, 1889-01-10

were working. Ihe building was a huge
structure, most substantially built, four
stories in height and had a basement be-
sides. The. funnel-shaped storm cloud
struck the building directly in the centre
on the broad side which faced west. 1t
tell to pieces as if composed of so many
building blocks. Nearly 200 human
beings wentdown in the awful wreck. The
walls gave way, the floors fell down one
on top IF another and carried their great
mass of human beings TO the bottom.
Bricks were piled up in the greatest con-
fusion, while amid the hurricane and
whistling, rushing, roaring wind the ter
rible cries for succor were sent up to
heaven. 1t was a moment
TO TRY MEMS soULs.
Girls with blackcned faces, bruised and
broken limbs, their clothing tattered and
torn, dragged themselves from the ruins.
From Seventy-five to 100 escaped or were
dragged out by their friends. These of
course worked upon the upper floors
and were thrown near the top of the de-
bris. At some places the bricks were
twenty feet deep and underneath are ly-
ing tonight human bodies by the score.
About $50 girls and young women are
usually employed in the mill, but at 4
O'Clock about 20 were relieved from duty
for the day. They returned to their homes
before the storm came.
The most reliable estimate to night
places the number in the building when
it went down in the neighborhood of IT'S,
and, as before stated. 100 of these were
rescued by friends or dragged themselves
out. Immediately alter the accident the
alarm for relief was sent out and in a
short time thousands OF citizens arrived
to help out the dead and dying The
scene was a narrowing one and bcggars
description. The mill is situated near the
foot of Mount Penn, a mountain over
looking the city. When the people ar
rived everything was enveloped in dark
ness. Then huge bonfires were built,
which cast a dismal glare on the sur
rounding scene. The entire police force
was called out, and the ambulance and
relief corps and thousands of people were
In among the debris carrying out bricks,
pulling away timbers and assisting where
ever they could, all at the same time, but
their work was slow compared with the
demand for the rescue of the
VICTIMS OF THE DISASTER.
Here a young woman was taken out all
bleeding, suffering with cuts and bruises.
One body, it was noticed as it was dragged
out, had its head cut off, Others were in
various positions. The living were all
suffering from the most terrible wounds,
and some almost scared to death. An
Associated Press representative entered
what was once the basement OF the build
ing, and cropping his way through the de
bris noticed five bodies of young girls lying
close together. He tried to pull them out
but they we're pinned down and it was i'm
--u..l1- H.. nL., .u.u. IAol
and
BEYoND ALL HUMAN AID.
Up to 1879 to night probably the
bodies of a dozen lead have been taken
out, while the greater portion of the re
mainder are still In the ruins. The work
of rescue will be pushed all night, but it
may be far into to morrow before all
the bodies are taken out. The rescuers
still rave the greatest hopes that some of
those inside are still living and that there
is every reason for saving them. All is
chaos and confusion around the mill. The
managers are missing and the correct
number is merely guess work.
About u dozen dead bodies have been
taken out. Clerk Autenbach stated at
midnight that he believed fully forty
bodies were in the uin under the three
floors. His list of employees is lost and
owing to the confusion in taking out the
injured he was unable to furnish a list of
killed. But so is a conservative estimate
of those who lost their lives.
1t is impossible as yet To say how many
of the injured will die, but it is feared
that the majority of the rescued will be
unable to
SURVIVE THEIR WOUNDS.
In the immediate vicinity of the wrecked
buildings the cyclone wrought terrible
destruction, and i'll other parts of the
city and out along the railroad centering
here. A portion OF the foundry of Nc
lntosh, Hemphill x Co, on Thirteenth
street, was wrecked, as was also a house
in Allegheny. At Walls station on the
Pennsylvania railroad a large brick build
ing owned by the Westinghouse Air Brake
company, was partly demolished, and at
Wilmerding the Pennsylvania coal tipple
was wrecked. At McKeesport houses
were unroofed. trees blown down and win
dows smashed!
Three houses in course of erection were
blown to pieces on the river, and a num-
Der of boats were torn from their moor
ing and cast about like corks, but were
secured before much damage was done.
The velocity OF the wind was fifty miles
an hour, the highest record Tor years. 1t
is still blowing hard TO night, but is grow
ing colder and the weather is clearing up.
PECUNIARY DAMAGE.
1t is almost impossible to night to give
a reliable estimate OF pecuniary damage,
but it will probably be $4,000 or $780,
900. The silk mill was built about four
ears ago. The buildings were put up by
Reading capital and their cost was
$4,000. The mill was leased to Grim.
shaw Bros, Of Patterson, N. j., where
they also opened similar mills and have
been running it ever since. The machinery
they put in the mill cost $45, 200. This is
a total wreck.
A Heavy Storm.