The Penn's Grove record., 1889-01-12

The new building on Diamond street,
owned by c. L. Wiley, and hurled 1t
to the earth. covering up TWO scores
OF mangled human bodies.
Tie building was in course OF cree
ton. 1t was 30 by 80 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 uncried NOR
tar were parted, n falling each way,
partly wrecklng nearly a 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 ship 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, &C.
cupied by w. II. Thomas. was also to-
tally wrecked. The rear end OF II.
Wait & Co. g book store was crushed
in, while some Of the falling structure
struck Joseph Richbaum's building,
fronting on Fifth avenue, breaking the
windows and injuring a number OF
employees. A portion Of the wall OF
a millinery store next to Thomas's wa
caved In, and the windows and doors
in a number of surrounding buildings
were broken. The building Of Rea
Bros. Il Co., stock brokers. on the cor.
ner of Diamond and Wood streets,
was partly wrecked and the occupants
barely escaped. Within five minutes
after the collapse of the building the
streets were filled with an excited
crowd, Notwithstanding the fact that
the rain and hail we're pouring down
in a perfect deluge, With the arrival
of the fremen the work OF rescue was
begun. Ladders were run up to the sec
ond ard third stories OF the Wildin
building and the first one taken
out was a young lady employed as d
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 a half dozen more
were buried beneath the debris of the
Weldin building.
The work of rescue was continued
all the afternoon, and at ten O'Clock
tonight a number of persons were
known to be still under the debris. Up
to that hour forty mangled and bruised
bodies had been taken from the ruins.
Some we're dead, others were dying
and many were fatally injured. One
or two died on the way to the hospitals
From the best information obtalnable
8 were killed outright, or died in a
short time, and IS 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. Oae was a little
girl, named McGl0ne, 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 hei
brother is thought to be fatally injured.
The body of George Kirs:h, a barber,
IS years old, was found in the cellar OF
the barber shop.
Five unknown men and one boy are
now at the m0rgue awaiting identif
cation. Dr.. j. l.. Reed, a prominent
physician of Allegheny, was in Wei.
don's at the time, and he is still miss.
ing. 1t is feared that he is dead.