Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-04-01
ELECTRICAL STORM
DOES MUCH DAMAGE
Its Force Felt in the Northern Part
Of PhiIsdeIphia-one Person
Was Killed.

80 fNtfANGs
Philadelphia, March 2S.-A severe
electrical storm accompanied by al
high wind, which at times blew with
cyclon}c force. swept over the North
ern secthcn OF this city shortly after
9 O'clock last night leaving destruc-
ton and death in its wake.
Buildings were demolished. houses
unroofed and the New York division
OF the Pennsylvania Railroad was
placed out Of commission temporarily
by the demolition of its tower at
Holnesburg and station at Tacony,
cutting off all telsgraphic communica.
tion.
New York trains were being routed
via the Trenton cutoff, which branch
OF the Pennsylvania Company was not
in the path of the high winds.
Tacony, the section where the great
est damage occurred, was completely
cut off from the rest OF the city
Telegraph. telephone and trolley
wires were blown to the ground and
II was hours before the details Of the
catastrophe reached the central sec
ton OF the city, where the sttrm did
not appear.
Police Station Unroofed.
The police station at Taco1y was
demolished. The evening squad of Pc
lieemen were preparing to leave for
their beats when the roof of the
building was blown off and every win
dow broken by a sudden burst OF
wind.
At the Taoony Station OF the Penn
sylvania Railroad an unidentified
man was killed when a portion OF the
structure was blown away. Many
houses in this section were unroofed
or completely demolished.
In the manufacturing section of
kensington in the northeast, toward
Tacony, several factories were de-
stroyed, trolley wires were blown
down and roofs of houses hurled to
! the center OF the streets.
A corner section of the three-story
brick factory Of John Blrod & Broth
Trenton and ALLEGHENY avenues. more
than 100 feet in width was torn away,
wrecking much valuable machinery
Three hundred and fifty men who
were employed here, it is said. will be
out CT work for at least two weeks.
The factory of the Enterprise Coop
age. Company, near by. was struck by
lightning, but the flames were extin-
guished before much damage had
been done.
Church Damaged.
In the Fashionable section of German
town the storm also caused havoc.
The cupola of St. Michael's Church at
High and Boynton streets, was blown
off Jones' Hall, at Germantown ave-
nue. and Sharpnack street, also lost
its roof, Hs did the factory cf the
American Metal Company, at Herman
street and Germantown avenue.
Telegraph and telephone communi-
cation was also destroyed, but up to
late hour no lives had been reported
lost in this section.
SO completely was the pennsylvania
Roads line to New York tied up that
no trains were sent over the New
York Division from this city and no
tickets to Philadelphia were obtaina-
he at the New York end of the line.
Trains which had left Jersey City
before the storm broke over Tacony,
were sent over the Trenton cut-cff,
which branches from the New York
Division at Worthwhile. Pa, opposite
Trenton. N. ]. This branch connects
with the main line Of the Pennsyl-
yania about 25 miles west of this city,
and it was there that the Philadelphia
| passeng gers we're transferred.