The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-07-27
Lawrence, Mass, Rolled Up in
a Big Cyclone.
THE FIRST IN NEW ENGLAND.
Eight People are Killed and a Hun
dred H us Sna teled.
Roar OF the Monster Heard Far Away
Narrow Escape of Mills Full of Oper-
atives-Hundreds of Poor People
Without Shelter.


nrst OF any considerable importance within the
memory OF New England aud equalIiug in de-
siructiye power those frequently repor.ed from
western communities visited the suburbs O:
south Lawrence this morning and in fifteen
minutes had killed eight people, seriously in
Jured nfteen to twenty and slightly injured at
least twenty more. Ii cut a swath through a
tnickiy populated section 200 feet wide aud
mils long. aud rendered many people homeless s.
IL destroyed or greatly damaged some seventy
nve 10 100 buildings and dwelling housesruined
beautiful square of over 500 trees and entailed
property loss now estimated az 100000, all OF
which Is uninsured against wind storms The
calamity is the greatest that has visited Law
renee since the fail and burning Of the Pember-
ton mills thirty years ago.
The city of Lawrence is busy railroad iunc.
ton, and in the vicinity were many wooden
houses occupied mainly by wellto-do mechan-
les, and among these the cyclone spent its
greatest fury.
The northern boundary of the belt of destruc-
ton was but three streets south of the lofty
mills with their busy throngs of thousands of
workers, showing how narrow was the escape
from more appalling loss OF life and property
The ir was hot and humid, dark clouds seur-
ried westerly through the heavens with inter-
mitted rain. Suddenly the wind veered and an
lnky black cone, ike cloud seemed to drop
from the tremalous mass hanging in the south
west and move rapidly with awful aspect
toward the city. It was accompanied by tor
rents OF rain. In an instant the crash came.
Buildings were lifted from their foundations
and dashed to pieces others were tipped over
or blown from their position and more or less
damaged. The air was filed with flying debris.
Most of those whe met death in the wreck were
killed stantly. Many lay unconscious or
groauing in ruins of their homes
The train OF ruin in its path showed that the
cyclone touched the earth at or near the cricket
grounds, crossed Emmett street, Broadway rail-
road and Parker street, and entered Springfield
street at tfssouthwest end. and traversng its en-
tire length demolished nearly everything in its
course. including one house on Foster street and
two on South Union street where they cross
Springfield street 1t passed from Springfield
street into Union square, leveiling over 500 trees
ana thence over the river, where 1t exhausted
ITSELF
The cyclone entered Springfield street. where
the greatest destruction was wrought. When
No. 81 fell. o'Connell. his wife and daughter
were carried down with it. OConnell was the
nrst extricated. He: Suffered severe external in
juriea His wife and daughter were removed
from the ruins after over two hours OF hard
work. both dead. On Portland street q lumber
yard was blown to atoms. The gatekeeper at
the crossing was lifted bodily from his cabin
and carried some distance. He was serious
ly shaken up and for some time unconscious.
No. 16. occupied by William Collins.
was lifted from its foundation and the
upper part came crashing through
the lower, where sat Mrs Collins and three lit
tie children For Q moment heart-rending
shrek came from the heap rubbish, and then
all was still. Mrs. Collins was taken out dead,
also her daughter Annie, aged g. On South
Union street great damage was done. The wind
continued in the direction of Springfield street,
northeastward through Union square, breaking
and twisting trees in every conceivable shape.
II il believed that from 500 to 1000 trees were
destroyed in and about the park. In Andover
one house was unrooied. Trees were felled on
eli sides, and fences blown beltsr-skelter.
The occupants of most of the ruined houses
were hard working laborers, whose houses were
the fruit of a lifetime Of toll The engineer of
the Boston express saw the cyclone as he was
nearing South Lawrence, and stopped the en-
CINE. This probably saved his train, which was
due at South Lawrence at the time the cyclone
struck the place.
Flames broke out aud but for the Intervention
OF the rain storm FIRE would have added to the
horrors OF the calamity.
The iremen rendered great assistance in re-
moving the injured from the ruins, and busi-
ness men carried several mangled aud crippled
human beings to hospitals Others were taken
to private houses.
The work OF devastation began at the cricket
grounds on the southwest with uprcoting
number of trees A story -and-s-half house in
the rear of No. 6 Emmet street was occupied by
James Lyons and family. Hearing the approach
of the storm Lyons rushed into the house,
seized the Daby from his wifes arms ard fed TO
the street Both man and child escaped but
tie dead body of Mrs. Lyons was subsequently
taken from the ruins of her dwelling. the
foot of Saunders court switch-house in which
M chael Higgins was standing was taken up
todily by the wind and carried und the over
head railroad bridge crossing Salem street, where
Higgins fell out and was instantly killed. sey-
eral houses were smashed here.
Following is a list of the dead:
MICHAEL HIGGINS. aged 35.
MRS AIRY o'CoSNELL, aged 81.
Miss NARY O'CoSSELL sged IL.
MRS ELIZABETH COLLINS.
ANNIE CO. LISs aged &
HANNAH BEATTY.
MRS MARY LYONS
HELEx CUTLER.
A. Hart is al the hospital and it Is thought he
will die. Thirteen injured were carried to the
hos pitals, while others. whore names cannot be
learned, cared for by friends, their injuries
being slight
Great Hailstorm in Canada.
EMBRo. Ont, July 26.-0ne OF the worst hail.
storms ever known here visited this section last