Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1891-12-04
HAVOC AT THE CAPITAL,
TERRIBLE STORM IN EASTERN
CITIES.
Washington and Other Eastern Cities AL
. most Isolated-Many Buildings Demol-
ished and Persons Seriously Injured in
the Track Of the Storm.
Worst for Years.

The storm which has been so remark
able in Its varied characteristics, so dis
astrous in its effects and far-reaching in
the area Of its sweep, will be re orded.
especially in the log books of the tele-
graph and telephone companies, as at
once having equaled if not exceeded the
utter paralysis wrought by the great
blizzard OF 1883. In truth, the day was
storm kings carnival, and, as the Sc
carnival Of death Already from nu,
merous points come reports of damage
destruction. and death, and when a ces1
satlon of the warning elements permits
OF restoration of Geographic commu,
n1cation with points at present inacces-
slble owing to the prostration o. the
wires, the extent of the disaster will
only be fully known.
Originating near Southern Georgia or
Northern Florida, this resistless wave of
devastation swept northward. entirely
bearing down in its path the timsy
wires, swapping off trees and telegraph
poles Like reeds. toppling over chimneys,
tearing off roofs, and crushing appar-
emily substantial buildings like playhous,
es of cardboard. Bounding over the
Alleghenies, this awful destroyer, Shrek.
ing with tiendish glee, fell upon Balti,
more, Richmond, Washington, and Phil
adelphia, scattering through highway
and byWay mementoes of his tremendous
power, as if in knocking derision of mans
power.
The cyclone struck Washington and
lasted about ten minutes. 1t was &C.
companied by driving rain, with vivid
lightning flashes To add to the con-
fusion fire bells We're rung, occasioned
by buildings in various parts of the CITY
being blown down. The worst of the
storm visited the corner of 4 and
Twelfth streets and wrecked the entire
corner. building in the course of cree
ton, and which had attained height of
four stories, was blown in upon the rear
of several adjoining buildings. A
number Of people were employed in
these buildings and upon the building I'M
the course of construction number of
bricklayers were at work. The work.
mon narrowly escaped death, but in an
extension of one of the buildings crushed
Mr.. White, a tailor, was instantly
killed, being mansled almost beyond
recognition. Several other employees in
his establishment were seriously in
iured. AT the White House about two
tons of stone coping on the top of the
mansion were blown down On the porch
on the east side of the building, crush
ing it in. n window in the east room
was also blown in, The flagstaff on TOP,
of the White House was snapped off as
il it was glass.
| At baltimore. the wind and rain was
Of unusual intensity. 1t struck the city
from the southwest, blowing down signs.
and flag poles, and doing other damage
The roof of the oyster packing hous of
=, G. S. Maltby was blown off by the wind.
A number of persons working in the top.
story were injured, but none seriously /
From all parts of Pittsburg and ALLIE
| gheny come reports of damage Houses
were blown down or unroofed, trees
snapped off Short signs broken from
their fastenings, and telegraph poles;
torn up and wires broken. In the West
End Gr;mm's new three tory hotel, not.
yet finished, was blown down, crushing
small dwelling adjoining. The occu-
pants all escaped but Mrs. PEBBLES, who.
was preparing dinner in the kitchen.
She was buried in the ruins, and fatally
| injured
The storm seemed to divide itself into.
two arms, branching from a center in
North Carolina, one arm bearing down
the coast, the other bearing northward
and veering north of Washington, de-
scribing a tremendous circle. Bearing
down northwest, it passed successfully
over Lakes Ontario and Erie, finally
passed away to the north disappearing
in Baffin's Bay From Eastern Ohio
ind Western Pennsylvania reports, as
yet meager, outline the destruction in
every direction, accurate reports of
which can only be secured later. Suffice
to say that all is chaos. The damage
will be many thousands of dollars in
! every section of the country visited by
the great storm.