River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-05-16
A BALEFuL BLAST.

q BAl6f III BIAS l.
A Furious storm Of Wind and Rain Visits
New York and Other Eastern Cities and
Towns-A Panic Ensues at Barnum's
Circus in %iiliamsport, Pa, and several
People Are Iniured-LightningI Kills
Number of Persons.
NEW YORK, May IA terrible thunder
and wind-storm visited this city and the
Atlantic coast Friday evening. doing much
damage and causing considerable loss of
life. The day had been hot, the therlnon-
eter registering 81 degrees in the shade
The storm came up about 5:l5 p.
m, and tor half an hour every thing
was in darkness and the air was flled
with dust and sand Hardly breath
of air had been stirring before, and
the sudden rush Of wind blowing mt the
rate OF fifty miles an hour was awful in the
extreme while the black darkness that
overhung every thing struck terror to tie
hearts of the timid. Ignorant and super
stitious people dropped ON the pavements
and prayed Street-car windows were
blown out and cabs were overturned or
twisted
In Printing House Square men and
women, blinded by sand, CROPPED for trees
or chung TO the park fence or sank down
where they were, unable TO see and afraid
TO move. Women and children were car
ried forcibly along against buildings or
curbs where they fell. The tall Tribune
and Times buildings on one side of Park
Row were not visible from the other side
SuperstitiOus persons were seen bowed to
the pavement praying.
Many OF the wire-poles remaining are
down, signs and broken glass strew the
walks; in the harbor ferry boats were
blown about well-nigh helpless; yawl was
Int 70 fxtyfN Il.
flag poles were hurled TO the streets.
and the remains of the centeu-
NAL decorations were blown down.
The ferry-boat Flushing was lust
approaching the slip on this side of the river
when the whirlwind struck her and turned
her almost completely around and dashed
her against one of the bulkheads. A num-
Der OF passengers. mostly ladies, were
thrown down with great force.
The area covered by the reports is South
ern New York, Eastern Pennsylvania, Mary
land Delaware, Connecticut and Massachlt-
sets No deaths are reported in this city,
but many painful casualties
On Long Island buildings We're blown
down, huge piles of lumber scattered,
and awnings, signs, etc, carried
from their fastenings and hurled
through the streets. 4 coach contain
ing three ladies returning from Calvary
Cemetery was blown into the meadows.
The occupants escaped uniniured but the
coach was badly smashed and the horses
wounded A passenger train standing on
the track at Far ROckaway was started by
the wind, but the station agent jumped
aboard and put on the brakes.
The Pennsylvania railroad engine house
at Burlington, y. j., was blown down At
Fair Haven, Conn. men were buried in the
wreckage of a new house, while twenty
three working outside were hurled through
the air with fatal results TO some and Sc
we're injury to all At Point of Rocks
Nd, twenty-five men who We're at work on
a railroad restle over the river at that point
were swepJ off into the water sixty feet be-
low, and at Palmyra, Pa. many houses are
in ruins and the inmates homeless, if alive.
At WilliamspOrt, Pa, Barnum's show
was stampeded There was a panic
of fear lest the tent should fall Three
cages of animals were overturned an
antelope was killed, and the trumpeting OF
elephants caught under the falling canvas
caused intense fright and confusion Many
of the perfOrmers-men and women-were
shockingiy hurt
The storm interfered with the working
of the telegraph wires radiating from the
city. There has been much delay, and re-
lays have been a necessity ON the long cir
cults
At Pittsburgh there was the heaviest
rain-storm since the memorable cloud
burst of 1874, when nearly 200 people lost
their lives. The rain fell in torrents,
and in a few minutes the streets
we're converted into small rivers;
cellars were flooded in all parts of
the city, and the Fifth avenue cable
cars were stopped by the water getting
TO the Washington street power-hOuse.
Land-slides are reported ON nearly all the
railroads leading into the city The low
lands along the Ohio river We're badly flood
ed and numerous farms We're completely
washed out The storm was accompanied
BY remarkable electric display and sew
eral houses were struck by lightning ON
Mount Washington.
At Newcastle, Pa, the storm broke win
dow-panes and blew down shade trees
During the storm the residence of ex-
County Treasurer James Reynolds was
struck by lightning, and Mrs. Reynolds and
"A daughter were stunned by the shock.
They remained in an unconscious condition
for two hours but they viii recover. The
house was not damaged to any extent
AT Newport, Pa, the county fair exhibit
ton building was demolished and other
buildings damaged Charles Meyers, aged
S, was killed. At Pottsville, Pa, the storm
damaged many buildings. A panic occurred
among the girls in the silk mill and Sallie
Reichart was thrown down a flight of stairs
and seriously injured Work had to be sus-
pended for the day. A Polish miner was
killed by lightning. At ShamOkin, Pa. many
buildings. including a row of eight new
unoccupIed tenements were wrecked. At
SusqUehauna, Pa, William Clapper, of Gulf
Summit, n Y. was killed by lightning. At
Easton, Pa. the tornado uprooted trees and
unroofed buildings. Mrs David E Ward
ing and her son were badly injured by a
billboard which was blown down upon
them.
At Elmira, n. Y, IN any buildings were
damaged Several PO4s0ns were hurt by
flying debris, and Jacob MetZgcr, a mer-
chant, severely injured by his carriage be-
ing blown over. At Geneseo, n. Y, a wind
storm blew three workmen from church
building They fell forty feet, and one
named Redd was killed and the others in
jured At Rutland, Vt, lightning shattr red
a building at the marble quaTries where
Miss Emma Juch, the vocalist and some
friends had taken refuge. They were
stunned but not injured
ALEDo. Ill. May IA heavy storm swept
through this county about ) o'clock Friday
afternoon, doing considerable damage. A
party of school children, who Lad been pic
nicking near Aledo, We're caught in it, and
soWe OF them blown nearly a hundred feet,
but none of them were seriously hurt
Trees and fences were blown down and
several houses and barns demolished
HIS MOTHER WILL PAY.