Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-27
SMOKE STACK FALLS
ON FREIGHT TRAIN
Workman Buried Under Wreckage
at Billmyer Quarries During
Heavy Storm
GREAT LOSS NEAR MARIETTA
Wind, Lightning and Rain Destroy
Buildings. Trees and
Crops
GREAT LOSS NEAR MARIETTA
Special to The Telegraph

Marietta, Pa, July 27.-One of the
worst electrical storms that ever vis-
tied Conoy township struck that dis
trict on Saturday afternoon about
o'clock, doing damage in its path
which at this writing cannot be fully
estimated. 1t was similar to the one
which visited Marietta several weeks
ago. Vivid lightning accompanied by
incessant rain completely ruined sew
eral fields and at a point where the
road crosses near Lobata, on the May
town and cambridge turnpike, there
was a cloudburst, as the lanes were
filled almost to the top rail, which
overfiowed tobacco cellars, filled barn
yards and caused the run which passes
through Rowenna to be higher than
the oldest resident remembers. Your
correspondent went to the scene and
up the river road. and at several places
had to drive through the branches or
the trees which were struck by light
ming and laid across the roadside. On
the Miller Grove farm, just above
town, a number of large peach and
other fruit trees were blown down and
the wind did considerable damage in
that section to the corn and tomato
stalks. The springhouse which stood
on a cement foundation where the
road turns in East Donegal township
on the Eyer farm was carried about
would have come onto the road had
not maple tree blocked it. In this
section the roads and fields are washed
to great extent. All along the line
telephone and telegraph wires are
down and made passage very dan
gerous. Linemen worked until mid
night repairing them. The most dam
age done was in the vicinity of Bill
myer, at the quarries of the J. E.
Baker Company, along the Pennsyl-
vania railroad. Here the wind blew a
terrific gale, blowing down the large
stack on one of the buildings at the
qUarries, which fell across a box car
attached to the shifter of the Column
bia crew, and the train was held there
until the Columbia wreckers came and
hoisted the stackk from the car. The
car was badly damaged. Two large
frame sheds were also blown down and
are complete wreck. A number of
men had narrow escapes from being
injured The wreckage caught Reu-
ben FitZkee. about % years old, who
resides at Bainbridge, and is employed
at the quarries. He was buried under
the debris and it required nearly an
hour to release him. 1t was at first
thought he was killed, and while the
men were extricating him DR.. Stiever,
of cambridge, was called. He found
that he had incurred fractured left
arm, his left ankle was sprained and
IacerauonS ana bruises from the heavy
timbers. He was removed to the Co
lumbia Hospital. In one of the sheds
was tied a horse and carriage which
Constable Blair. of Columbia, hired
from Liveryman Paules, of Marietta.
The wreckage buried the horse so that
when it was found it was down on its
knees, the harness torn and the car
riage q complete wreck. The horse
was only slightly cut about the head.
The large tobacco shed on the Ben
jamin Hoffman farm was blown down
and the roof carried away some dis
tance. A tree was uprooted by the
lightning and carried with the water
which rushed down the field. A large
locust tree at the residence of Mr..
Longenecker, the superintendent of the
Billmyer quarries, was uprooted and
carried to the top of his residence,
demolishing a chimney Several other
fine trees were ruined. The falling
bricks narrowly missed striking some
of the women who were in the house
at the time. The hail has cut the
tobacco and corn in a number of
places
On the Elizabethtown and Maytown
turnpike the roads are washed consid-
erably and a number of fruit trees
were felled. Some hail fell about a
mile north of Maytown. Evans run