Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-01-10
A CYCLONES AWFUL WORK.
Scores Of Human Beings Killed and In
iured by Falling Buildings

PITTSBURG, Pa, Jan. "a terrific storm
of wind and hail, the worst known for
years, swept over this city shortly after
noon today, carrying with it death and
destruction. The storm was formed with
q suddenness that was overwhelming and
as the wind, accompanied by hail and tor
rents of rain, swept along the streets
pedestrians were hurled before it and
| barely escaped being crushed under vehi-
Giles passing along the thoroughfares.
Suddenly in the centre of the city there
was terrible crash and in few minutes
call from box Il, on the corner of Dia-
mond and Wood streets. Hundreds of
people with blanched faces hurried to the
scene, when it was found that the cycl ne
had caught new building on Diamond
street and hurried it to the earth, covering
up two scores Of mangled human bodies.
The building was in course of erection
1t was thirty by eighty feet in dimensions
and was seven stones high. The front OF
the building had not yet been put in and
wind seemed to enter the high shell front
or open end. High wall of bricks and
undressed mortar were parted, one falling
each way, partly wrecking nearly a dozen
surrounding buildings The main force
of the crashing building was thrown
against Weldon q Co.'S book store on
Woodward and the barber shop of Fred
Shumaher, at No. Il Diamond street The
rear end of Weldon's 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 building occupied by w.
IL. Thomas was also totally wrecked. The
rear and of II. Watt q Co.'S bookstore
was crushed in, while some of the falling
structure struck Joseph Eichbaums
building fronting on Fifth avenue, break
ing the windows and injuring a number
OF employees. 4 portion of she wall of che
millinery store ne t to Thomas was crush
ed in and windows and doors in number
of surrounding buildings were broken.
The buildings of Rea Bros. & Co., stock
brokers' was partly wrecked and the oc-
cupants barely escaped. Within five
minute after the collapse of the building
the streets Were filled with excited crowds,
Notwithstanding the fact that rain and
hail was pouring down i'll perfect deluge.
With the ARRIVAL OF firemeu the work Of
rescue began. Ladders were run up TO
the second and third stories of the
buildings and the first one taken
out was a young lady employed as a type
writer, who fortunately escaped serious
injury. Crowds of willing hands 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 twenty-five man were
caught at work in the bui ding ana not
one escaped injury. In the ia Der slop
next door seven men were i'm
prisOned, while half-a-d0Zen more
were buried beneath the debris of
the Weldon building. Chief Breton. Cor
oner Mcdowell, Building Inspectors Frank
and Eichley and a score OF physicians were
early at the scene The hospitals were no
titled and a short time later the c!ang of
ambulance bells and patrol wagon gongs
were heard. Contractors Booth and
Flynn had twenty-five WACO Is and carts
on the scene inside Of an hour. and private
eXpreSsmen lent their wagons and aid IN
he. ping rescue the victims. u hen Il poor
unfortunate was found be was gwen tenn
porary relief by physicians and ,hen care
fully removed 10 one OF the hospitals
Meantime the crowd continued to increase
until finally il was found necessary to
call out the police and have the streets
cleared for a square each way. The streets
were roped In and no one allowed about
the ruins bat those ASSISTING in the rescue /
The work was continued ali the afternoon
and at 10 o'clock tonight a number of per
sons were known to be still under the de-
bTiS. Up to that hour forty maugled ami /
bruised bodies had been taken from the I
ruins. Some were dead, others dyiug'and (
many were fatally injured; some died on /
the way TO the hospital.
From best information obtainable eight I
were killed outright or dead in a short /
time and thirty-five others injured II is .
believed that the list of dead viii be great /
" increased before morning Or the eight T
killed Only two have be Il identified. One /
was a little girl named McGlone who was /
walking along the street with her brother. /
when the building fell and the two f.
were buried in the wreck The little +
girl was killed instantly aud her
brother fatally injured. The body of /
George Kirsch, barber, Is years old, was
found in the cellar of the barber shop
Five unknown men and one boy are now
at the morgue awaiting Identification
DR.. !. Reed. a prominent physician Of +
Allegheney. was in Weldon's At the time
and he IS stil missing. Ii IS feared that
he Is dead.