Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-11-28

anu OJuel DuI uOuSeS eAulUll HOW
furious was the stroke which fell upon
them.
The Consolidation coal company's
Office was bulged out of place.
Near by freight car, partly laden
with -four, was overturned.
The new station was put to a severe
test. Those inside regard its survival
of the strain which wrenched, rocked
and nearly tore it from the foundation
as a testimonial to the builder of the
strongest character. The slate roof
was badly injured. Daniel Scalley,
frelghtman, was caught in the whirl
and, much to his alarm, his burly form
was landed on the platform instead of
accompanying certain huge timbers,
which, winglesS like himself, flew
across the hills toward Wills Creek.
The building next below-a one
story frame, dedicated to the use of
resting repair workers and trainmen,
was completely demolished. Isaac
Shoemaker and James Kerrigan were
in at the time. That both escaped
death is one of the gratifying miracles
OF the calamity.
Beall, Baush & Co.'S two-horse team
was standing at the freight platform.
The horses taking freight, Dayid
Winebrenner, driver. jumped from the
platform into the wagon. The horses
had gotten start, however, and, max
ing toward Paul & Sons machine
works ran over the embankment. The
wagon upset with Winebrenner, TAX
ing the horses with it. When the lull
came Winebrenner foun nd himself I'M
der one of the horses. With some as
sistance he was extricated. On getting
back to the store, 7. G. Porter, man
ager, sent Winebrenner home. He
was painfully strained and bruised.
Before reaching T. H. Paul's resi-
dence the cyclone seemed to divide
half going south east of the building,
wrenching off trees in its track. The
other blew down the yard trees, aud
wrecked the moulding department of
the iron works aud played smash gen
eraly. A part of the roof over machine
ny division was taken off and the
building sufficiently affected to throw
important mechanical parts out of lev
ell and plumb. The damage here is
great.
The number Of giant trees uprooted
or torn off at various heights is large.
The storm seems to haye lifted after
destroying the iron works stable
and gone on without inflicting further
damage in this vicinity.
An unfinished house in Beall's addi-
ton. belonging to James Fuller. was
switched by a segment of the cyclone,
moved several inches off its foundation
and knocked out of plumb. This
seemed to be the only disaster report
ed in town outside the general track
of the storm.
While its general course was a little
south of west to little north of east,
its route was slightly zigzag. The
lower tip of the narrow funnel dipped
from 80 to 20 feet above the surface,
or to a height which took the second
stories 1t travelled with immense We
locity, all the damage at a given point
being inflicted in few seconds.
An eyewitness of its approach states
that "there seemed to be two whirl-
winds, each trying to outrun the other,
and that their coming was preceded by
a noise and rush similar to that of a
swiftly flying railway train
1t is notable that the cyclone travel
ed right through the burned district"
of 1874.
Up town, no fartherth two squares
away, the people knew nothing of
the havoc that had been wrought until
those in the storm centre got out to tell
the tale. The heavy rain had driven
everybody indoors, SO that there was
no moving on the streets. Hence,
there were few who saw the frightful
whirlwind coming.
Considerable excitement ruled at the
schools. At the Catholic parochial
panic was kept down with difficulty by
the firm discipline of the Sisters. At
the public school principal A. A. Daub
and his assistants were cool and heroic.
The storm centre passed within 300
feet of the massive edifce, and while
it shivered ,groaned and creaked under
the pressure while broken glass fell
in on the little ones the teachers, as
though by preconcert, held their mum
erous charges safely in hand.
One of the terrors which afflicted
those in the storm was the afterthought
what of those at home? What of
home itself? Are we, like Hagar,
houseless ?
Another addition to the horrors of
the situation was lent by the startling
cry of "fre" aroused by the smoke
from a choked flue in one of the strck-
en- buildings on Main street.
This brought out the fire laddies, but
there was no real need for their aid.