The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-20
RUIN IN A BLOW.
SCORES OF LIVES LOST IN PENN
SYLVANIA.

Wilkesbarre the Scene of Fearful Dis
truction OF Property -Summerville
and Harveysville Almost Leveled
to the Ground-Fifteen People Killed
at Sugar Notch - Wires Down in
Every Direction and Details Almost
Impossible to Obtain.
WILKEsBARRE, Pa, Aug. 10, Z p. M.-At
4 o'clock this afternoon the most terrible
cyclone that was ever experienced in this
locality struck this city. 1t came up the
river, but from what point it originated is
not known. The suddenness of its coming
was one OF Its awful features. The heavens
were as black as night and the wind blew
with frightful velocity. Whole rows of
trees were blown down. Following this
hundreds of houses were unroofed, partially
blown over or completely demolished, and
worse than all visitation of death was
sent upon a number of people.
TWELVE LIVES LOST.
The total death loss, so far as ascertained,
Is twelve.
Four men are know wn to have been killed
in the Hazard Rope Works.
A house on Scott street. occupied by
miners who had just returned from work,
fell in and three of the inmates were killed.
The huge smoke stack of the Kyle plan
ing mill fell on a man and two horses, and
all were killed.
A little colored girl was killed by fall
ing building on South Main street.
Two men suffered death by the falling of
portion Of Stegmairs's brewery.
There are undoubtedly fifteen or sixteen
others killed, as reports are coming in
constantly to that effect.
WHOLE DISTRICTS IN RUINS.
Large districts in several sections of the
city are in absolute ruin, and women and
children are in the streets crying and
wringing their hands in absolute dismay.
The damage will reach hundreds of
thousands of dollars Passenger trains
and locomotives at the depot were
blown over, and every wire in
the city-electric light, telephone
and telegraph-is down. The devastation is
to be compared with nothing in the memory
of the Oldest inhabitant. Everybody is
rejoicing that no fires have followed, for the
streets are impossible with trees and fall en-
buildings, and the engines could not be
drawn through them.
The Murray shaft house was blown down
and the fan stopped. There are twenty
seven men in the mines, but 1t is hoped they
can be got out safely.
NEWS OF OTHER DEATHS.
Reports come from Sugar Notch, a min.
ing town three miles from here. that the
destruction of property is terrible and that
fifteen persons were killed.
AT Parsons and Mill creek, four miles
from here, coal breakers in all directions
have been more OF less damaged, and the
number of killed will reach ten. Telegraph
wires are down in all directions and COM
munication is all shut OFF.
SUMNERvILLE ANNIHILATED.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. ia special dis.
patch from Scranton to the Times saws
that trainmen of incoming trains report
that the village of Summerville, thirty
miles west of Scranton, was struck by q
cyclone this afternoon about $50
O'Clock, and totally ennihilated.
Engineer William Fisher, in giving an
account of his train experience while pass
ing through the cyclone, said the engine
was lifted from the track, the cab was
blown off and all the windows in the cars
were crushed in by the terrific force of the
wind. Two of the train hands were seriously
injured.
Any definite account Of the storm or the
damage done is difficult to obtain, as all the
wires to the west of the city are down.
HARvEYsvILLE WRECKED.
A special to the Inquirer from Plymouth
says: "Harveysviue, a farming village
| ten miles from here, was wrecked this
| afternoon by a tornado The Methodist
| church and the adjoining parsonage were
blown down. Harvey's large store was
totally destroyed. Nearly all the houses in
the village and on the adjoining farms were
rendered uninhabitable Crops in the fields
were ruined. Elijah Fahriuger, a well-to-do
farmer, was killed, and several others wore
injured"
READING FLOODED.
The Record has a special dispatch from
Reading, which says: about $50 o'clock
this evening this city was struck by
and the lower part was flooded
In North Reading all the telegraph, tele-
| phone and electric light wires
were blown down. and the
twelfth and thirteenth wards are
darkness. A barn belonging to jefferson
Snyder was blown down and all the horses
and cattle in it were killed. A farm hand is
missing, and as he is thought to have been
in the building it is probable
that he was killed and that his body lies in
the ruins. The storm seems 10 have been
especially severe between here and Sinking
Spring, and trains coming down Lebanon
valley had considerable difficulty in run
ming, owing to the number Of telegraph
poles lying across the track"
A DRENCHING RAIN.
WnKEsBARRE, Aug. 10, A. M-The
wires are working so badly that it is almost
impossible to get anything off. The esti-
mated loss at midnight is $500, 900, although
it may reach higher figure. The suffering
is great A terrible rainstorm set in shortly
after the cyclone and drerohed exposed
property which lies in the track of the
cyclone At midnight rain is pouring down