Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-01-16

the saddest night in the history of
Reading. A death-like pail hangs over
the city to-nightas the result of the most
horrible disaster in its history. A hun
dred households are in mourning as
the result of one of the greatest calami-
ties that ever took place in Pennsylva-
MIA. cyclone swept over the north
ern part of the city this afternoon
and laid waste everything within its
reach, causing terrible loss of life. The
number that have been injured can only
be estimated. The most reliable COM
putation at 10 o'clock tonight is that
not less than sixty persons have been
killed outright and one hundred injured.
How this terrible calamity occurred is
about az follows: 1t had been raining
very hard all morning. Towards noon
it ceased almost entirely and by o'clock
there was every indication that there
would be an entire cessation of the rain
storm. Half an hour afterwards the
bright sun made every effort to pene-
trate the clouds. The tints of rainbow
were seen in the eastern sky. It por-
tended beautiful sunset. There was
clear sky overhead. This continued for
half an hour longer.
Then the scene changed with sud-
denness that was appalling. The feecy
clouds gave way to the ominous signs of
a coming storm. Dark, heavy banks of
clouds marshalled themselves towards
the town and soon a gloom seemed to
have settled over the city. Then the
wind whistled, roared and tore in mad
confusion. The storm clouds grew
heavier still and louder roared the wind.
In the Western sky the storm was seen
approaching with a laundering noise.
The swath it cut was narrow, but it's eff
feet was terrible.
Out in the country houses and barns
were unroofed, farm outbuildings were
overturned, crops rooted up and de-
struction spread in every direction.
The track OF this destructive ele-
ment was not more than 200 feet
wide, and it is lucky thatit only touched
the suburbs of the city. 1t came from
the west, but passed along the northern
border of Reading. Firstit touched the
Mount Penn Stove Works. Here the
corner of the building was struck and
portion of the roof was cut off as nicely
as if done with pair of scissors.
Then the storm cloud scurried
ton of the roof of j. IL. Sternbergh's
rolling mill and a number of dwellings
were unrooIed as readily rs if their tin
roofs were paper. The storm then hur-
ried across the property OF the Reading
Railroad Company and crossed the rail-
road. Here passenger car was stand
ing. This was overturned as quickly as
If 1t had been toy and its splinters
scattered in every direction.
Meanwhile the rain poured down in
torrents. The atmosphere became
heavy and oppressive and it was almost
as dark as night. Directly on one side
of the track of the Reading Railroad
were situated the paint shops of the
company. It was one-story building
about 60x150 feet IN size. Here
about thirty men were employed
IN painting passenger cars. There
were eight or nine of these
cars in the building. They had been
built In the company's shops at a cost of
$4,000 each. The building was struck
squarely, in the middle and the bricks
scattered about as If they were play
things. The cars were turned topsy
turvy while the men were buried under
the debris. Some OF the bricks were
carried away.
The chamber of each of the passenger
cars was already filed with gas as they
were ready to be taken out ON the road
in few days. These exploded one
after another like so many cannon.
The loud reports resounded over the
city, caused tho people to run out
of their houges thinking that
it was the sound of an earth
quake. There was a considerable guam
tity of gasoline in the building, and
this added fuel to the flames. A sheet
of flame shot upwards 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 moment by
the terrified workmen, and then their
voices were hushed forever. They were
quickly roasted to death. The fire from
the nine passenger cars lit up the heav-
ems for miles around. It was beautiful
sight and could have been enjoyed but
for the awful calamity which accom-
plished.
The fire department was called out
but its services were unavailing. The
building and cars were consumed in
fifteen minutes and nothing left but
blackened, smoking ruins under which
lay four human beings, burned to a
crisp.
It was rumored that several others
had been killed, but these are the only
ones who it is known have lost their
lives. Three others are known to be in
jured. The loss to the railroad COM
pany is fully $4,000. While all this
was going on, the storm was rushing
forward with fearful rapidity. It must
have travelled at the rate of 100 miles an
hour. 1t struck some private houses
and unroofed a dozen private resi-
dences. The huge sheets Of tin were
carried half a square away and depos-
tied in lot.
Then the storm proceeded in it's full
fury. Directly in its path, at the corner
of Twelfth and Marian Streets, stood the
Reading silk mill, one of the industries
of the city in which the citizens took
the greatest pride. Here about It's
happy girls were working. The build
ing was huge structure, most substan-
TALLY built. It was four stories in height,
and had a basement besides. Ii
occupied an entire block of ground.
The size of the building itself was
nearly 300 feet in length and about 100
feet wide. 1t was surmounted by a
massive tower fully 100 feet from the
ground. The funnel-shaped storm cloud