The national leader., 1889-01-12

companied by hail and torrents of rain,
swept along the streets, pedestrians
were hurled before 1t, and barely es-i
capped from being crushed under vehi-'
cles passing along the thoroughfare.
Suddenly, in the centre of the city,
there was a terrible crash, aud few
minutes later the Central fire alarm
bell sounded call from Box II, on the
corner OF Diamond and Wood Streets.
Hundreds of people, with blanched
faces, hurried to the scene, when it
was found that the cyclyone had caught
the new building on Diamond street.
owned by g. L. Wiley, and hurled it
to the earth. covering up two scores
of mangled human bodies.
The building was in course of erec-
tiOn. 1t was 80 by so feet in dimen-
sions and was seven stories high. The
front of the building bad not yet been
put in, and the wind seemed to enter
the huge shell from the open end. The
high walls of bricks and undried NOR
tar were parted, one falling each way,
partly Wrecklng nearly dozen sur
rounding buildings. The main force
of the crushing buildings was thrown
against Weldin & Co.'s book store, on
Wood street, and the barber shUp OF
Fred. Shoemaker, at No. Al Diamond
Street. The rear end of Weldin's
store was crushed in and the front
of the building was forced out into
Wood street. The barber shop was
completely demolished. The leather
store, next to the Wiley building, oc-
cupied by W. II. Thomas, was also to-
tally wrecked. The rear end of III.
Wait & Co.'s book store was crushed
in. while some of the falling structure
struck Joseph Richbaum's building,
fronting on Fifth avenue. breaking the.
windows and iniuring number or
employees. A portion of the wall Of
a millinery store next to Thomas's was
caved in. and the windows and doers
in a number of surrounding buildings
were broken. The building of Rea
Bros. & Co., stock brokers, on the cor.
ner of Diamond and Wood streets,
was partly wreckrd and the occupants
barely escaped. Within five minutes
after the collapse of the building the
streets were filed with an excited
crowd, Notwithstanding the fact that
the rain and hail were pouring down
in perfect deluge, With the arrival
of the 6remen the work Of rescue was
begun. Ladders were run up to the Sec
ond and third stories of the Wildin
building and the first one taken
out was young lady employed as a
typewriter. who fortunately had es-
capped serious injury. Crowds Of will
ing hands eagerly took up the work Of
rescue and every little while fresh
localities where men had been caught
were found.
At the time of the disaster about 25
men were at work on the building and
not one escaped being injured. In the
barber shop next door seven men were
Imprisoned, while half dozen more
were buried beneath the debris of the
Weldln building.
The work of rescue was continued
all the afternoon, and at ten O'Clock
tonight a number of persons were
to that hour forty mangled and bruised
bodies had been taken from the ruins.
Some were dead, others were dying
and many were fatally injured. One
or two died On the way to the hospitals.
From the best information obtalnable
were killed outright, or died in a
short time, and 55 others were injured.
| 1t is believed that the list of dead will
be greatly increased before morning.
OF the eight killed only two have
been identified so far. One was little
girl, named McGlone, who was walking
along the street with her brother when
the building fell, and the two were
found buried In the wreck. The little
girl was killed instantly, and her
brother is thought to be fatally injured.
The body of George Kirsch, barber.
Is years old, was found i'll the cellar of
the barber shop.
Five unknown men and one boy are
now at the morgue awaiting identlfi
cation. DR.. J. l.. Reed. prominent
physician of Allegheny, WAS in We'll
don's at the time, and he is still miss
| ing. 1t is feared that be is dead.