topsy
turvy, while the men were buried mn
der the debris The chamber of
with gas es they wee ready to be taken our on
Lne ROAD IN lew days. They exploded one
after another. Bang bang bang bang they
resaunded over the city: causing people to run
out OF their houses thinking il was thu sound
1f an earthquake. There was a considerable
quantity of gasoline in the building and this
added fuel TO the flames.
SHEET OF FLAME SHOT UPWARD
With the roar of musketry Some twenty of
The men had chance to crawl out of the
debris but four OF their companions were en-
veloped in the embrace of the flames Their
cries were heard for a moment by the terrified
workmen, End then their voices were hushed
forever. They were quickly roasted 10 death
The fire from the nine burning cats lii up the
heavens for miles around Il vas beautiful
sight; and could have been enjoyed but for the
awful calamity W bich accom- named IL In tho
the fire department. was called out. but
LIS services were Gaayailing. The building aud
cars were CONSUMED 10 fifteen minutes, and
nothing len but blackened, smoking ruins un-
der when lay four human beings buruec to a
crisp. Their names are John Kalier, Albert
lsndberser, Sheridan Jones and George echaf-
fer.
1t was rumored that several others had been
killed. but these are TIE only ones who are
known TO have lost their lives. Aaron walt
S STo emPIoye in The paint shop. had an srm
naly, no doubt fatally. The loss to the railroad
company is fully $1,000.
on WITH AWFUL FURY
While this was all going on the storm was
travelling forward with fearful rapidly II
must have Travelled at the rate of 100 mites per
hour II struck some more private bUuses and
unroo'ed q dozen residences. huge sheets of
tin were carried half square away aud de-
posted IN lot. Then the storm proceeded in
It's full fury.
Dire. tly in It's path, at the corner of Twelfth
and Marion streets, stool the Reading Six Mil.
Here aoOu, 10 girls We're working. The build
ing was a huge structure most SUBSTANTIALLY
built tour stories in hight, aud basement re.
SIDES 1t occupied a block OF ground. The size
of the building itself was nearly go feet in
lensth, and about ls1 feet vide. 1t was sur
mounted by massive tower fully 100 feet iron
tue ground. The funnel shaped storm cloud
struck the building Directly in the center on its
oroadest side, which faced the west. II fell to
blocks
NEARLY TWO HUNDRED HUMAN BEINGS WENT
DOWN IN THE AWFUL WRECK
The walls gave way. and the floors fell down.
one on top OF the other, anc carried their great
mass OF human beings 10 the bottom. The
bricks were piled up ia the creates; confusion
while amid the hurricane and the wfisting
roaring winds, terrible cries for succor were
sept up 10 heaven. u was "a moment that tria,.
mems sonls. Almost simultaneously with the
fail the Dl.ilfnq e. tho awful
lief Girls with hlackeDed faces, bruised ard
broken limbs. their clothing tattered and torn
dsagget! themselves ffoin the ruins. so. prob
ably, IS or 100 escaped or were dragged out by
sheir friends. These, of course, 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 these
are lying to night humal bodies by the score.
About 80 girls and young women are usually
employed ~ the mills but al o'clock about 81
were relieved from duty for the day. and re-
turned 10 their homes before the storm came
The most reliable estimate Tonight places
.he number in the building when il went down
at in the reighbornoOd of rs. and. a. before
stated, leo OF these were rescued by friends or
dragged themselves out Immediately.
After the accident an alarm for relief was at
once sent out. snd in short time thousands OF
citizens arrived to help ont the dead and dying.
TaE SCENE WAS a NARROWING ONE,
And beggars description The mill is situated
pear TIE foo5 or NJ Penn, high mountain
overlook ng the city. When the people arrived
everything was enscloped Ia darkness Then
huge boDtires We're bull. which cast dismal
glare on the surrounding scene. The fire COM
paaies left the burning paint shop and assisted
in the vescue OF the dead end dying. The entire
police force was called out, also the ambulance
aud relief corps snd a thousand people were
in among the debris carrying out bricks pulling
awaY liinbers and assisting wherever they
could, all at the same time But their work wss
SLOW. compared with the demand for the rescue
OF victims of the disaster.
Here young woman was taken out suffering
from cuts and bruises. one body noticed as it
was dragged out had its head cut of Others
were IN various positions. living, and all suf-
fering iren the most terrible wounds and some
almost scared to death.
An Associaied Press representative entered
what was once the basement OF the building
and cropping his way through the debris notice