The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-23
APPALLING CYCLONE.
A Terrific Tornado Sweeps over
Western Pennsylvania.
It Brings Death and Havoc to
Reading and Pittsburg.

One of the most appalling catastrophes ac-
companied 10y loss of life that have ever
visited Reading, Penn, has occurred, 1t
had been pouring down rain all day and at
O'Clock it cleared up nicely. The sun shone
brightly until about 4:30, when black cloud
formed in the southwestern sky and moved
rapidly toward the city.
The rain poured down in perfect torrents
for fifteen minutes. when a funneishaped
cloud cut its way through the city; over
throwing many trees, telegraph and electric
light poles. The wind blew harder anu
harder, until a roaring cyclone was lh
progress. Its course was from west to east'
and covered path of about $40 feet; ;.,,- ,,;u
In its course was the Reading six -Miil,
located in the northwestern portion OF toe
CITY. in which about 500 operatives, prln-
cipsllv females, were ut work. before tne
storm reached the large mill, however the
Girls saw its approach and saw IL preclpl-
tating all the houSe-roofs in its pain.
A panic ensued and the operatives maze
an effort to escape from the building. be
fore they could get their wraps the cyclone
struck the five-story building, and IN an IN
slant the massive brick work and neaVy
machinery were piled peil nell on the untor-
tunates, from the fifth to the first story.
The building was a large structure, most
substantially built, four stories III heignt.and
had basement besides 1t occupied an en-,
tire block of ground. The building ltseid
was nearly 800 feet in length ana soouc i;W
feet wide. 1t was surmounted by massive
tower, fully 100 feet from the ground. Inc
funnel-shaped cloud struck the building
directly in the centre on its proadeSt SIDE,
which faced the west. 1t fell to pieces as
though composed of so many building BLOCKS.
Nearly 200 human beings went down III
the awful wreck. Human tongue can
never tell the terrible scenes OF that
bour. The walls gave way, the floors
fell down. one on top of the other, and
carried their great mass of human beings 20
the bottom. The bricks were piled up IN the
greatest confusion, while, amid the hurricane
and whiStl!ng, rushing, roaring wlnd, terll-
be cries for Succor were sent up 10 heaven.
Almost simultaneously with the faii OF tne
building came the awful cries ior rellet.UirS
with backened faces, bruised and broken
limbs, their clothing tattered and torn,
dragged themselves from the ruins. Proba-
bly Seventy-five to one hundred escaped, or
were dragged out by their friends. lhese,
of course, worked on the upper floors, ana
were thrown near the top of the debris. Az
some places the bricks were piled twenty feet
deep, and underneath were lying human
bodies by the score.
The entire police force was called out, the
ambulance and relief corps, and thousand
people were in among the debris carrying out
bricks, pulling away timbers. and assisting
wherever they could-all at the same time,
but their work work. was to slow tho comparna 4pacea
%h The vess tes dsiea Of she disaster Here yes
woman was taken out, all bloody, suffering
with cuts and bruises One body as it was
dragged out had its head cut off. Others were
in various postures, the living all suffering
from the most t rrible wounds, and some al.
most scared to death. The reporter entered
what was once the basement of the building,
and. cropping his way through the debris, no
ticed five bodies OF young, girls lying close
together. He tried to pull them out, but
they were pinned down: and it was impossi;
bic to get them out. They were dead, and
beyond all human aid.
Augustus Rosay, foreman of the second
story of the silk mills says that 243 operators
were at work when the building was wrecked
He says: at was about sis. just after
the floors of the mills were brilliantly
illuminated. and the girls were all
busy. Suddenly / heard strange
rushing noise of wind, and 1 thought it
sounded like a cyclone. Then the building
shook as if by an earthquake, and the end OF
the large room in which stool went down
first. At least thirty girls rushed asi; to s me
/ was helpless The other end Of The
room seenl,d as il up a steep hill.
The girls became panic stricken, shrieked,
and left their machines The next instant
the building collapsed I shall never in all
my life forget the heartrending screams
of those 2G0 girls just before many
of their voices were hushed tor
ever in death. At first we had only
hand lamps to see by. Under the wreck
girls were piled six deep, mangled and bleed
ing and helpless. The first dozen bodies re.
moved were covered with blood. One girl
had her head cut off. The sight was heart
rendinp and can Say no more.n