Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-10
Ar PITTSBURG.
The wind Wrecks a Sever. STORY
Building.

PrrrsBURG. January "a terrific
storm of wind and hail, the worst known
for years, swept over the city shortly
after noon to-day, carrying with it death
and destruction. The storm formed
with suddenness that was overwhelming,
and as the wind, accompanied by hail
and torrents of rain, swept along the
streets, pedestrians were hurled before it
and barely escaped being crushed under
the vehicles passing along the thorough
fares. Suddenly in the center OF the
city there was terrible crash, and few
minutes later the central fire alarm
sounded a call from box at the corner
of Diamond and Wood streets. Hun
dreds Of people hurried to the scene,
where it was found the cyclone had
caught a 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 the course of erec-
ton. It was 40xS0 feet in dimensions
and was seven stories high. The front
of the building had not yet been put in,
and the wind seemed to enter from the
open end. The high walls of brick and
undried walls were parted, one falling
each way, partly wrecking nearly
dozen of the surroundings buildins. The
main force of the crushing building was
thrown against Welding & Co.'s book
store on Wood street, and the barber
shop of Fred Schumacher, at No. Al
Mood Oh Tho of Wa1I,~rt,
store was crushed in, and the front
Of the building was forced out into Wood
street. The barber shop was completely
demolished. A leather store next to the
Wiley building, occupied by w. H.
Thomas, was also totally wrecked. The
rear end of H. Watt & Co.'s book store
was crushed in, while some of the falling
structure struck Joseph Richbaum's
building fronting on First avenue, break
ing the windows and injuring number OF
employees. A portion Of the wall of mil
linery store next to Thomas's caved in and
the windows and doors in a number OF
the surrounding buildings were broken
the building of Rea Bros. & Co., stock
brokers, on the corner 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 ali
excited crowd, Notwithstanding the fact
that rain and nail we're pouring down in
a perfect deluge. With the arrival OF the
hremen the
WORK OF RESCUE
Was begun. Ladders were run up to
the second and third stories of the
Welding building, and the first one taken
ont was young lady employed as a
type writer, who fortunately had escaped
serious injury. At the time of the dis
aster about twenty-five men were a,
work on the building, and not one es-
capped injury. In the barber hop, next
door, seven men were imprisoned, while |
half dozen were buried beneath the
debris Of the Welding building.
The hospitals were notified, and
a short time later the clang of |
ambulance bells and patrol wagons was
heard. The contractors had twenty-five |
wagons and carts on the scene inside of
an hour, and private expressmen went |
with their wagons and lent their aid in
helping to rescue the victims. Mean
time the crowd continued to increase,
until finally it was found necessary to
Ioii out tuo POllCo duu nave tilo stIS0tS |
cleared for a square both ways. The
streets were then roped in and no one
was allowed about the ruins but those
in the rescue. The work was
continued all afternoon, and at about 10
,'clock tonight a number of persons
we're known to be still underneath the
iebris. Up to that hour forty mangled
Ind bruised bodies had been taken from
he ruins. Some were dead, others were
lying, and many we're fatally injured.
from the best information obtainable
EIGHT WE'RE KILLED OUTRIGHT,
)r died in short time, and all the
,thers we're seriously injured. 1t is be.
ieved the list Of the dead will be greatly
increased before morning. Of the eight
Tiled, only two have been identified SO
ar. One was q little girl named Nc cGlone,
Who was walking along the street with
Ter brother, when the building fell, and
he two were buried in the wreck. The
title girl was killed instantly and her
brother fatally injured. The body of
George Kirsch, a barber, was found in
he cellar of the barber shop. Five un-
Known men and one boy are now at the
norgue awaiting Identification. DR.. J.
Reed. q prominent phveician of A1le-