New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-27
A TORNADO'S DEADLY WORK.
SEVEN MEN KILLED IN A FALLING COAL
BREAKER.
TWO MORE FATALLY HURT-A PENNSYLVANIA
MINING TOWNS DISASTER.
INV rrtrcp.pu To THE TnrBuERl

MINING TOWNS DISASTER.
rpr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsRl
Mount Carmel. Penn, June 2s-The Patterson
Coal Companys breaker, one mile from TINS pace'
was crushed TO pieces by tornado soon after
2 o'clock this afternoon At the time the wind
struck the coliery it was in full operation. sud
denly there was q crash and the huge structure
swayed to and fro for moment and then teli W
the ground, mass Of rnins When the CRASH
came many of the employees rushed from tne
breaker panic-strcken. while Others who were less
fortunate were caught in the flying tlmoerS anu
crushed 10 death. The killed are j.. ~ Blossom,
aged forty, of Hawley, Penn; Is. Dodson, aged
thirty-five. of ShiclSshinncy, Penn; Walter
Roberts, aged twenty-sevcn, of Luzerne Borough,
Penn. and William Lodge. aged twenty-four, OF
Luzerne Borough; the bodies of three others, all
Italians, whose names cannot he learned. were
removed from the ruins this evening. Five per-
sons were injured, two probably fatally.
The, breaker was situated on the summit Of the
mountain 1t ran almost due east and west and
was about 300 feet long and the highest point
was 165 feet. Lodge. Roberts and two of the
unknown men were saters. and were engaged III
roofing the breaker at the time Of the accident.
The other two killed were carpenters and met their
death while at work on the inside. Soon after
noon the sky in the north became black and
the darkness grew in intensity. The men perched
on their high tower looked at the advancing storm.
expecting TO descend in time to avoid the ram
Suddenly there was q fash OF lightning, thun-
der peal that shook all the ncighborhood followed,
and the next minute the terrible wind-gust
gathered up the great structure as though it were
a feather and whirling it around, dashed 1t to
ruin The men were mangled almost beyond
recognition.
After the accident occurred the widest excite
ment followed and the employees, as well as the
people living near by, 1oc1ed to the scene OF
disaster and aided those who were fortunate
enough TO escape in removing the dead and injured
from the wrecked breaker.
The storm was one Of the worst that has ever
visited the Mahanoy Valley. A passenger on a
Philadelphia and Reading express train which
passed through the storm said When the train
reached Locust Summit on its way to Phila-
delphia I saw the storm approaching from the
southwest We had not gone far when it struck
the train. A panic followed and il was feared
that the entire train would be hurled from the
track Trees were uprootcd on either side and
the noise produced by the rushing wind reminded
me Of the roaring of musketry. The storm seemed
TO increase in violence every moment until the
abated IL was the most exciting ride of my
life. After the wind had subsidized it began
~ rain. The lightning was awful. l never
saw anything like IL, and when we got out OF
its track every soul the train breathed easier
The damage wrought by the storm will prob
ablS1 reach S1 5000, including the breaker,
which was owned and operated by, Pittsburg,
Philadelphia, and Wikesbarre people