The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-01-17

west Virginia and pennsyEyF mia laid
la Ruins

west Virginia and pennsyEyH mia Eaisi
la Ruins.
The exceedingly heavy rain storm which
occurred on Wednesday last was general
throughout the States Of PENNSYLVANIA and
West Virginia. and brought in its wake 10
the Latter sections death and destruction.
Shortly after 4 clock in the afternoon
When the people of Reading, Pa, were
looking forward to clear weather and the
rain had ceased. the scene changed with a
snddenness that was appalling. The lleecy
clouds gave way TO the omnibus sgnS Of q
coming storm. Dark, heavy tanks of
clouds marshalled themselves towards the
front, dsa.gloom:seemed to have settled
over the city. There was stiffness as of
coming danger. Then the wind whistled
and 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 uEdering noise. The swath it cut was
barrow. but its effect was terrible. Per
sons residing along the track of the storm
say that they saw The first signs of danger
in funnel>shaped mseistrom, which
seemed to gather up everything within its
reach and cast it right and Jeff
Dat in the country. houses and barns
were unroofed, farm outbuilings over
tnrned, crops rooted up, and destruction
spread in every direction. The track Of
this destructive element WAS not more
than two hundred feet wide, and it is
tae city. II came from the west but
passed along the northern border Of Read
ing. First it touched the Mt. Penn Stove
Works. Here the corner Of the building
cat off as nicely as il done with a pair OF
scissors. Then The storm cloud -scurried
across some.elds .and took off a. portion
of the roof of J.3H. Sternbergh's rolling
mill. and number Of dwellings were un-
rooted as nicely as if their tin roofs were
paper.
The storm then. hurried across the prop
erty of the Reading Railroad Company
and crossed the railroad. Here a passen-
ger car was standing,
READING EMPLOYEES ROASTED.
This was overturned as neatly as if it
was a toy, and its splnters were scattered
in every direction. Meanwhile, the rain
poured down III torrents. The atmos-
phere became heavy and oppressive, and
it was almost as dark as night. Directly
alongside the tracks Of the Reading Rail
road was situated the paint shops Of the
Reading Railroad Company. 1t was one
story building, about 60 by $50 feet in size.
Here about thirty men were employed
painting passenger cars.
There were eight or nine Of these cars
in the building. They had been built in
the company's shops. in this city at a cost
of six thousand dollars each. The build
ing was struck square in The middle, and
the bricks scattered about as If they were
playiDgs. The cars were turned topsy-
turvy while the men were buried under
the debris. Some Of the bricks were car
| red a square 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 a few days These ex
pl0ded one after another, with the fearful
! bang of a cannon. Bang bang bang
they resounded over the city, causing the
people to run out of their houses, think
ing that it was the: sound of an earth.
quake. There was considerable quan
| tity Of gasoline. in the building, and that
added fuel to the flames. A sheath OF
flame shot Heavenward with the roar OF
musketry.
Some twenty of the men had a chance tc
crawl out of the debris. but four OF their
companions were enyeloped in the EN-
brace of the flames Their cries were
heard for moment by the terrified work
men, and then their voices were husheG
forever. They were quickly roasted t.
death. and the fire from the nine passen-
ger cars lit up the heavens for miles
around. 1t was beautiful sight. an(
could have been enjoyed but for the awfu
calamity which brought it about. In The
meantime the fire department was calico
out. but its services were unayailipg
The building ard cars were consumed il
fifteen minutes, and nothing left bul
blackened, smoking ruins, under which
lay four human beings. burned to crisp
Their names are John Kabler, Albert
l.andberger, Sheridan Jones and George
Schaefer.
1t was rumored that several others ha(
been killed, but these are the only one:
who it is known have lost their lives
Aaron Dewalt. another employe in tht
paint shop, had his arm broken. and Geo
knabb was injured internally, 10 doubt
fatally. The loss to the railroad company
OH, the storm was travelling forward will
fearful rapidly. 1t must have Travelled al
the rate of one hundred miles an hour. II
struck some more private houses and TN
roefed dozen private residences. The
huge sheets of tin weres carried half {
square away and deposited in lot.
SLAUGHTER OF TILE MILL GIRLS.
Then the storm proceeded in its fury
Directly in its path, at the corner Of
Twelfth and Marion streets, stood thu
Reading Silk Mill. one Of the industries d
the city, in which the citizens took thu
greatest pride. Here about l75 happy girl
were working. The building was hugs
structure, most substantially built, fou
stories in height and had a basement be
sides. 1t occupied an entire block o
ground. The size of the building itsel
was nearly 800 feet in length and abou
$50 feet wide. 1t was surmounted by
massive tower, fully 100 feet from tn
ground, The unnelshaped storm clou'
struck the building directly in the centr
on its broadcast side, which faced the west
1t fell to pieces as if composed OF s
many building blocks. Nearly two hun
dred human beings went down in th
awful wreck. Human tongue can neye
tell the terrible scenes Of that hour TIL
walls gave way, the floors fell down, on
Oh top of the other, and carried their grea
mass of human beings to the bottom. TIL
, bricks were piled up in the greatest cor
fusion while amid the hurricane an
J whistipg, rushing. roaring wind, terribi
cries for succor were sent up to Heaven