The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-10
DISASTER AT READING.

Many Buildings Wrecked by Tornado and
Sixty People Killed.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
READING, Pa, Jan. "a tornado struck
this city shortly after o'clock this after
noon, demolishing a number of buildings,
including Grimshaw Brothers large silk
mill. In the latter were upwards of 900
operatives who were buried in the ruins.
Many have been killed. At 9:S0 o'clock To-
night about 100 persons had been taken ont,
many of whom were dead. 1t is impos<i-
BILE to obtain list of the injured and killed
at this hour, but it is known that the killed
and injured will exceed $50.
The storm swept down the Lebanon Val
ley railroad, and many barns and other
property are reported wrecked. The tele-
graph wires in the track of the storm are
badly mixed up, and it is impossible to get
details, but it is known that great damage
was done. L
When tine tofrado FIRST struck Reaaing
the Philadelphia g. Reading Railway Com
pany's paint-shOp was unroofed, and in less
than ten minutes the entire structure was
enveloped in flames. Several gas chambers
underneath passenger cars exploded, and
four persons were killed and several others
badly injured. The killed are:
A. ALAYDoNBERGER, JOHN KoHLER.
GEORGE SCHAFFER. SHERIDAN JONES.
The storm then continued eastward, deal
ing out destruction in its path. Nine dwell
ings on North Eighth and Marion streets
were unroofed and otherwise badly dam
aged. The storm cut swath of about $50
feet and everything in it's way was either
leveled to the ground or very badly
wrecked. The next building in its track
was the immense silk-mill of Grimshaw
Brothers. located at Twelfth and Marion
streets. This building was filled with sew
eral hundred operatives, and not single
soul escaped uninjured. The structure,
which was four stories high and
200 by SO feet; is mass of
ruins. Not q single brick remains
of the beautiful building. except the stock
and engine-room. The fire department was
called out, and 10, 600 men, women and chill
dren quickly assembled about the wrecked
mill. The cries of the wounded and dying
and their friends were heartrending. Will
ing hands, however. quickly set to work,
and at 9:45 o'clock some seventy persons
had been taken out. Twelve of these were
dead, and many fatally injured. Those
who were not seriously hurt were taken to
their homes, while those who had received
more serious injuries were taken to the hos
pitals. 1t will take till morning before all
the killed and wounded can be gotten out.
At the Ruins of the Silk-NIill.
To the Western Associated Press:
READING, Jan. 9.-The funnel-shaped
storm-cloud struck the building directly in
the center on its brOadest side, which faced
the west. 1t fell to pieces as if composed of
so many building blocks, and nearly two
hundred human beings went down in the
awful wreck. The walls gave way, the
floors fell down, one on top of the other,
and carried their great mass of human be-
ings to the bottom. The bricks were piled
up in the greatest confusion, while amid
the whistling, rushing, roaring wind,
terrible cries for succor were sent
up to heaven. Almost simultanc-
GUS with the fall of the building
came awful cries for relief. Girls with
blackened faces, bruised and broken limbs,
their clothing tattered and torn, dragged
themselves from the ruins. So probably
seventy-fve to one hundred escaped OF
were dragged out by their friends. These,
of course, worked on the upper floors and
were thrown near the top of the debris. AT
some places the brick were piled twenty
feet deep, and underneath are lying to-
night human bodies by the score. About
$50 girls and young women are usually EN-
plOyed in the MILL but at o'clock about
They returned to their homes before the
storm came. The most reliable estimate OF
tonight places the number in the building
when it went down in the neighborhood OF
175, and as before stated, one hundred OF
these were rescued by friends or dragged
themselves out Immediately after the acci-
dent. The alarm for relief was Immediate
ly sent out, and in short time thousands OF
citizens arrived to help out the dead and
dying. The scene was horrible one and
beggars description. The mill is situated
at the foot of Mount Penn, highmountair
overlooking the city. Hugo bon-fres were
built, as the city was in total darkness