St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-07-31
NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Lawrence's Cyclone.

renee since the awful disaster In the
Pemberton mills, 80 years ago, visit
ed that city Saturday morning.
| Shortly after 9 O'Clock a cyclone
struck the city from the west. 1t
cut a path in South Lawrence over a
mile in length and 500 feet wide.
Over 100 buildings were wrecked,
600 people, all of small means, are
homeless, and a property damage to
the extent of 100000 has been done
and nine at least were killed. The
hospital is filled with injured, while
homes spared from the wreck are
sheltering bleeding women and chill
dren. AT 9.55 O'Clock the awful
visitation came. The wind was east,
the rain was falling heavily, when
suddenly the heavens became aglow
with a bright, white light, almost
dazzling in it's effect. In Il moment
the wind veered directly to the west
Down shot black streaks from the
murky mass, and in a moment the
crash came. Buildings were crushed
like the shells of tiny eggs, whole
houses were lifted from the cellars
and terror seized the dwellers The
buildings i'll the vicinity were all of
wood, pretty, cosy homes of toilers
in the mills, but in a trice their ruin
was complete The storm struck
first on Broadway and at the outset
claimed human life. Michael Hig-
gins, a Boston and Maine switch
man, was at work on a platform car
near the Salem street bridge, when
the force of the wind lifted him high
from the car, and he was dashed to
death on the track, the car being
overturned upon him. The wires
were down, and help could only be
secured by horsemen, who drove post
haste to the city. The fireman and
policemen responded as promptly as
possible, and began 1T once the work
of removing the injured from the
fallen buildings Women were rum
ming about imploring help for miss
themselves and families. 1t was a
sight for Lawrence never to be for
gotten. The police and firemen, as
sisted by the crowd that quickly
gathered, worked like heroes, but the
debris is still piled high over cellars
and streets. Over 80 people have
been taken fir the ruins nearly a
dozen of whom are dead or will die.
The scene on Sunday was I'M
paralleled in the history of Lawrence.
From early morn till nj light thousands
of teams surrounded it and a con-
sentative estimate of the people pres
ent place the number at 10000.
Manchester sent "a carloads, Haver-
hill as many more, while 80 cars
came from Lowell. Numberless
barges carried heavy loads from sur
rounding towns. Company F, of
the 9th regiment, Captain Jourbert,
came on duty Saturday night and
established picket line around the
wrecked district. The police also
patrolled the ground. Sunday morn
ing battery c, first artillery, Capt.
Duchesney, relieved the infantry with
Lieut.. Steadman as officer of the day,
and Lieut.. Sargent as officer of the
guard The crowds were quiet and
gave the pickets little trouble. More
than $4,000 has already been sub
scribed to a relief fund, collections
were taken in all churches, and min
listers alluded to the calamity in their
sermons. Nine are believed to have
lost their lives.
Mrs. Rebecca Gable, mother of
George w. Gable, died at her home
in Northampton, Mass, early this
morning.
According to the computation of
the census supervisor, the populate
of the state of New Hampshire is
377, 900, gain of upward of 80, 900.
The Torrey bankruptcy bill passed
the House Saturday by a vote of
III yeas to 81 nays, a comfortable
majority of thirty-three on a total
vote of 2O1
An electric street car in Boston
collided with a loaded team Monday,
injuring several persons and killing
two boys who were stealing a ride
on the trucks of the car.
Mrs. George Bliss of New York,
having lost 100000 worth of dia-
monds at Saratoga, a reward is now
offered of $4,000 for the recovery and
conviction of the thief, or $500 for
the diamonds and no questions
asked.
Rev. Robert Laird Collier, one of
the most widely known Unitarian
divines in this country, died early
Sunday at his country home, the
Everglades, situated about twelve
miles from Salisbury, Md. He was
stricken with paralysis Friday night
and never regained consciousness
AS William Golden, wife and three
children were crossing the Baltimore
& Ohio tracks at Grafton, West Va,
Sunday passenger train struck the
family, instantly killing the husband,
wife and two children, and fatally
injuring the boy who was in his
fathers arms, the little fellow dying
in an hour
The small town of Wallace,
Wash, was visited by a disastrous
fire on Tuesday, destroying every
business house i'll the place. The
loss is $4,000, $3S, 900 of which
is covered by insurance. Spokane
Falls and neighboring towns sent
provisions and money to the desti-
tute people.