Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-18
STORM AND DIsAsrBR.
A Cyclone Causes Devastation in
Pennsylvania.
About Eighty Persons Crushed to
Death in Demolished Fac
tories.

Pittsburg, Pa, was struck by a cy-
clone Jan. 9Th and q persons were
killed and 80 wounded, and there was
a terrible destruction OF property. At
Reading it was still worse; so persons
were killed. The dispatches say:
HUNDRED FAMILIES IN MOURNING.
READING, PA, January 9.-This was
the saddest night in the memory of
Reading. a death like pail hangs
upon the city as the result of the most
horrible disaster in its history. A
hundred households are in mourning
as heresult of one of the greatest of
calamIties In Pennsylvania. A cy-
clone swept over the northern section
of the city this afternoon and laid
waste everything in it's reach, and
with a terrible loss OF life. The
lives that have been sacrificed and
the number that have been injured
can only be estimated. The most re-
liable computation at 10 o'clock to-
night is that not less than sixty per
sons have been killed outright and
100 injured. How this terrible ca
lamity occurred is about as follows:
1t was raining very hard all morning.
Towards noon it ceased almost entire
ly and by 4 o'clock there was every
indication that there would be an en-
tire cessation of the rains form. Half
an hour afterward a bright sun made
an effort to penetrate the clouds.
THE RAINBOW
was seen in the eastern sky. There
was a clear sky overhead. This con
tinued for half an hour longer. Then
the scene changed with a suddeness
that was appalling feecy clouds
gave way to the ominous signs Of a
coming storm. Dark, heavy banks of
clouds marshalled themselves toward
the town, and soon a gloom seemed
to have settled over the city. There
was a stiffness as of coming danger.
Then the wind whistled, roared and
tore in mad confusion. The storm
clouds grew heavier still and loud
rOared the wind. In 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 they saw the first signs
of danger in
A FUNNEL-sHAPED MELsTROhI
which seemed to gather up every
thing within its reach and cast il
right and left. Out in the country
houses and barns were unroofed
farm buildings were overturned, crops
rooted up and destruction spread II
every direction. The 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. It came from the west but
passed along the northern border Of
Reading. First it touched the Mount
Pennsylvania Stove Works. Here &
corner Of the building was struck and
a portion Of the roof was cut off a,
nicely as if done with a pair Of scis
sors. Then the storm cloud hurried
across some fields and took of &
portion Of the roof of J. h. Stern
beIg's rolling mills and a number Of
dwellings were. unroofed as readily
as if their tin roofs were paper. The
storm then hurried across the prop
erty of the Reading Railway com
pany, and crossed the railroad. Here
a passenger car was standing This was
overturned as quickly as if it ha6
been a toy and its splinters scattered
in every direction. Meanwhile the
/ rain poured down In torrents, the at
mosphere became heavy and oppres
sive and it was almost
As DARK AS NIGHT.
Directly on one side Of the track.
Of the Reading railway were situated
the pant shops of the company. I
was a one story building about So
| 125 feet IN size. Here about THIRTY
men were employed In painting pas
senger cars. There were eight O
/ nine Of these cars In the building
They had been built at the company
shops IN this city at a cost Of 5000
each The building was strucl
squarely in the middle and the brick
/ - lA,..-y1 .,J,.,--4 no, e 81