Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va) 1886-1890, 1890-04-10
WINDS RAVAGES
A TORNADO STRIKES A CAST
HOUSE AT CR0CER'S.
THREE MEN KILLED, FIVE INJURED
a Cyclone from the Tcat swoops
Down and Carries Death and Des-
tructiOn in Its Pnih. Fist Of the
3iiiIcd nud Wounded.

KILLED.
! HENRY CASEY,
| WILSON JOHNSON,
FRED PHELPS,
wOU&DED.
JAMES TURNER, seriously hurt
about the body and head and thigh
Ebroken.
JOHN HARSTON, hurt about the
head.
FoNTAlNE STEWART, hand
mashed.
DOC REED, hurt about the face.
JOHN ASPIN, hand broken,
BOB WATKINS, hurt about the
head, shoulder and foot.
The weather yesterday morning
was warm and gusty, and great
clouds of dust swept over the business
streets greatly to the discomfort of
al! exposed to the whirling wind.
AS aeon approached clouds began
to gather, and just before O'Clock
the growing darkness indicated the
coming of Il storm. People every
where began To seek shelter, and
soon fierce wind from the west, fol-
loved by great sheets of water,
broke upon the city.
In the west end, while the wind
went rushing eastward with the We
!ocity of gale, it was steadier than
that which visited the eastern part of
the city.
Near the corner of Commonwealth
avenue and Rutherford street, dark
cloud with Jagged edges hanging low.
came rushing eastward, and striking
the new two-story frame building OF
Mr.. J.. F.. Sours it twisted it from its
foundation and scattered the broken
limb thirty feet away.
Passing on then to the rolling mill,
the storm king shook the beams and
rafters and blew in window frames
till all the men employed there rushed
into the morass TO the east for safety.
The American Bridge Works to tile
left were badly shaken, but no serious
harm was done, the wiud apparently
outstanding its strength TO strike
with fatal force cast house No. at
Crozer's furnace. The roof of this
building WAS lifted bcdily from the
brick wall upon which it rested and
carried clear of the fallen walls and
columns TO the eastern side.
a settled darkness preceded the ad-
e e h.. n SpnnnIS unI
nothing hut whirling dust and debris
marked the course of the wind.
\ stock car loaded with railroad
ties n short distance away, was moved
along the track, and II car loaded
with pig-iron was moved up grade
twenty-five yards with the brakes all
down, and seemingly satisfied with
its work. the storm passed on as
quickly rs it came.
The dust of the fallen building had
hardly cleared away before willing
hands were working to help the
wounded and remove the dead. Men
from the rolling mill and bridge works
Joined with the employees at the fur
mace in their efforts TO remove the
debris, and in u short time regular
organized force was at work tearing
down what remained Of the building
and searching for dead and wounded,
where a short time before about fifty
men had sought shelter and safety.
The first dead body found was that
of Wilson Johnson. 1t was under the
fallen bricks near the west side OF the
ruins. The dead body of Henry Casey
was next discovered not far distant,
and only few feet away lay the re-
mains of William Johnson.
All three were colored laborers of
the Iron gang They were working
outside when the storm came up and
went into the cast house for shelter.
All of the wounded were able to get
out of the wrecked building except
Jim Turner, cclored man, who was
found near an opening on the east
side of the cast house. His thigh was
broken, his head cut, and he was iu-
jured internally. He will probably
die.
The remaining injured were: John
Houston, struck on the head; Bob
Watkins, hurt on head, foot and
shoulder; Fontaine Stewart, hand
mashed: Doc Reed, hurt about the
face, and John Aspin, hand broken,
1t is not thought that any OF these
will die.
AS soon as the news Of the disaster
reached the city a large number OF
persons hurried to the furnace, and
soon several hundred spectators were
gathered about the rope which sur
rounded the wrecked building and
kent away the curious.
The wounded men were taken to
their homes and the dead bodies laid
out near the north end of the cast
house to await the action Of the cor
oner.
The tornado did its deadly work at
1 As o'clock, and by 3 p. m. Coroner
H. V. Gray and the following jury had
arrived at the furnace. P. w. Huff,
foreman; a. L. Payne, 6. r. Hender-
son, Michael Smith, s. l.. Fulwiler
and j. l. Goodman.
An inquest was at once commenced,
and E. w. Conway, foreman ofthe
furnace was the first witness exam
ined. He thought the cast house was
strong enough, but believed it was
the extraordinary force of the wind
which had wrecked the building.
VIM. Hettrick, keeper of the fur
mace No. 2, said the cast house was
doc4,ox,oJ bu tba wind Ord inorilV if