The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-28
AN EASTERN CYCLONE.
1t Creates Much Havoc in This
Section of the Country.
SEVERAL FATALITIES REPORTED.
In tho Pittsburs District Three Men Were
Killed, While One Was Killed by Fall
ing Tree In New York City-Many Barns


In tho Pittsburs District Three Men Were
Killed, While One Was Killed by Fall.
ing Tree In New York City-Many Barns
Destroyed.
PITTsBuRG, July ga wind and rain
storm of unusual flerceness visited here at
4S0 yesterday afternoon, causing the loss
Of at least three lives and doing immense
damage to property. Several dwellings
were completely demolished and others
partially wrecked. Eight or ten churches
had their roofs blown off and were other
wise damaged. Telegraph, telephone and
electric light poles were snapped like pipe
stems, mixing the wires In an inextricable
mass in the streets and making travel in
many sections of the city impossible.
Fierce lightning and high wind accom-.
panied the storm, or rather two storms,
for Pittsburg and Allegheny was the
meeting place Of one storm from the west,
which came up the Ohio valley, and an
other from the east, which followed the
course Of the Allegheny river Such a
battle Of the elements is rarely witnessed.
In East Pittsburg and Wilnerding hail
fell in large quantities In the first five
minutes Of the storm SO Of Nm inch Of
water was precipitated and the wind
reached a velocity Of thirty miles an hour.
At 8 p m. another storm broke, almost
as fierce us the first, and .6s Of an inch OF
rain fell making total of l.33. The riv'
ers are now rising and another flood is ex-
pected.
Among the casualties reported Is an &C.
cident to the camp of the Eighth Ward
Hunting and Fishing club of Allegheny,
who were in camp at Sugar grove. The
members say the storm was cyclonic.
Trees in the grove were broken and twist
cd us though thoy were weeds A large
sycamore was snapped off near the ground
and fell upon tho tent of campers, killing
John Figus, breaking the back of George
Miller who will die and seriously injur.
ing Thomas O'Connell, Charles Kosack
Jacob Metz, Frank Ottand Harry Haddle
On Greenfield avenue Joseph Ashfelder
was killed by a sign striking him on tho
head. In Sharpsburg W. L. Norr was
killed by the falling roof of a house.
At McKee's Rocks, where Professor
Geredete, curator of Carnegie Museum,
had a band Of men at work digging an old
Indian mound in the interest Of science,
lightning struck the shed under which the
party hud taken refuge, shocking into un-
consciousness one of the laborers and Mr..
Pool, son of n college professor Both will
probably die.
Tho result of the storm in property dam
age has not been fully gathered, but it Is
known that all through Allegheny, the
south side eand she east end, many houses
were unroofed, sings blown down and
windows broken. Along Pennsylvania
avenue toward Homewood, where many
fine mansions are located, the splendid
lawns are completely destroyed and the
shade and ornamental trees ruined. 1t is
estimated that $l0O,OOO will hardly cover
the loss in this locality alone. Reports
from outlying towns tell of much dam
age to property.
In Allegheney twelve people were struck
by lightning. Thoy are in the hospital and
considered by the physicians to be in
critical condition. Their names are Abner
Hays, freight receiver of the Fort Wayne
railroad; A. b. Bennett and three children;
August Snedtz, his wife and their four
children. Mr.. Hays was standing in the
freight house door when bolt of light
ming struck the building, knocking Mr..
Hays unconscious. Mr.. Bennett and his
children We're standing on their porch on
St. Clair terrace when flash was con-
Quoted from a trolley wire in front of the
house to the porch, prostrating the entire
party. The Snedtz family were eating
supper when lightning struck the resi-
dcnce, following the chimney fue to the
dining room. About half an hour later
neighbor discovered the whole family
bn ~ srpu
dition They may recover, but it is doubt
e,I