St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-21
A DISMANTlED CITY.
Residents of Wilkesbarre Dis
mayed at the Havoc Of
the Wind.
Half a Thousand Buildings
Wrecked and a Score Of
Lives Lost.
A Million Dollars Will Scarce
ly Cover the Damage to
Property.
Thieves Despoil the Corpses
Of Victims Of the Wreck
at Quincy.

morning the city presents a scene OF
awful devastation. After the cyclone
had spent its fury last evening dark
ness fell so quickly upon the valley and
the excitement everywhere was so in
tense that it was impossible to gather
much intelligence as to the extent of the
damage to property and loss of life.
Now, however, the severity OF the
cyclone is more and more demonstrated,
and it is remarkable that so compare
lively few lives were lost. Immense
buildings, in which were many people,
were unroofed, and in many cases al
most instantly demolished, and this at
time when Wiilsesbarre's streets are
most crowded. 1t is indeed singular
how so many people escaped the flying
timber and debris of every character.
Around the depots, the most frequented
part of the city, the worst scenes are
presented, and when it is remembered
that passenger and freight cars
were lifted from the tracks upon
which they stood and laid on their sides,
while other cars were rushed along
the track by the great force of the cy-
clone, a small conception of Its terrific
velocity may be obtained. A sudden
gust of wind sprang up, and in mo-
ment had increased to roar. The
Vulcan ironworks, James Norris foun-
dry and the Keystone Flour mill felt
the first shock. Heavy material of all
descriptions was dashed about like so
much chaff. Main street was i'll the di-
rect path of the storm, and the build
ings on the west side of that thorough
fare suffered badly. Shade trees were
uprooted, and in fact but little was left
untouched ON Main street until Acade-
my street was reached. The western
edge of the storm extended to the lower
eud of Franklin street and Dana Place.
Brick dwellings were unroofed and the
upper stories torn away, and some were
leveled to the gound.
Fallen Trees and Timbers
completely blocked South Main and
Franklin streets. The storm swept out
Ross and Hazel streets, then up South
Washington street, extending as far
east as the Hazard wire rope works.
The storm swept along the railroad to
five points, where it turned eastward
again up Pearl street, out by Baltimore
shaft No. 2, then dashed up the mount
aims and spent itself in the woods. The
sweep of the cyclone at Five Points
was terrible. The frail houses were
blown away. The air was filed
with debris from the falling buildings.
Mothers with their children in their
arms cried to heaven fer help. They
knew not which way to turn and in
their extremity called to heaven for
help. On Scott street the houses &C.
cnpied by the families of James Nc
Ginley and James Henagan were
leveled to the ground. Mrs. Eliza
Jane Mckinley, aged about twenty
eight years. and her young baDy were
crushed to death, as was John McGln-
ley. youth of thirteen years. Mary
Jane Mckinley. the little daughter of
this most unhappy household, was SO
mangled and crushed that death will
probably come to relieve her sutferingS.
In the ruins of the Henagen residence
no trace of its late occupants could be
found, and hopes are entertained that
they have been absent at the
time of the catastrophe, and so escaped.
The Barber Asphalt works, L. I.
Brown q Cos. extensive business block
on Market street. comprising ten whole
sale stores. the Murray coal breaker and
the Hollenbeck breaker have all been
so seriously injured that great expen-
diture of both time and money will be
necessary to place the various estab-
lishments in working order. This
means sad loss of employment to the
wage earners, who are least able to
Confront the Calamity.
in answer to proclamation by the
mayor, the Ninth regiment is on duty
and is assisting the police in maintain
ing order. The reconstruction of in
jured property has already been begun,
and men are at work clearing the streets
of fallen trees, telegraph poles and
other wreckage. AS near as can be
estimated now there were four hundred
houses demolished and partially de-
stroyed, entailing a loss of nearly, if
not quite million dollars. The follow
ing Is list Of those instantly killed as
far as can be ascertaiued:
Nettie Thompson. eolored, aged ten years;
Eva Martin, baker, Hazel street; John Fritz,
aged sixteen, Hazard wire rope works; Peter
Rittenmeyer. twenty-five, Cinderella street;
Mrs. Eliza K. Mckinley of Scott street, her
infant and her son John, aged fourteen;
Adam Frantz, of Jones & Frantz; George
Hamilton, employed in Stegrnaieres brew
cry; unknown Hungarian, also employed at
Stegmaiere's brewery.
The following were fatally injured:
Franklin Welsh. Moyallen street, legs and
back injured: John Ii. Qusch. Cinderella
street, injured internally and on the head;
John Long. crushed badly at the wire works;
unknown employee of the Delaware d Hud-
son railroad, skull badly fractured; James
Mckinley, Scott street; Berlin Nanhemark,
hurt on head: Frank Fulred, hurt internally;
Mrs Barrett, Maxwell street. hurt internally;
Mary mckinley; Isaiah NeWsblgel, proml-
nent contractor
The following persons were severely
hurt:
j. Frank Hart Ambrose Constine. John
Kleinhauff, Judson Garrison, William Ii.
Sherred, Jesse Hauser. fireman on the Penn
sylYania railroad. resides at Pottsville: two
unknown women. from Nanticoke hurt at
the Lehgh Valley station: Miss Mary Hen
wood, Albert Smith, Frank Otis, of New
York; Monroe Bretzman, William Bretzman,
George Gresh, Simon Kieter, Jacob Bergold,
Mrs Nicholson and child John McNulty,
Margaret McAyery and a son of Frank Zirn
helt.
The storm had cut off all the electric
light connection and the city was left in
total darkness during the night 1t will
be several days before this damage can
be repaired. Business in the city is
generally suspended to-day. The Rec
ord places the number of buildings
wrecked at 400. They are damaged to
amounts ranging from 500 to $4,000.
The total loss is estimated at over a
million dollars.
ONE LESS THAN A SCORE.