Democratic Sentinel, Volume 14, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1890 — SCORES OF LIVES LOST. [ARTICLE]

SCORES OF LIVES LOST.

WILKESBARRE, PA.. VISITED BY A TERRIBLE CYCLONE. Probably a Hundred People Killed In the Storm—Many Neighboring Towns Suffer —scenes in tbe Stricken City—Damage to Property Great. [WiLkesbarre (Pa.) dispatch.] At 5 o’clock this afternoon the most terrible cyclone that was ever experienced in this locality struck this city. It* came up "the river. At what point it originated is oot known. The suddenness of its coming was one of its awful features. The heavens were as black as night and the wind blew with frightful velocity. Whole rows of trees were blown down. Following this hundreds of houses were unroofed, partially blown over, or completely demolished. Worse than all, a number of lives were lost. How many were killed Is not known at this time. Large districts In several sections of the city are in absolute ruin, and the women smd children are In the streets crying and wringing their hands in dismay. The damage will reach hundreds of thousands of dollars. Passenger trains and locomotives at the depot were blown over, and every wire in the city—electric light, telephone and telegraph—is down. The devastation is to be compared to nothing in the memory of the oddest inhabitant. Fortunately, no fires have as yet taken place, for the streets are Impassable with trees and fallen buildings, and the engines could not be drawn through them. The total number of deaths so far as ascertained is twelve. Four men are known to have been killed in the Hazard Wire-ftope Works. A house on Scott street, occupied by miners wiho had Just retured from work, fell in and three of the Inmates were killed. The huge stack of the Kytle planing mill fell on a man and two horses and all were killed. A little colored girl was killed by a falling building on South Main street. Two men suffered death by the falling of a portion of Stegmaier’s brewery and a third incurred the same fate through the almost complete demolition of S. L. Brown’s handsome brick business block on East Market street. There were, undoubtedly, fifteen or sixteen others killed. It Is impossible at this time to give names or particulars. Many poor people have suffered heavy losses and It will he months before all the damage can be repaired. One hundred tinroofers have been telegraphed for, and building mechanics of all kinds can find employment here for weeks to come, as it Is already khown that rully 200 buildings have been blown down or otherwise damaged. Many of the structures wore of large size and of great value. Approximate losses only can be given, as follows: Hazard wire-rope works, $25,000. S. L. Brown’s residence, $20,000. St. Mary’s Catholic Church, $15,000. Malinckrodt Convent, $3,000. Murry shaft, SIO,OOO. Hollenback shaft, $5,000. White Haven Ice Company, SB,OOO. Lehigh Valley Depot, $2,004. Pennsylvania Railroad Company’s roundhouse, $3,000. Ahlbom’s pork-packing house, $5,•000. Paine’s oil house, $2,000. Dickson Manufacturing Company, SB,OOO. In addition to these hundreds of citizens have suffered losses running tbam SSOO to 95,000. The Murray fan-house was blow* down and the fan stopped. There were < twenty•even men In the mine, but it Is hoped they can be got out safely. Reports come from Sugar Notch, a mining ♦own three miles from here, that the destruction of property is terrible and that fifteen persons were killed. At Parsons and Mill Creek; four miles from here, coal-breakers in all, directions have been more or less damaged, and the number of killed will reach tenl Telegraph wires are down in all directions and communication all cut off. .. The names of some of those killed., as far as known, are: Evi Martin, a baker; buried beneath a falling smokestack; his two horses were also killed. John F. Rltz, a laborer in the spool-mill at the Hazard works; taken from the debris hcrrlbly mangled. Burrell Bendenmeyer, salesman for ELartJke&Co.. grocers; Instantly killed by the falling of Brown’s business block. Samuel Rouse, machinist at Hazard works; killed by falling timbers. Peter Rlttenmeyer, killed in Fred Jacob’s Hotel, which was wrecked; when removed s»is skull whs found to be crushed. Joseph Kern, a milkman, blown from his wagon; be was found 200 yards away lying on the Lehigh Valley road with his head crushed. Adam Frantzol, of the firm of Jones & Frantzol, struck by fiying timbers, died at A o’clock this evening. Mamie Thompson, aged 0 years, Mown ogaifist a house and instantly killed. George Hamilton, John Kleinkauff and a Hungarian entered a barn for shelter. The ■ large double doors were blown in, killing Hamilton Instantly and fatally Injuring the other two. Among the injured are: Berlin Vandermark, struck- by timbers. His bead was crushed and his ribs and lege were broken. He cannot recover. Max Cramer, fatally injured by a falling wall. Jesse Houser, legs broken and Internally Injured by a falling roof. Miss Mary Henwood, seriously hurt. While descending from a carriage she was blown fifty feet away. Albert Smith, a paper-hanger, ribs broken and head injured. Jacob Falk, a butcher, blown from a wagon, arm dislocated. M. Brinkman, Injured internally and arm broken. Jacob Vewgold, a butcher, ribs broken end head bruised. Ambrose Constine, a liquor dealer, ribs broken and injured internally. A dispatch from New Milford, Susquehanna county, says a cyclone struck that region at precisely the same moment that Wilkesbarre was struck. Farmer Cole’s house was demolished and Mrs. Cole was killed. His family was Imprisoned in the wreck, but rescued by a crew of trainmen who had witnessed the disaster. They are all badly hurt. New Milford is sixty miles north of Wilkesbarre. Another dispatch says that just before the cyclone reached here it struck Harveyvllle, killing two women. Horrible was the scene in the Hazard Wire-Rope Works. Dead and dying lay on the floor and their heartrending cries and groans filled the air in the room. The cyclone struck the rtear of the large brick building, about 200-men being employed in the works. The roof and side walls were crushed in and lay in ruins all about. The bricks and ponderous machinery wero scattered all over. When the storm was imminent the men rushed for the door, but many of them were caught !n the ruins. As •oon as the calm succeeded, the awful cyclone men rushed Into the ruins and carried the injured into the portion of tbe building which was undamaged and laid them upon the floor. Rude beds of matting were made for the victims on the floor and physicians were summoned. , St. Mary’s-Catholic Church, South Washington street, is a total wreck. The massive tower In the rear of the chuffch was blown down clear to the base and fell with tre-. mendous force against the residence of " Michael Cuohagen, smashing it. The Inmates all huddled together in the hall and •scaped Injury. Tbe solid tin'roof on St. Mary’s Convent, South Washington street, was torn off and blown Into the street, and a portion of the brick wall was taken away. Mayor Sutton has Issued a proclamation calling on the members of the Ninth Regiment to assemble at the armory to aid In tbe police supervision of tbe city. U»

also requested all idle workingmen to report to him for labor in clearing away tb« debris, the city to pay for the same. The estimated loss Is $500,000, although it may reach a higher figure. The suffering la great. A terrible rain-storm set In shortly after the cyclone and drenched the exposed property, which lies In Its track. Superintendent Gaskins of the Hazard Wire-Works reported that they would be in running order again In about one week. Aa far as known to him only one man was killed at the works and one fatally Injured. Several more were slightly hurt by falling timbers. The cyclone passed through the little town of Summerville, near New Milford, on the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad, shortly after 5 o’clock this evening, blowing down houses and tearing up trees In Its path. The town was practically annihilated. Engineer William Fisher in giving an account of his experience while passing through the cyclone said the engine was lifted from the track, the cab was blown eff, and all the windows in the cars were crushed in by the terrible force of the wind. Two of the train hands were seriously Injured. At Harveysvllle several lives were lost. The town was wrecked. The Methodist Episcopal Church and the adjoining parsonage were blown down. Harvey’s large store was totally destroyed. Nearly all of the buildings In the village and the buildings on farms were unroofed and are uninhabitable. The crops In' the fields were ruined. Elijah Fahrenninger, a well-to-do farmer, was killed, and several others were injured. It Is feared the total loss of life In the devastated district will exceed one hundred.