St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-01-17
THE GREAT STORM.
Collapse of a Reading Miu.-BusfnesS
Block Falls in Pftfsbure.--SuspensiOn
Bridge Gone at Niaeara.-Many Lives
Lost and Much Property DESTROYED.

Block Falls in Pfttsbure.--SuspensiOn
Bridge Gone at Niaeara.-Many Lives
Lost and Much Property Destroyed.
A frightful gale swept through
Pennsylvania last week Wednesday
property along its path. Pittsburg
was first visited and the wind swept
eastward to the Cumberland valley
visiting Carlisle, Williamsport, Sum
bury and Reading. The wind ragged
at the rate of 100 miles an hour and
lifted roofs, tore down trees and in
places wrecked huge buildings. The
damage cannot be estimated and the
tangled wires prevented complete ac-
counts. 1t is known, however, that
about 100 lives have been lost, so of
them at Reading, where a silk-mill
full of operatives collapsed. A new
building fell at Pittsburg, killing and
wounding many. The scenes at
Reading were appalling, forfre broke
out in the debris of the storm and
victims were subjected to the most
horrible deaths. Two were killed al
Sunbury, several injured at Carlisle,
and the loss to property at Williams
port VIII be very heaVy.\
The Reading Mill Disaster.
At Reading, Penn, is the Reading
silk mill, a huge structure, substan-
TALLY built, four stories in hight, and
with a basement. 1t occupied an
entire block of ground and was near
ly 300 feet long, and $50 feet wide.
1t was surmounted by a massive
tower, fully 100 feet from the ground.
About 175 girls were working in the
mill. The funnel-shaped storm-cloud
Struck the building directly in the
centre on its broadest side. 1t fell to
pieces as if composed of so many
building blocks, carrying down near
ly 200 human beings in the wreck.
The walls gave way, the floors fell
down, one on top of the other, and
all went to the bottom. Amid the
hurricane and almost simultaneous
with the fall of the building came the
awful cries for relief. Girls with
blackened faces, bruised and broken
limbs, their clothing torn and tat
tered, dragging themselves from the
ruins. SO probably rs to 100 es-
capped or were dragged out by their
friends. These worked IN the upper
floors, and were thrown near the top
of the debris. At some places the
bricks were piled 20 feet deep and un-
derneath were living human bodies by
the score.
The alarm for relief was immcdi-
ate1y sent out and in a short time
thousands of citizens arrived to help
out the dead and dying. Everything
was enveloped in darkness. SO huge
bOnfires were built which cast a dis
NAL glare on the surrounding enc
The fire companies left the burning
paint-shop, and assisted in the rescue
of the dead and the dying. The en-
tire police force was called out with
the ambulance and reliefcOrps. Here
a young woman was taken out, all
bruised, suffering with cuts and
bruises. One body as it was dragged
out was headless. Others were III
various postures, the living all suf-
fering from terrible wounds.
The work of hunting for the dead
in the ruins of the silk mill which
was wrecked by the cyclone at Read
ing, Pa, Wednesday, continued all
day Thursday and the scenes at the
mill were but a repetition of what
ensued Wednesday night. There
were fathers and mothers waiting
them some tidingS of their missing
sons and daughters. 1t was deter
mined to push the work of rescu all
night. Immediately after the acct
dent, and after many who escaped
with severe wounds had been given
up as lost, the number of killed, judg-
ing from the missing was put down
at about 100. Many of those injur-
ed had been taken to other houses
than their for their temporary
accommodation. Very little business
was done at Reading, the city giving
itself over almost entirely to the cX-
element attending the terrible disas-
ter. a largely attended meeting of
citizens was held in the courthouse
to devise means for the relief of the
sufferers. Over $4,000 was subscribe
ed on the instant, any amount need
ed was promised and the entire city
will be canvassed for funds.
The Pfttsbure Disaster.
Here the storm was formed with a
~suddenneSS that vas overwhelming,
and as the wind, accompanied by
hail and torrents of rain swept along
the streets, pedestrians were hurled
before it and barely escaped being
crushed under passing vehicles. Sud
denly, in the centre of the city, there
was a terrible crash, and a few min
utes later the central fire alarm bells
sounded a call from the box on the
corner of Diamond and Wood streets.
Hundreds of people with blanchcd
faces, hurried to the scene, when it
was found that the cyclone had
caught the new building on Diamond
street owned by O. l.. Wiley and