The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-01-11
READINGS GRIEF.
First Reports of the Calam-
ity Not 0yerdrawn.
The Ruins Of the silk Mil stin Hide
Many Cerpees-sad scenes
I'm the City.

REApiys, Pa, Jan. l0.-There i
mourning and sorrow in many :
household in Reading to-day. This
pail of death hangs over the city. Fa.
therS, mothers, brothers, sisters, rela-
tiyes and friends are grief-stTicken
over the wreck of last night. Perhap.
one hundred spirits are huShed for.
ever in death as result OF the wreck
and ruin wrought in this city by the
storm.
The cyclone left the entire city in
darkness, relieved subsequently hy
electric lights and huge benfires which
shed lurid glare over the scene oi
death. All night long brave and will
ing hands assisted in the work OF res
cue The disaster was fully as bad as re.
ported last night, The hospitals aud
undertaking establishments are filed
with the victims. The physicians are
all busy. and many private houses
have been opened for the accommoda-
ton Of the injured.
This morning everything was di-
rectiy IN contrast with the fury of last
night All was again bright and glo-
rioDs In the heavens, as though mock
ing the work of last night The Polish
church disaster Of several months ago
was one of the most herrihle accidents
that has startled this community. but
the loss of life of that fatal caye.in
sinks into comparative insignifeance
when placed in parallel with the awful
visitation OF last evening.
THE MAYOR APPEALS Fog AID.
MayoF Kenney at 10 O'Clock this
morning issued the following prccIa-
nation: II hereby earnestly appeal TO
/ the professional, business and other
citizens who may be able to fayorably
{ respond to meet at the courthouse this
afternoon at l 80 o'clock to devise
WAYS and means to aid the injured
and assist the families of those who
I perished last night in the fall of the
+ silk-mill at the Philadelphia & Read.
ing railroad paint-skop. The fearful
cyclone that struck this city at $50
last evening has brought sorrow and
wast TO many of our people who are
in such circumstances as TO be unable
10 meet the emergency. and the ocea-
sion calls loudly for immediate action
Quick to respond to others in distress.
do not fail TO do speedy justice to our
own grief-strieken people"
ALL IN HEAP.
The work Of rescue was greatly re-
tarded from the singular manner ia
which the silk mill collapsed II did
/ not fall, but was bodily crushed down,
turning in upon itself in one mass.
Not vestige of the walls remain
standing above the stone foundation.
| The rafters and timbers of the flooring
project in all directions. As the build
ing was steam-heated the ruins did
not take fire; otherwise not one OF the
unfortunates could possibly have e.
capped death in the most appalling
form.
AN EYEWITNESS STATEMENT.
The only eyewitness to the disaster,
as far as known. was Mrs. Gimmill
residing near the mill. About 20
minutes of 6 O'Clock = said she To an
Associated Press reporter, II heard
an awful crash. Thinking it was new
house being put up alongside US, ran
Z TO the front door. A great cloud of dust
{ hung over the silk mill and ! could
hear the crashing Of timbers and the
roar of falling walls. The next mo
ment saw the mill great heap of
ruins, from the midst of which came
such an awful moaning, groaning and
terrible cries as | never want to hear
again. Not soul could see coming
out of the mill, and it seemed many
minutes TO me before anybody came
TO the spot"
WORK CONTINUED ALL NIGHT.
Teams of every description, omni-
Z buses, coaches, fire wagons, hospital
vans and private vehicles were pressed
( into service and were running rapidly
/ 10 and from the scene OF the disaster
all night, bearing the bodies of the
wounded, diving and dead to their
/ homes or hospitals. From the state
ment OF some OF those who escaped
I from the building, it appears 10 have
gone dogn in an instant. There was
I a loud crash OF breaking timbers in the
mill. All rushed toward the main
doors. A good many succeeded in
[ getting out. Four girls saved them
+ selves by jumping from the second
story windows. The first rumbling
/ noise was followed instantly by the
+ falling OF the building, the upper
I stories going first with its human load.
4 Had il not been for the fact that but
I few of the hands were on The third
and fourth floors at the time, scarcely
f a life would have been saved.
275 PEOPLE IS THE MILL
Georee Grimshaw, one Of the propri-
etors OF the mill. who barely escaped
with his life, having received several
severe wounds, stated that there were
about 275 persons, principally girl.
and bows. in the establishment at the
time OF The occurrence. Up 10
o'clock this morning a large majority
of these were still in the ruins.
THE DEATH LIST.
Following is list OF the casualties
corrected up 10 this evening;
RurDed 10 death in the Philadelphia
A Reading paint shop Allen Landen
berger. John Foreman, John III. haler
sheridan Jones, George A. Schaiier
Three others seriously injured;
The list of casualties at the sill
mills is as follows:
Dend-Sallie Saylor. Mary Evans
Harry Crocker. Annie Bandmauer
Mamie Lees. Ella RideDlower, Sail'
BeckeI. Eva Leeds, Sophie Wlnkie
man (foreladv). Katie Leeds, Mile
Chri- tman. Barbara Seilheimer, Wm
( SNYDER. George Nirman, Lilly Shooter
Daisv Decker. Emma Nesier, Salil
HorDer. Annie Fisher. Sailie Harrison
Z Annie Kirsher, Mary fitzpatrick, Sai
he Faust. ID. c. Becker, Matilda Grow
sadie shade. Emma Biurn, John lie
der The number of injured so far ac
counted for is liz. OF these many arr
expected 10 die
GENEROUS AID FEOH cIrEzENs.
rh;. .f,a,noo, a largeiv-attendeg
meeting of citizens was held IN th'
court house to devise means Tor th'
relief of the sufferers over SSoe'
Was subscribed on the Instant Any
amount needed was promised, and tn'
entire city will be canvassed Tor tunus
The work OF hunting Tor the deaf
continued all of to-day, and the scene
Surrounding the mill we're bat a repe
tition OF what ensued during the |hol'
of last night. There were fathers ans
mothers waiting. beseechinf The res
euers To give them some tldIngs .
their missing sons and daughters.
has been determined TO push the wof
of rescue all OF tonight
The list of deaths sent TO The Asso
cisted Press tonight is believed 10 o
the first thoroughly correct one ye
puhlished. 1t i not as large =
Va At first feared, bat stili ther
are many missing. and there i bu
one belief and that j. that probably
dsgsr or more OF the missing are sfli
heneath the debris. The ooTone
has surnmon-d n jury, and to-morIo'
will begin an Inquest on me es'oie -
Of the five men roasted 70 DEAN ~ ~
R4asing shop. They viii bold no II
-. - - zflk mill victims unit