, 1889-01-10
DIRE DISASTER.
Terrible Results of a Cyclone
at Reading
Death and Destruction in All
Its Horrible Forms.
Hundreds of Persons Hurried
Into Eternity.

A death-lIke pail hangs upon the city,
the result of "a most horrible disaster in
its history. Hundreds Of households are
in mourning as the result OF the greatest
calamity known in Pennsylvania. A
cyclone swept over the northern portion
of the city this afternoon and laid waste
everything within its reach and with ter
rible loss of life. The lives that have
been sacrificed and the number that have
been injured can only be estimated. The
most reliable computation at 10 o'clock
tonight ID that not less than sixty persons
have
BEEN KILLED OUTRIGHT,
and one hundred injured. How this ter
rible calamity occurred is about as fol-
lows:
1t was raining very hard all the morn
ing and towards noon ceased almost en-
tirely and by tour o'clock there was every
indication that there would be an entire
cessation of the rain storm. Half an hour
afterwards the bright sun made an effort
to penetrate the clouds and the tints of a
rainbow were seen in the eastern sky.
There was a clear sky overhead. This
continued for half an hour longer. Then
tie scene changed with a sudoenness that
was appalling.
The heecy clouds gave way to ominous
signs OF a coming storm. Dark heavy
banks OF clouds marshalled themselves
toward town and soon a gloom seemed to
lave settled over the city. Then the
wind whistled, roared and tore in mad
confusion. The storm clouds grew
heavier still and louder roared the wind
and in the Western sky a storm was seen
approaching with a laundering noise.
The swath it cut was narrow but
ITS EFFECT WAS TERRIBLE.
Persons residing along the track of the
storm say they saw the first signs of
danger in a funnel shaped maelstrom.
The wind and debris seemed to gather up
everything within its reach and cast it
right and lett. Out in the country houses
and barns were unrooied. farm buildings
overturned, crops rooted up and destruc
ton spread in every direction. The track
OF this destructive clement was not more
than 200 feet wide and it is lucky that
it only touched the
SUBURBS OF II
1t came from the West, but passed
along the northern border OF Reading. 1t
first touched the Mount Penn stove
works. Here the conner of the building
was struck and a portion of the roof was
cut of as nicely as if done with a pair Of
scissors. Then the storm clCud scurried
across some fields and took off a portion
of the roof of j. $. Sterubere's rolling
mill. and a number of dwellings, were un-
rOofa I M raoIY1.v 40 &c thou ~ rnnf- mono
paper. The storm then hurried across to
property of the Reading Railroad Com
pany and crossed the railroad. Here a
passenger car was standing. This was
overturned as quickly as if it had been a
toy, and its splinters scattered in
EVERY DIRECTION.
Meanwhile the rain poured down in
torrents. The atmosphere became heavy
and oppressive and it was almost as dark
as night. Directly on one side of the
Reading railroad was situated the paint
shops of the company. 1t was a one
story building about G0xl50 feet in size,
and held about thirty men employed in
painting passenger cars. There were
eight or nine of these cars in the build
ing. They had been built at the compa-
ny's shops at a cost of Sc, 200 each. The
building was struck s~quarely in the mid
die and the bricks scattered about as if
they were playthings. The cars we're
turned tOpsy turvy, while the men we're
buried under the debris. The chambers
of each of the passenger cars were already
filled with gas. as they were ready to be
taken out on the road in a few days.
They exploded one after another,
BANG. BANG, BANG.
Thnu yopnnnlal oYor ttn a,t, a,.,.x IL.
people to run out of their houses, think
ing it was the sound of an earthquake.
There was a considerable quantity Of gas
oline in the building, and this added fuel
to the flames. A sheet OF flame shot up
ward with the roar of musketry. Some
twenty men had a chance to crawl out OF
the debris, but four of their companions
were enveloped in the embrace of the
flames. Their cries were heard for a mo
ment by the terrified workmeu, and then
their voices were hushed forever. They
were quickly
ROASTED TO DEATH.
The fire from the nine passenger cars lit
up the heavens for miles around. 1t was
a beautiful sight, and could have been en-
ioyed but for the awful calamity which ac-
~companied it. In the meantime the fire
department was celled out, but their SER
vices were uuavailing. The building and
crrs were consumed in fifteen minutes
and no hing left but the blackened, smok
ing ruins. under which lay four human
beings
BURNED TO A CRISP.
While this was all going on the storm
was travelling forward with fearful rapid
ity. 1t must have travelled at the rate
of 100 miles an hour. 1t struck some
more private houses and unroofed a dozen
private residences. Huge sheets of tin
were carried hall a square away and de-
posted in a lot. Then the storm pro-
ceeded in its full force.
COLLAPSE OF A BUILDING.
Directly in its path at the corner Of
Twelfth and Marion streets stood the
Reading silk mill Here about ITS girls