The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-01-10
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Reading and Pittsburg, Pa. Each Vis-
tied by One Of the Most Disas-
trous Cyclones on Record.
In the First Named the Victims Will
Number Nearly a Hundred and
the Injured Many More.
The First Lives Lost in Railroad
Paint Shop, the Building Being
Demolished and then Fired.
But the Most Terrible Disaster Was
at the Reading Silk Mill, Many
Girls Being Buried.
An Unfinished Seven Story Building
Blown Down. at Pittsburg, En-
gulfing Many People.
The Work Of Rescuing the Victims
Being Pushed Rapidly by Hun
dred Of Willing Hands.

READING. Pa, Jan. 9.-This is the sad
dest night ever known In Reading. A
deathlike pail hangs upon the city, the re-
suit Of the most horrible disaster in its
history. A hundred householders are in
mourning as the result Of one Of the great
est calamities known 20 Pennsylvania. A
cyclone swept over the northern portion Of
the city this afternoon and laid waste
everything within Its reach, and with ter
rible loss OF life. The lives that have been
sacrificed and the number that have been
injured can be only estimated. The most
reliable computation at 10 o'clock tonight
is that not less than sixty persons have
been killed outright and 100 injured. How
this terrible calamity occurred ls about rs
follows:
IL was raining very hard all morning.
Towards noon II cleared almost entirely.
and by 4 o'clock there was every indics-
ton that there would be an entire cessation
Of the rain storm. Half an hour after
wards the sun made every effort TO pen
citrate the clouds and the tints OF the rain
bow were seen In the eastern sky and o
clear sky was overhead. This continued
for half an hour longer. Then the scene
changed with suddenness that was appal-
ling, and the feecy clouds gave way 20 the
ominous signs of coming storm. Dark
banks OF clouds marshalled themselves
towards the town and soon the gloom
seemed 10 have settled over the city. Then
the wind
wHIsTLED, HoARED AND TORE
In mad confusion. The storm clouds grew
heavier still and louder ronred the wind
ln the western sky the storm was seen ap-
preaching with a laundering noise. The
swath II 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 funnelshaped maelstrom OF
up everything within its reach and cast il
right and left. Out in the country houses
and barns were unroofed, farm build
ings overturned, crops rooted up and
destruction spread In every direction. The
track OF this destructive element was not
more than 200 feet wide. and IL Is lucky IL
only touched the suburbs Of the city. 1t
came from the west, but passed along the
northern border Of Reading. II first
touched the Mount Penn Stove works.
Here corner Of the building was struck
and a portion OF the roof cut of as nicely
as II done with a pair Of scissors. Then
the storm clouds scurried across some
fields, took of a portion OF the roof OF j. s.
Sternberg's rolling mill and a number of
dwellings were unr0ofed as readily as II
their tin roofs were paper. The storm then
hurried across the property OF the Reading
railroad company, and crossed the rail-
road. Here passenger car was standing
This was overturned as quickly as II II had
been toy and Its splinters
SCATTERED IN EVERY DIRECTION.
Meanwhile the rain poured down In tor
rents, the atmosphere became oppressive
and IL was almost as dark as night Di-
rectly on one side OF the track Of the Read
ing railroad was situated the paint shop
of the company. IL was 4 one story build.
log, about sixty by 100 feet In size and
about thirty men were employed in painting
passenger cars. There were eight on nine OF
these cars In the building, which had been
built at the company's shops at q cost Of
$1,000 each. The building was struck
squarely In the middle and the bricks
scattered about as II they were plsythlngs.
The cars were turned topsy turyy, while
the men we're buried under the debris.
The chamber Of each passenger car was al
ready filled with gas, as they
were ready 10 be taken out on the road In a
few days. They exploded one after an
other, and bang, bang, bang, they re-
sounded over the city, causing people 10
run out OF their houses. thinking il was the
sound OF an earthquake. There was con-
siderable quantity Of gasoline in the build
Ing and this added fuel 10 the flames, which
shot upward with roar like musketry.
Some twenty men had a chance 10 crawl
out of the ruins. but four Of their companions
were enyeloped In the embrace OF the
flames. Their cries were heard for mo-
ment by the terrified workmen and then
their voices were hushed forever. They
were
QUICKLY ROASTED TO DEATH.
The fire from the nine or ten passenger cars
liz up the heavens for miles around. IL
was . beautiful sight and could have been
enjoyed but for the awful calamity which
accompanied II. In the meantime the fire
department was called out, but their ser
vices were unayalling. The building and
cars were consumed In fifteen minutes and
nothing was left but the blAckened, smok-
ing ruins, under which lay fOuI
human beings, burned 10 a crisp. Their
names are:
JOHN ROLLER,
ALBERT LANDBERG.
SHERIDAN JONES.
GEORGE SCHAFFER,
IL was rumored that several others mac
been killed, but these are the only onei
who IL Is known have lost their lives
Aaron Dewalt, another employe Of th,
paint shop, had an arm broken, and Geo