The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1896-08-05
HURRICANE and WAIERSPOUT
MANY LIVES LOST.
Western Pennsylvania Devastated by
Storms.

The most violent hurricane that has visit
ed Western Pennsylvania for years swept
over Allegheny county Monday evening
Two lives were stand an immense amount
OF damage caused. Steeples were blown
from churches, falling ON other buildings
and crushing them In, houses were unroof-
ed, trees broken of, and In some cnses torn
up by the roots. while tho havoc caused hy tho
heavy rainfall of last week was repeated
SO far ms reported there we're two killed,
one fatally injured and 30 injured more or
less seriously.
Three meteorological records were broken.
10 was in the first place the hottest day Of
the year, the thermometer at 4 o'clock was
90 degrees, the maximum point. The rhin-
fall for six minutes beat nll records IN the
local weather bureau which extend back %
years. From i.3O to 4i3G over n third Of an
inch of rain fell into the gauge on tn" roof
OF the government building, The other rec
ord-brcaker was that n veritabln cold wave
passed over the city during the storm. The
registering thermometer In the weather
bureau showed TINT in As minutes the tenn
peraturc Tell from 30 degrees to II, and then
went back to ~.
The big belfry ON the John Wesley Afrirah
Methodist Episcopal Zion church, Arthur
street. was blown OIL into yard In the neat
square, striking the corner of house and
The storm seized the steeplc of the Centcn-
ary NJ. T.. Church, which is over % feet high,
took the hig bell along and dropped It into
neighborng yarl. slicing corner OF the
house oft G. Mccarthy, ON kirkpatrick-st.,
during the descent.
The roar portion Of the Fifth United Pres
hyterian church, Webster avenue and Wash
ington street, was demolished
Probably the saddrst feature Of the terrible
storm occurred al Sugar camp, which Is To-
Gated a half mile enst of Aspinwall. along the
Allegheny river bank. In the little forest Of
trees numbering lj0 nearly all were knock
cd down by the storm and Lightning. A
heavy branch from the tallest sycamore tree
in the grove fell with grcnt force over the
canvas tent in which seven Allegheny boys
were seeking shelter from the storm. one
was killed outright. another was 20 badly
hurt TINT he will die and the others of the
crowd were severely bruised and injured.
Seven bridges were washed away between
Conncllsville and UniontOwn on the Con-
nellsville and Fairmont branch of the B. Il
o.
The storm passed over the Lisoner valley
doing immense damage To the corn and oats
crops. Entire orchards were ruined and
country roads are full of fallen trees. The
merry-go-round tent at ldlewild was blown
down and torn to pieces. lncessant rain
here has ruined thousands Of dollars worth
for the farmers in this valley.
" show that the storm was the greatest in
,ecent years. In the oil fields an enormous
amount OF oil was lost through breaking of
mains. Hundreds of bridges were washed
away. Traffic on the W. W. railway IL
suspended. Two bridges were washed out
near Hackneys station.
At Philadelphia heavy rainstorm having
many features OF tornado passed over the
city shortly aiter o'clock. Very little dam
age was done.
The storm was general in eastern Pennsyl-
vania New Jersey and Delaware. Lightning
played many pranks with trolley and electric
wires, and many barns were struck by light
ming and destroyed.
storm swept over New York accompani-
ed by heavy thunder and brilliant display
OF lightning. The maximum velocity of the
wind was 30 miles, but this lasted only five
minutes.
Reports from the far west say that the loss
Is inestimable over Northwestern Iowa.
Northwestern Nebraska and Southeastern
South Dakota. From MoyilP, within au
area extending one mile south, three east,
sixteen west, and eight north Of town stand
ing grain everywhere suffered from Ave to
ten bushels TO the acre, and in many cases
totally destroyed. In the town itself many
buildings were injured and scarcely whole
pane OF glass remains
In Plymouth county Grant, Freduuia
Meadow, Elgin and Preston townships sus-
thllleu tnt bTeulest los. ROOFS Were beuttn
through by the force of the hail. COnsidera-
BILE stock was killed and the ground was
literally strev u with dead hogs and poul-
try. The heaviest loss was TO corn, which
was beaten completely to pieces. In Sioux
City the loss is heavy, many buildings being
ruined. 1t is estimated at S200000.
The railroads as usual We're heavy suffer
ers, the damage to them being immense. On
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad n treste
east OF Crouch's station was washed out. the
station platform washed away and several
hundred yards OF track covered and twisted
so that 1t lad to be relaid. At Finleyville
the track was covered for more thar half n
mile and numerous washouts are reported.
At Canonsburg the water covered the fair
grounds, fences were washed away and
houses on the lowands Hooded. On the
south side and east end of Canonsburg the
damage was greatest. The fires of the boil
ers OF the electric plant were put out and
the town was In darkness.
At Prosperity the rain storm was the heav-
lest ever known. the precipitation amount
ing to two inches in two hours. Ten mile
creek at that point was the highest ever
known. Daniel die came near losing his
life In attempting to save a horse SO rapid
was the rise. In the West Middletown re-
gion the worst damage was TO culverts.
At Penn Station the wind caught the two
story frame dwelling of John Driestadl and
completely demolished 1t. The family escaped
just as the roof was lifted and lost the entire
contents. Rain flooded the lower part OF
the town and along Brush creek residents
were forced to leave their dwellings, the
water reaching almost to the top OF the first
story OF the buildings. Altogether six houses
we're uhroofed and about two score flooded