The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-10
A TORNADO
Sweeps Over the City Of Pittsburg.
A Seven Story House, In Course of
Erection, is Wrecked.
The Great Walls Fall and Bury HUI
manity in the Debris.
Over Forty Mangled and Dead
Bodies Taken From the Ruins.
A Number of Surrounding Buildings
More or Less njured-Pedestrians
on tho Street victimlzed and
Either Killed or Wounded.

PITrsBURG, Pa, Jan. "a terrific storm
Of wind and hail, the worst known for
years, swept over the city shortly after
noon today, carrying with 1t death and de-.
structlon. The storm was formed with a
suddenness that was overwhelming, and
as the wind accompanied by hail aud tor
rents of rain swept along the streets, pc
destrians were hurled before ii and barely
escaped being crushed under vehicles
passing along the thoroughiares. Sudden
ly, in the center OF the city, there was a
terrible crash and few minutes later the
central fire alarm bell sounded call from
box No. II, on the corner Of Diamond and
Wood streets. Hundreds OF people with
blanched faces hurried to the scene. when
1t was found that the cyclone had caught
the new building on Diamond street,
owned by G. L. Wiley, aud hurled it to
the earth, covering up two scores OF man.
gled human bodies The building was in
the course OF erection. II was 30xSO feet
in dimensions and was seven stories high.
The front Of the building had not yet been
put in aud the wind seemed TO enter
the high shell from the open
end. Tho high walls Of bricks and
undried mortar were parted. falling each
way, partly wrccking nearly dozen
surrounding buildings. The main force OF
the walls OF the crushing building was
thrown against Weldon u Co. + book store,
ON Wood street, and the barber shop OF
Fred Shumakor, at No. I'll Diamond street.
The rear end OF
wELDoN's STORE WAS CRUSHED ~,
and the front Of the building was forced
out into Wood street. barber shop was
completely demolished. The leather store
next 10 the Wiley building, occupied by
W. II. Thomas, was also totally wrecked.
The rear end Of III. Watts 4 Co.'S book
store was ciushed in, while some OF tho
falling structure struck Joseph Eichhaum's :
building, fronting ON Fifth avenue, break
ing the windows and injuring n number Of
employees, a portion Of the wall Of a milli-
merry store next 10 Thomas's was crushed
in and the windows and doors in n num-
ber OF surrounding buildings were broken
lNNt UMlNhlaE VI IlNN " VIZ tlNik
brokers on the cornor Of Diamond and
Wood streets, was partly wrecked and the
occupants barely escaped. Within Ave
minutes after the collapse Of the building
the streets were filled with an excited
crowd, notwithstanding the fact that the
rain aud hail was pouring down In a per-
fec. dclugc. With the arrival Of the fire.
men, the work oi rescue was begun. Lad
dcrs were run up 10 the second and third
stories OF the Weldon building and the
iirst one taken out was a young lady, em-
ployed as atypewritcr, whoforiunately had
escaped serious injury. Crowds Of willing
hands eagerly took up the work Of rescue,
and every little while fresh localities
where men had been caught were found.
Al the time Of the disaster about twenty
five men were at work On the building
and not one escaped injury. In the bar
Der shop next door,
sEvEN NES WIRE IMPRISONED,
while a half dozen more were buried be-
meath the debris OF ihe Weldon building.
Chief Brown. Coroner Mcdowell, Building
Inspectors flank and Eichey, and score
Of physicians were early at the scene. The
hospitals were notified and short time
lator the clang of ambulance bells aud pa
troll wagon gongs were heard. Contraction.
Booth and flinn had twenty-five wagons
and carts on the scene inside OF half an
hour aud private cxprossmen lent their
wagons aud their aid IN helping TO rescue
the victims When n poor unfortunate
was found he was given temporary relief
by the physicians, and then carefully re-
moved 10 one Of the hospitals. Meantime
the crowd continued 10 increase until
finally IL was necessary 70 cali out the po-
lice aud have the streets cleared for n
square each way. The streets were roped
I'm and no one WIS allowed about the runs
but tho.c assisting in the rescue. The
work was continued all the afternoon and
4" nj 10 clock tonight a number Of persons
we're knogn TO be still underneath ihc
debris. Up TO that hour,
FORTY NANGLED AND BRrisgp Bopirs
had been taken from the ruins. Some
were dead, others we're dying, aud many
were fatally injured. One or two died on
the way 20 the hospital. From the best
information oblainablc, eight were killed
outright or died la q short time aud thirty.
five others wcrc injured. II u believed
that tho lilt OF dead will be- greatly In.
creased before morning. Of the eight
killed only two have been identified 70 lar.
One was a little girl named McGlonc. who
was walking along the street with her
brother when the building fell aud the two
were buried In thc wreck. Tho little girl
WIS killed instantly ana her brother, il Il
thought, fatally injured.
The body oi George Kimch, n barber,
eighteen ycars old. WIS found In the coli
lar oi thc barber shop. Five unknown
men aud one boy are now at the morguc
awaiting identification.
DR. J. l.. Reed. a prominent physician
of Allegheny, was IN WcldOn's ut the time
and he is still missing. II Is feared that
| ho n dead.
Tho following Il the lisl Of the wounded
rescued up 10 10 O'Clock ionight
Daniel Courtney, badly bruised and suf'
ieri,g from conclusion OF the brain.
Eugene 4. Davis, printer caught be,
tween two ralters aud seriously injured.
Charles H. Pciticord, book keeper ioi
Weldon 4 Co, seriously Injured.
Weldon Mason, severely cut about the
head. Will recover
Alice Carte, sixteen ycam Old, injured
| slightly.
John Rid0ut, carpenter, back ana head
| Injured and leg fractufcd will recover.
BERNARD q. Connor bricklayef, seriously
bruised abou, the head aud body: moi
4 fatally.
4 .N..aNN