The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-09-03
DEATH RIDES THE WIND.
A Cyclones Awful Work at
WiIkeSbarre, Penn.
Many Persons Killed and Three
Hundred Houses Destroyed.

Almost disastrous tornado struck Wilkes
barre, Penn, during recent afternoon,
killing, as nearly as could be learned on the
day afterward, some sixteen persons, injur-
Ing over 100 and destroying about Sl,C0o,O0o
worth of property.
The cyclone did its work in FIVE min
utes. It was first seen over Plymouth,
Penn, to the southeast of the city
The first destruction caused by 1t was
the demolition Of some frame oulid-
inqs In the rear Of Jones's foundry, in
South Wilkesbarre. Then it came up
the Susouehanna River, striking South
Wilkesbarre, and along the Ene OF the
Delaware and Hudson Railroad to the Five
Points district of the city, whence 1t turned
and swept east over the mountains; In APP
nearauce it seemed to be thick cloud OF black
smoke. a mile in height and some few hum
dred Yards in width As left the city ap-
reared to have widened into width OF tive
hundred yards At the outer edges
of the column the air seemed to De
sweeping with tremendous velocity
up one side and down the OTHER, While the
centre was black whirling mass wmcn
picked up trees and houses as II they had
been but mere chips and threw thenl oroAea
into fragments hundreds OF yards awa:.
Desolation prevailed everywhere. omen,
children and even strong men were rusn,nE
about the ruins, their faces hlanched, the!r
ewes tear-stained and terror depicted IN
avery feature. The scenes at and around
The iehigh Valley station were terrible IN
the extreme The station was filed Win
crowd Of people. The cries and lanenta-
tions were heartrendlng. Down Masnn e.
the foot of East Market street nothing met
tbe eve but wreck and ruin. No suca
cotas+ronbe ever before occurred IN that Val
ley: - E;ro Prints
1vas terrible. The frail houses were down
awav The air was filled with debris from
the falling buildings.
On Scott street the houses occupied BY the
families of James Mckinley and James
Henagar were leveled to the ground. Nts'
Eliza Jane Mckinley, aged about twenty
eight wears, and her young baby were
crushed to death, as was John NcGlnley,
youth of thirteen years. ,...,
Mar Jane Mckinley, the little daughter
Of this unhappy household. was fatally man
pled and crushed.
In the ruins of the Henagar residence no
trace of its late occupants could be found.
The scene in the Hazard wire rope WORKS
after the passage OF the cyclone "as % noar and
ble. Dead and dying lay on the hoor, anu
UQeI ISG1 VI SAAo
air in the room.
The cyclone struck the rear of the large
brick building, about 200 men being en-.
nloyed in the works at the time. Inc rooi
and side walls were crushed IN ana lay ID
ruins all about.
The bricks and popderouS lnacalnery were
scattered all over. When the storm was I'M
minent the men rushed for the door, but
many of them were caught in the RUNS;
One by one the victims were dragged ous
from under the debris. Three or four men
were taken home. Rude beds OF ma'tlnS
Ivera made for the victims on the floor, anu
physicians were summoned.
little Eddie Schmitt at the Lehigh valley
Railroad track was caught in the wlno ano
his body hurled 500 feet through the air IN a
cnrve in a shallow pond. His parent:
Searched the whole night through, and next
morning they found his skull crushed oy
heayv timber and his clothes covered witt
A prominent merchant, Adam Grant,,
reached home from Port Jervis that after
noon at o'clock. At $50 he was dead. he
had been married but three months. He was
struck on the street trying to escape.
E. Martin, the baker, while driving ms ms
team, tried to escape in his barnyard. The
tornado grabbed the entire back OF hi;
bakery, lifted it high in the air and dasaed
II on his head, killing him instantly aS
we'll as one of his horses, leaving the other
safe. T..
Joseph Kern, milkman, was driving tu
riously for refuge when the Wyoming valley
ice house, torn from its foundations, snot
him and his horse to the earth.
The wagon was lifted in the air, and, dlvest
ed of horse and harness, swept to the top O
the Lehigh Valley Railroad station lo' lee
away. :
Three hundred girls were at work II
Galland's factory, on South Wasningto!
street, All were panic-stricken when ta;
storr, came Mr.. Galland rushed amoni
them and endeavored to calm and keep then
together. but four or FIVE rushed out and weT
slightly injured. Mr.. Galland could not sue
ceed in quieting those who remained IN tn
building. They rushed about IL all dlrec
tions. a large number tainted, and severa
were thown into convulsions. The girls wert
gradually calined when the storm subsdei
and all left for their homes except those WIZ
were seized with Mysteries, and they wer
taken home in carriages later.
Eleven persons were instantly killed, ant
ten were fatally injured. A great nunbe
received painful wounds.
The loss to property will probably reac:
S1,000,G00.
long and from 100 to 300 yards wide.
a careful estimate places the number o.
buildings demolished and partly destroyed a
nearly four hundred.
Coal breakers in all directions have beel
more or less damaged at Parsons and Nil
Greek, four miles from Wilkesbarre, Penn.
and ten men were reported to have beeI
killed.
Reports come from Sugar Notch, Penn
sylvania mining town. that the destructio.
OF property there is terrible, and that tlftee1
persons We're killed
The cyclone passed through the little tow
of Summerville, Penn, near New Milford
on the Delaware, LsckGwanna and Westeri
Railroad, blowing down houses and tearin;
up trees in its path.
A special from Harveysville, a farming
town ten miles from Plymcu Penn, says
"a terrible cyclone visited this place tai>
afternoon. The Methodist Episcopal Churci
and parsonage have been blown to atom:
Harveys large store is totally wrecked
Nearly all the residences have been Tn
rooted and rendered uninhabitable. Farm!
houses and crops are entirely destroyed
Elijah Tohringer, well-to-do farmer, we
killed and several are fatally injured"