The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-17

;65.
opened for the accommodation of the
injured.
The story of the storm is ringing in
all ears. Itappears that it had been
raining very hard during the early part
of the day, the water coming down in
sheets, but at half-past three everything
pointed to a complete cessation Of the
storm.
| DR.. E. G.. Wetherall, who suffered
the loss of broken arm by being
struck with a flying brick, said to-day
that at four o'clock he concluded to go
| out, thinking the rain entirely over.
Suddenly heavy, black clouds became
| noticeable in the west, a tremendous
gale sprang up, and in less than five
| minutes the whole force Of the storm
struck the town. Out in the country
| houses and barns were unroofed, farm
housesand barns were overturned, and
destruction spread in every direction.
The track of this destructive element
was not more than two hundred feet
wide, and it is lucky that it only touch
ed the suburbs of the city. 1t came
from the west, but passed along the
northern border of Reading. First, it
touched the NJ. T. Penn stove works,
ripping the roof off. Then the storm
cloud scurried across some fields, took
eff a portion of the roof of J. 81. Stern
bergh's rolling mill, and number Of
dwellings we're unroofed, The storm
hui ried across the property of the Read
ing railroad company and crossed. the
railroad. At this time it was almost as
dark as night.
Nearly alongside the tracks of the
Reading road was situated the paint
shops Of the Reading railroad company;
a one-story building about 60 by $50
feet, where thiSty men were employed
in painting passenger cars. There were
eight or nine of these in the building.
The building was Struck square in the
middle and bricks scattered as if they
We're playthings. Cars were turned
topsy-turvy, while the men were buried
under the debris.
There was considerable quantity of
gasoline IN the building, and this added
fuel to the flames shot heavenward
with the roar Of musketry. Some
twenty Of the men had chance to
crawl out of the debris, but four oftheir
companions were enveloped in the en-
brace of the flames. They were quickly
roasted to death, and the fire from the
passenger cars lit up for miles around.
In the meantime, the fire department
was called out, but its services were un-
avail;ng. The building and cars were
consumed in fifteen minutes, and moth
ing left but blackened, smoking ruins.
The loss to the railroad company is full
ly SIS, 900. ~
While this was ali going on the
storm was travelling forward with fear
full rapidity. 1t struck and unroofed a
dozen private residences. Huge sheets Of
timber were carried halfa square away.
Then the storm proceeded in its fury.
Directly in its path, at the corner Of
Twelfth and Marian streets, stood the
Reading silk mill. Here about 275
girls were working. The size Of the
building itself was nearly 300 feet in
length and about $50 feet in width. 1t
was surmounted by massive towe',
fully 100 feet from the ground. The
funuel-shaped storm cloud struck the
building directly in the center on It's
broadest side, which faced the west. 1t
fell to pieces as if composed of so many
building blocks. Nearly 200 human
beings went down in the awful wreck.
The wall gave way, the floors fell down:
one on top of the other, sod carried
their great mass of human beings to the
bottom.
Girls with blackened faces, bruised
and broken linps, their clothing tat
tered and torn, dragged themselves
from the ruins. At some places the
bricks were piled twenty feet deep
and underneath these are probably
lying human bodies by the score.
About 250 gi,ls and young women are
usually employed in the mill, but at
( o'clock about eighty were relieved
from duty for the day. They returned
to their homes before the storm came.
The most reliable estimate places the
number in the building when it went
down in the neighborhood Of l75, and
as before stated, 100 Of these. were res
cued by friends and dragged themselves
out immediately after the accident.
The alarm for relief was Immediately
sent out, and in short time thousands
of citizens arrived to help get out the
dead and dying.
When the people arrived, everything
was enveloped in darkness. Fire COM
panies left the burning paint shop and
assisted in the rescue Of the dead and
dying. The entire police force was call
ed out, ambulance and relief corps, and
8 thousand people were among the