FAMOUS RESORT HIT BY CYCLONE

Buildings Leveled at Cambridge Springs, PA.

PROPERTY LOSS IS HEAVY

Sixty-Mile Wind Tears Path Through Resort, Leaving Ruin in Wake. Several Persons Injured and Many Narrowly Escape Death – Hotels Unroofed – All the Damage Done in Short Space of a Moment.

Cambridge Springs, PA, Oct. 22

The most pretentious section of this famous resort was desolated last evening by a cyclone which totally destroyed three buildings, one a large mansion house; partially wrecked a summer cottage, unroofed a big hotel and did similar damage to dozens of other buildings.

Two persons were so injured that they had to be taken to a hospital, while scores received bruises through being struck by flying debris or flung through the streets by the wind. Many had narrow escapes from injury or death. The Erie Interurban trolley line was tied up by the wreck of a bridge near town.

All this damage, beside the leveling of large shade trees and the tearing down of telephone and telegraph lines, was done in the space of a minute by the tornado, which traveled a mile in that time.

Seriously Injured:

HOMER RICHARDSON, superintendent of the city pump station; cuts and bruises; taken to Logan hospital.

Miss LILLIAN BLYSTONE, contusions and cuts, taken to Logan hospital

Many others who were struck by flying debris sustained cuts and bruises and sprains, but their injuries were not so severe as to necessitate their removal to hospitals.

The heaviest property losses follow:
T. S. HANSON’s residence, totally destroyed; loss estimated at $15,000

City pump station, totally destroyed; damage estimated at $15,000.

Hotel Riverside, roof torn off, barn demolished

JACOB BOLARD’s tannery, unroofed.

MILLER cottage, well known summer hotel, damaged almost beyond repair.

O’LAUGHLIN cottage, blown from foundation.

QUAY cottage, unroofed.

FISH cottage, unroofed.

The roofs of more than a dozen other residences in the north side of the town were torn off and hurled upon other buildings and into the streets. In some cases boards and timbers were carried almost a mile by the wind. That many persons were not crushed to death in their homes or in the streets is regarded as miraculous.

All Over in a Minute

The storm moved from a southerly direction and until the roar of the wind was heard in the distance no one suspected a cyclone. There was a little wind and few clouds were noticed until the storm broke with a suddenness and fury that made men tremble and spread panic among women and children. At the hotels and cottages, where there are still many pleasure and health seekers from distant points, the laughter of merry makers and the lilt of song were changed in an instant to screams of terror. Some sought the shelter of cellars. Mothers ran frantically about calling for their children. For sixty seconds there were the terrific bellowing of the hurricane and the crash of falling timbers, while buildings that withstood the strain rocked on their foundations.

As suddenly as the storm came it died down again, leaving ruin in its path, while men and women stood about dazed. As soon as it was realized that the worst was over there was a moment’s hush and then excitement possessed the town.

Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA 23 Oct 1909
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