, 1889-01-11
DES0LATI0h AND DEATH
Further Particulars of the
Reading Disaster.
The Horror Fully as Bad as at
First Reported.
List of the Dead, Injured and
Missing.
The Readinu Horror.

blOhhSAo
were erief-strlcken over the wreck OF last
night. Over one hundred spirits are
bnshed forever in death as the result of
the terrible ruin wrought in this city by
the storm. The cyclone left the entire
CITY in darkness, which was relieved sub
seouently by electric lights and huge bon
fires. which spread a 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 might. The list of fatal cases will
fully reach l0O-may be more. The hos
pitals and undertakers establishments are
filled with victims. Physicians are all
busy, and many private houses have been
opened for the accommodation of the in
iured. This morning everything was
directly in contrast with the fury Of last
night, and all again is bright and glorious
in the heavens as though knocking the
work of last night.
The Polish church disaster of several
months age was one of the most horrible
accidents that had startled this communi-
ty, but the loss OF life in hat fatal cave
in sinks into
COMPARATIVE SIGNIFICANCE
when placed in parallel with the awful
visitation of last evening. Mayor KenncY
at 2 o'clock this morning issued the iol-
lowing proclamation:
Il hereby earnestly appeal to profess
sional. business and other citizens who
may be able to favorably respond TO meet
at the court house this afternoon at l3:30
O'Clock to devise ways and means to aid
the injured and assist the families OF those
who persisted last night in the fall of the
elk mill and at the PHILADELPHIA x Read
ing 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.
The work of rescue is greatly retarded
from 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
n y~estige of the walls remain standing
above the stone foundation. The raiters
and timbers of the flooring project in all
directions. As the building was steam
heated the ruins did not take. fire, other
wise not one OF the unfortunate victims
could possibly nave escaped death IN the
most appalling form.
STORY BY AN EYE n
The only eyewitness to the disaster as
far as known was Mrs. Grimmill, residing
near the mill.
About twenty minutes of 6 O'Clock, >
said she to the Associated Press reporter
Il heard an awful crash. Thinking it
was the new house being put up alongside
of Us, | ran to-the front door. A great
cloud OF dust hung over the silk mil. and
| could hear the crashing of timbcrs and
the roar u falling walls The next mo
ment | saw the mill a great heap OF ruins,
from the midst of which came such an
awful moaning and %groaning and terrible
cries as [ never want to near again. Not
a soul did | see come out Of the mill, and
it seemed many minutes to me before any
body came to the spot.
THE WORK OF RESCUE.
Teams of every description, omnibuses,
funeral coaches, fire wagons, hospital vans
and private vehicles were pressed into
ScTNlCC anu WtTG lullbibk lapluiy w II
from the scene of disaster all night, bear
ing the bodies of the wounded, dying aud
dead to their homes or the hospitals.
. From the statement of some OF those whe
escaped from the building it appears to
lave gone down in an instant. There was
a loud crash of breaking timbers and per
sons in the mill all rushed toward the
main doors. A good many succeeded in
getting out. Four girls saved themselves
by jumping from the second story win
dow.
The first r~umbling noise was followed
instantly by the falling of the building,
the-upper stories going first with its hu
man load. Had it not been. Tor the fact
that but few of the hands were on the
third and fourth floors at the time scarcely
a life would have been saved.
George Grimshaw, one of the pro-
prize ors of the mill, who barely escaped
with his life, having received several
275 persons, principally girls and boys,
in the establishment at the time of the
occurrence.
Up to 8 o'clock this morning a large
majority of the victims were sill in the
ruins. Grinshaw gives the following list
of the killed, injured and missing reported
to him. The list accounts for about 300:
u
Eva Iced, E. Harry Krocker, William
Snyder, Sophia Winkleman, Carrie Kersh-
ner.
INJURED.
Annie Leeds, Annie Fry, Augustus
Rosehup, John Reber, Annie Loveland,
Addie Shade, Florence Philades, Lizzie
Haws, Becky Hoyer, Harry Becker, Osman
Stahl. Becky Pounds, Mary Evans, Sallie
Say age, Sarah Evans, Ella Kress. Ella
Plum, Agnes Savage. Nora Saylor, Annie
Bricker. Ella Reitnour, Mary Fitzpatrick,
Lottie Saylor, Katie Fitzpatrick, Katie
Bowman, Sallie Il. Bright, Laura Wright,
Ida Schaefer, Amanda Schaefer, Ella