Dauphin County PA Disasters
Transcribed by Nancy Piper
The Republican Compiler, Gettysburg, PA
July 21, 1819
A fire broke out in Harrisburg, on the morning of the 14th inst. Which destroyed 6 dwelling houses and several stables.
Republican Compiler (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 15 1823 Page 3
Two fires occurred in Harrisburg on Friday last: The first between 4 and 5 o'clock in the morning, which destroyed buildings and property to the amount of about $2000. The other commenced about two o'clock in the afternoon, and destroyed the roofs and upper stories of two dwelling-houses.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
January 11 1858
Large Fire - We learn that a large fire occurred at an early hour on Wednesday morning, on the Johnstown road, several miles from Harrisburg, consuming a barn containing 300 bushels of grain, 7 horses and 17 head of cattle, the property of Daniel Page. We have no further particulars.
The Adams Sentinel (Gettysburg, Pennsylvania)
June 10, 1862
Harrisburg, June 7 - The Flood at Middletown
The flood in the Swatara, at Middletown, Dauphin County, has been unusually
severe, and resulted in the destruction of a large amount of property. So
far as known, all the bridges over the stream, excepting the aquaduct and
that of the Pennsylvania railroad, have been swept away, while the latter
is so crippled by the destruction of two of its piers, that it is unsafe
for use.
A dwelling house and a grist mill, near Hummelstown, is reported to have been carried down the stream, while various other points, fences, barns and outhouses have met with similar disaster. The loss in lumber alone, at Middletown, is estimated at between twenty and thirty thousand dollars, which will fall principally upon Messrs. Zimmerman & Lescure, Daniel Kendig and Erter Carmony & Siple.
The Union canal dam at Jonestown was broken at several places; and the sudden outlet of the immence volume of water, swept everything before it. The bank of the canal is also said to be perfectly levelled, and all the bridges, dams, houses &c., in this vicinity, are either swept entirely away or severely damaged. Until the repairs of the railroad bridge at Middletown are made, which will be done in a few days, the passenger trains of the Pennsylvania road will run over the Lebanon Valley and Reading railroad. The trains have not been so heavy up the West Branch, nor west, along the Pennsylvania railroad.
The railroad bridges from Reading to New York have been greatly damaged, and no trains have passed over them since Wednesday night. The mail due here (Harrisburg) on Thursday morning has not yet been received.
Daily Gazette and Bulletin (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
April 16, 1880
The Harrisburg Horror
Particulars of the Accident at the Steel Works
Harrisburg, April 16 - The particulars of the disaster at the Bessemer department of the Pennsylvania steel works, at Steelton, this morning, are as follows: The men on the night burn were about finishing their labors when the accident occurred, which resulted in the serious injury of nine of their member, probably two of them being fatal.
A Rack Breaks
The huge converters in the department were both in use, one of them, containing about six ton of molten steel, being lowered preparatory to the metal being poured into the moulds. As it swung down with its heavy cargo, the lost motion caused it to make a short quick drop which snapped the rack controlling the movement of the converter. For an instant, it hung poised and everything balanced; then the metal rushed to the mouth in a huge wave, and the vessel turned completely over, throwing the six ton of molten steel into the pit, the hot metal flying all over the workmen on the edge. Mr. J. B. Martin, the foreman of the turn, and Daniel Daylor, employed at the pit, saw the converter swing and ran out of the way, at the same time calling to the others, but they were too late. It was all the work of an instant, and the first intimation the other hands in different parts of the mill had of the accident was on hearing the cries and shouts of the men who were covered with the red hot metal.
A Scene of Distress
the scene that ensued beggars description. The hose was turned on some of the men who lay over the edge of the pit, powerless to rise, with their clothing in flames and the blistering metal burning into their flesh and willing hands lifted the unfortunates and carried them to the engine house. There were nine of them hurt as follows: George Heining, married - Steelton; Monroe Miller, married - Steelton, who was working on the runner at the time of the accident; George Yost, aged eighteen, Steelton; Shaun Martin, married, Steelton, who also worked on the runners; Albert A. Westbrook, single - Steelton, who worked under the converter; A. Covert, married, Highspire; Samuel Covert, Highspire; David Shoop, Steelton; A. E. Fawber, Sheesleytown. All of these men were around the pit at the time. Some were preparing to pour the metal from the converter to the moulds, and Yost and Westbrook were washing preparatory to going home. David Shoop was patching moulds at the time. Yost and Westbrook were burned the most seriously, the former's clothing being one mass of flames. Westbrook lay on the edge of the pit, burning when the water from the hose was played on him.
Death of Yost
In the engine house, the men carefully attended to, and those burned the worst were taken in vehicles to the hospital on Mulberry street. Mr. George Yost was burned on the neck, the legs, the body and the head. He died from his injuries at 11 o'clock, after suffering great agony. A. Covert, who was burned on the leg, and Samuel Covert, burned in the face and hands, got on the train and went to their homes in Highspire. David Shoop of Steelton, who was burned on the leg and neck, went to his home, and A. E. Fawber, whose hands were burned, walked up to his home in Sheesleytown.
Dr. DuNutt and the corps of the medical assistants at the city hospital were promptly on hand at the first telephoning of the terrible catastrophe to render all the aid in their power to the injured men as they arrived at that establishment. The following are the names of the men now in the hospital and the nature of their injuries: Albert A Westbrook, badly burned all over his body - his breast, back and neck are burned and in blisters, covering the entire surface, while his lips are crisped, showing that he inhaled the flame. His injuries are regarded as fatal.
Simon Martin, burned severely in the face, abdomen, bowels and legs, but the physician say he will get well. Monroe Miller, legs and arms badly burned and his breast much blistered. George Horning, back and arms badly burned but will recover.
Miscellaneous
The unfortunate men bore themselves like heros while lying suffering on the engine house floor. Yost, the dead one, when taken to the engine hourse presented a terrible sight. His entire body was burned. His face, head, neck and shoulders looked as if the metal had been poured from directly overhead. Westbrook was literally cooked, the physicians at the hospital saying that the back of his arm was burned to a crisp. He presented a pitable sight. Yost was formerly was Marietta, and had been living in Steelton but a short time. The German Fawber, when burned, ran up the railroad to his home in Sheesleytown.
During the morning but one converter was used in the Bessemer department to finish five heats. After that it was proposed to repair the rack of the converter in use and cast a new one to take the place of the one broken. Preparations were begun immediately for the latter purpose and in a short time both converters will be in use again.
There are hopes for the recovery of Simon B. Martin, Monroe S. Miller and George Heining, but it is very evident that Albert Westbrook will die. The physicians have no hope for his recovery. The remains of Yost will be taken charge of by his friends and probably interred at Marietta.
This is the first accident of any seriousness that has ever happened at the steelworks.
Daily Gazette and Bulletin (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
June 17 1893
Great Whiskey Fire - The Highspire Distillery Destroyed
Five Thousand Barrels Burned
Harrisburg, June 16. The Highspire Distillery, one of the largest in the state, is in ashes. It was burned tonight with at least 5,000 barrels of whiskey, entailing a loss of $200,000. All that remains of the extensive plant are two bonded warehouses , which were somewhat apart and thus escaped the flames. The fire started in the distillery and burned rapidly. Within an hour the extensive plant, including the distillery buildings, a large bonded warehouse, containing 5,000 barrels of bonded and free whiskey, barrel factory and office were in ruins. The loss on the buildings is about $30,000, covered by insurance.
Many of the losers are wholesale dealers in Baltimore and other places throughout
the country. Harrisburg and Middletown fire departments were
sent to Highspire, and prevented the destruction of dwelling houses. The
heaviest loses are the Baltimore firms, including the Olman Goldaborough
company. There were stored in the three warehouses 17,000 barrels of
whiskey, but the two larger warehouses were saved. The fire is supposed
to have been of incediary origin.
Daily Gazette and Bulletin (Williamsport, Pennsylvania)
July 7, 1900
Harrisburg, July 6 - A fierce thunder storm passed over Dauphin county last night doing much damage. Among the properties struck by lightening and destroyed were the house and barn of John Harts, near Palmyra, the barn of Daniel Hetrick near Sand Beach, containing two horses and part of this year's crop; the house of Albert Minnich, near Derry church; the house of L. J. Strohm, near Lingletown; two large barns near Berrysburg, and a unknown house near Uniontown. An unknown man was killed by lightning while under a tree at Derry church.
Taken From the Altoona Mirror (Altoona, Pennsylvania)
October 25, 1906
Train Kills Ten Head of Cattle
Harrisburg, Oct. 25 - A westbound freight train on the Philadelphia and Reading
railroad ran into a herd of ten head of cattle belonging to David C. Rhodes
of Hummelstown near that place and killed the entire herd. The engine
was thrown from the tracks and a serious wreck narrowly averted by the promptness
with which the engineer applied the emergency brakes.
Taken From the Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana
Pennsylvania
May 3, 1929
Harrisburg, May 3 - Harrisburg and other sections of central Pennsylvania today were estimating the property damage done by the high wind and heavy rain that swept this district last night. No loss of life had been reported up to this morning, although several persons suffered minor injuries. Arendtsville in Adams county suffered the heaviest damage as the storm swept up the Shenandoah Valley. Half a dozen houses were unroofed while several others were damaged to a lesser degree. The homes wrecked in Arendtsville were brick structures. More than half a dozen families were forced to flee before the storm as rain accompanied the high winds. Telephone and telegraph communication was crippled, hindering a complete check of the damage.
Wire service from Harrisburg suffered chiefly from the storm in this district, although traffic was demoralized and a number of parked automobiles were damaged. Hershey, Hummelstown and other nearby towns reported minor wind damage to several houses and barns while street car service to these towns was suspended during the downpour. Sunbury, Lewistown, Huntingdon and Pottsville also reported minor damage, confining chiefly to telephone and telegraph service.
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