New-York tribune., 1896-10-01
DAMAGE IN PENNSYLVANIA.
ONE OF THE WORST STORMS EVER
KNOWN IN THE STATE.
RAILROAD TRAFFIC INTERRUPTED BRIDGES
WASHED AWAY AND BUILDINGS DE-
sTRoYED-THE FARMERS LOSSES
THE MILLIONS

fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl
Philadelphia Sept. 3O.-Reports from all tho
State indicate that the storm of last night
of the most experienced In this city
the wind extremely high but little damage
was done beyond the breaking OF telegraph and
telephone wires and the blowing down Of trees in
various parts of the city. As Geographic communi-
cation is resumed with the interior Of the State.
ports come in of serious damage to crops and build
ings by the storm. In the Junia!a Valley there
was cloudburst. and part of the town of Hunt
ington is under water. Traffic on tho Middle Divi-
sion of the Pennsylvania Railroad is suspended
In Bedford County twenty houses carried
away
Probably the greatest damage at Columbia
where the covered wooden bridge over the Susque-
hanna River used by the Frederick Division of the
Pennsylvania Railroad was blown off its piers into
the river and completely wrecked. The bridge WAS
over mile long. and was built in 1859 at a cost of
$4,000 1t is also reported that the Columbia Iron
Works al Columbia, have been demolished. tins m
formation coming over private wire OF the Penn
sylvdna Railroad -
In Lancaster County great damage done 10
the tobacco crop and many buildings were un-
rooted and wrecked
HARRISBURG Penn, Sept. 3O.--A hurricane toyed
with Harrisburg in the night, and when the day
broke through The fast-disappearng masses OF gray
storm cloud this morning the city looked upon
of demolition and destruction that II has not
witnessed In the last quarter OF a century. The
marks OF the whirlwind will not he offaced In
gun. ], Kissed around corners and whined through
the telegraph wires In way terrifying 70 the timd
1t gale al midnight; 1t lashed itself into sec
tons Of whirwind thirty minutes later. and by ]
O'Clock and for over an hour after 1t showed inc
:eeh OF a small tornado. Scores of people in the
city spent the night after IL in their cellars praying
that the fate OF 81. Louis might not be in stor"
for Harrisburg There were thousands more who
sal shud ing Il. Z morning waiting for The, fury
hurricaat Wearied Itself the streets
full Of peop d. Nous 10 learn the havoc that
At l2:l0 BAH Of 10 Observers as large as
septembe: sun fas out into the ne blackness SIS
the angry heavens Those who saw it say that IT
dd % s9w nSh 'o of ne but chan
ing from white to red and then fading like % DYING
cane veered frequently and seemed possessed Of
as many whims as Schoolgirl. 1t would wrench
gether. and then slip skyward for two or three
blocks before 5erswbs ing s Work Of h rum nt one
The grounds will not regain their former appear
ered e"Sf tRr the wnds 9@s % OF half century were
down like nnepins. Roots. with masses of earth
along the walks and through the park.
Lancaster. Penn. Sept 3o.-Late reports received
from all sections of the county show that the dam
age will reach in the aggregate nearly NoooVo
Hundreds Of farmers have lost their entire tobacco
crop, which was ready for the market In addition
to frame buildings. numerous bri K structures Were
razed to the ground The largest was tfat Of H.
Burd Cassel ex-chairman of the Republican
County Committee His brick planning mill col
lapsed. destroying valuable machinery and invov-
ing a loss OF about $4,000 Deputy Auditor-General
Fridy a sufferer. The roof of his barn was
blown a considerable distance, and the upper part
Of the building was wrecked. Senator Quay had
on his farm, and the roof Of II was blown off and
carried great distance A large tobacco barn be
dations TO the public road, and the entire crop or
tobacco was ruined. These only few of the
hundreds of similar losses.
Shamokn Penn, Sept. 30.-A terrific wind storm
visited this section of the country at o'clock this
morning lasting for more than an hour. Buildings
destroyed and property OF every description aid
waste for miles. The heaviest loser Is the Patterson
Coal Company whose colery Is at Natalie, mining
village six miles east OF this city Fourteen houses
were destroyed by fire and seven by the storm
The stables connected with the colliery were blown
down and thirty mules killed. The breaker was al
most entirely demolished. causing loss Of over
$4,000 TO the Patterson Coal Company alone. John
Chalmers fatally injured and Mrs. Savinesk had
limb fractured trying to rescue her bapy when VIZ
fatally injured and has since died In thiS CITY hon''s
we're unroofed. church spires damaged and widespread
destruction resulted. At Debler's Station the United
Brethren Church was destroyed
Altoona Penn, Sept. 3O-The Pennsylvania Raj
road between Altoona and Harrisburg is badly Grip
pied by a washout at Arenhela. near Huntingdon
Up to noon to-day no trains arrived from the east
The day express and the limited express were sent
east by way of Tyrona and Itockhaven; thence to
Harrisburg over the Philadelphia and Erie tram
and sent west The Atlantic Express stalled:
train for local tra1ic was made mp at Altoona and
followed the limited. The city escaped damage from
The food but the food channel OF the new reservoir
at Kittannng Point was washed ou; as s was also the
age At Henrietta on the Altoona division the rail-
road bridge was washed away and passengers So, aIe
being transferred that point \ number OF sum
mer cottages at Point View. summer resort on the
Junata River about fourteen miles from Altoona
washed away.
Pittsburg. Sept so--The heavy rains and high
winds which were general over the western part
of the State last night and early this morning
played havoc with the running schedules Of nearly
every railway entering Pittsburg. The heaviest
damage seems have been east OF the AheSnany
Mountains, and from the meagre reports received
great damage has been done. Trains on the ran
wavs are greatly delayed. The storm practically
paralyzed the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad & sys-
TEN east. west. north and south. wires are doWn'
and reports are far from satisfactory ~ ,s hnoA
there are andslides innumerabe. ana tracks are
by ae2 trees In ND 'he cSicn Sicey 10 Exps S @
due In Pttsburg at 6:2 O'Clock this riornins 10
supposed TO be stormbound the ram ir,i u,
for several hours; and moHntdh, & pasi % ins ,dtngs
transfer med into rivers The freight cars on sldngs T
and dwellings were unroofen ana fs es Occurred
At Sand Patch Several washonts 3cc 'reo I ne
Akron Ohio, on the pittshurg ana Wss ed r,a,n
No g. the Chicago Express; Is hemmed IN u ~
landslide near Bakers'own Th hhre GannP on P @ bo ' a.
Vision, and the time of its arriva mere cannot "'
guessed -, so frorn the storm /. not
serious Sufficient water for the movement ot the
! Johnstown, Penn. Sept Se-The heavy rams ias'
iob, r,,sed Stonev Creek 10 eleven feet and Cone
,aupb River to eight At the stone bridge the
water covered Iron-st.. which Is the only avetue
| Of communication with the lower part " the 'l,S'
TO the depth OF TWO i'"'' ''"" W.
| eral hours
Lebanon Penn. Sept. 3o-La' reports snow nat