Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1889-01-11
MIA.

we're seen in the western sky. II
portended a beautiful sunset. There
was clear sky overhead. This con.
tinued for half an hourlonger. Their
the scene changed with sud
denness that was appalling. 1t
the western sky the 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 that they saw the first signs OF
danger in funnel-shaped maelstrom
which seemed to gather up every
thing within its reach and cast il
right and left. Gu. in the country
houses and barns were unroofed,
farm out-buildings were overturned,
crops uprooted, and
DESTRUCTION SPREAD IN EVERY III
RECTIoN.
Tho track of this destructive element
was not more than 200 feet wide, and
it is lucky that it only touched the
suburbs of the city. 1t came from
the west. but passed along the north
ern border of Reading. Directly Oh
the side of the Reading Road were
situated the paint shops If The com
pany. Here about 30 men were EN-.
ployed in painting passenger cars
There were eight or nine of ihes,
ears in the building. The cars were
turned topay-turvy, while the mel
were buried under the debris. Som,
of the bricks were carried away
The chamber Of each OF the passen
ger cars was already filed with gas
as they were ready TO be taken on
on the road. The gas exploded il
one after another with the sound o
cannon. There was a considerabl,
quantity Of gasoline in the building
aud ihis added fuel to the flames.
A SHEET OF FLAME
shot upwardwith the roar of musket
ry. Some twenty of the men had {
chance TO crawl out of the debris
but four of their companions wer,
enveloped in the embrace of tn,
flames. Their cries were heard for I
moment by the terrified workmel
and then their voices were husheC
forever. They were quickly roasted
to death.
While this was all going on, the
storm was travelling forward will
fearful rapidly. II must have trav
eled at the rate of 100 miles an hour
Directly in its path at the corner o
Twelfth and Marian streets, stood
the Reading silk mill, one of the in
dustries of the city in which the citi
zens took the greatest pride. Here
about ia happy girls were working
The building was a huge structure
most substantially built, four storieI
in height and had basement besides
1t occupied an entire block of ground
The siz, OF the building itself wal
nesrly 300 feet wide. 1t was sur,
mounted by a massive, tower fully
100 feet from the ground. The fun
pel.shaped storm cloud struck thu
building directly IN the centre on III
broadcast side, which faced the west
1t fell to pieces as il composed of Sc
many building blocks.
NEARLY 200 HUMAN BEINGS
went down in the awful wreck
Human tongue can never tell the ter
rible scenes of suffering. The WALL
gave way, the noorings fell down, one
on top of the other, aud carried theiI
great mass ofhumans to the bottom
The bricks were piled up in the
greatest confusion, while amid the
hurricane and whistlinR, rushing
roaring wind, terrible cries for sue
cor were sent up TO heaven. 1t wal
a moment that tried mems souls, ant
almost simultaneous with the fall o
the building came the awful erie
for relief Girls with blackened
faceg, bruised and broken limbs, theil
clothing catered aud torn, dragged
themselves from the ruins. Proba'
bly, Is to 100 escaped or were dragg' d
out by their friends. These Of cOur e
worked on the upper floors aud wele
thrown near t.e top of the debris
At some places the bricks were piled
20 feet deep, and underneath are
lying human bodies by the score
About $50 girls and young women
are usually employed in the mill, but
at 4 o'clock about 80 were relieved
from duty for the day. They return
ed TO their homes before the storm
came.
THE MOST RELIABLE ESTIMATE
Of to night places the number In the
building when It went down in the
neighborhuh al rs, and as before
stated 100 Of these were rescued by
friends or dragged themselves oul
Immediately after the accident. The
alarm for relief was sent in imme'
diately and In a short time thousands