The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1889-01-10
after saw could do nothing. Between
$50 and 800 operatives were In the building.
PIrrsBURG,s CALAMITY.
An ineompletsd Building Blown Down and
Many Deaths Result.

PIrrsBURa, Jan. "a terrific storm OF
wind and hail, the worst known for years,
swept over the city shortly after noon to-
day, carrying with II death and destruc-
tion. The storm formed with n suddenness
that was overwhelming, and as the wind
accompanied by hail and torrents of rOln
swept along the streets, pedestrians were
hurled before Il and barely escaped being
crushed under vehicles passing along the
thoroughfares. Suddenly In the center OF
city there was terrible crash and a few
minutes later the central FIRE alarm sounded
call from the box on the corner OF Dia.
mond and Wood streets. Hundreds OF
people hurried 10 the scene, when It
was found the cyclone had caught
a new building on Diamond street,
owned by c. l.. Wiley, and hurled Il 10 the
earth, covering up two scores OF mangled
human bodies. The building was In the
course OF erection. IL was forty by eighty
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 the high shell from the front. The
high walls OF brick and undried mortar
parted, one falling each way, partly wreck
ing nearly adoEen surrounding buildings.
The main force OF the crushing building
was thrown against weldin n Co.'s brick
store on Wood street, and the barber shop
OF Fred Schumacher, at No. Al Wood street.
The rear end OF Weddin's store was
crushed In and the front OF the building
was forced out into Wood street. The bar
ber shop was completely demolished. The
leather store next TO the Wiley building,
occupied by w. II. Thomas. was also
totally wreched. The rear end OF IL. Watt
4 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
injuring q number OF employees. A
portions OF the walls OF q millinery store
next 20 Thomas was caved In and the win
dows and doors In number OF surround
ing buildings were broken. The building
OF Rea Bros. X 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 an excited crowd, notwithstand.
ing the fact that the rain and hail was
pouring down in perfect deluge. On the
arrival OF the firemen the
WORK OF RESCUE WAS BEGUN.
Ladders we're run up 10 the second and
third story of the Weldin building and thr
first one taken out was young lady EN-.
pioyed as q typewriter, who fortunately
had escaped serious injury. Al the time
OF the disaster about tweniy.hv men were
at work on the building and not one es-
capped injury. In n barber shop next door
seven men were imprisoned, while half
dozen more were buried beneath
the debris of the Weldin building.
The hospitals were notified and a short
time later the clang OF ambulance bells and
patrol wagons were heard. The contract
ors had twenty five wagons and carts on
the scene inside OF an hour, and private ex-
pressmen went with their wagons and lent
their aid In helping 10 rescue the victims.
Meantime the crowd continued 10 increase
until II was finally found necessary TO call
out the police and have the streets cleared
for square both ways. The streets were
roped In and no one was allowed about the
ruins but those assisting In the rescue.
The work was continue all the afternoon
and until about ten o'clock 10 night. Up
W tlut nVuf tNttl haukt'h Niu Vtuittu
bodies had been taken from the ruins Some
were dead, others were dying and many
fatally injured. From the best information
Obtainable eight were killed outright, or
died In n short time, and twenty five others
were injured The length Of the list Of the
dead will be- greatly increased before
morning. OF the eight killed only two
have been Identified SO far. One was a lit
tie girl named McGlone, who was walking
along the street with her brother when the
building fell and the two were buried In
wreck. The little girl was killed instantly
and her brother fatally wounded. The
body of Geo. Kirsch, n barber, was found
In the cellar OF the barber shop. Five un-
known men and one boy are now at the
morgue and are awaiting identification.
Dr. l.. M. Reem, a prominent physician Of
Is still missing. II Is feared he Is dead
The following is a list Of the wounded
rescued up 10 10 O'Clock 10 night:
THE SERIOUSLY INJURED ARE
Daniel Courtney, Eugene Il. Davis. Chas
II. Petticord, Weldon =. Mason, Alec Car
ter, John Odeut, Bernard 0'COnnor, Frank
ID. Asset, Thomas Lemon, Alfred Lam
bert, Wamire Araie, James Watt, Michael
Ryan, John DonDelly, Henry Faulkner,
Th0s Mckee, Oscar Il. Smith, Elmer Nc
GoweB, Martin Hall0ran, George Mason.
w liluin w bhthtIg buin
Gordon, Morris Vine, Owen Donnelly,
George Thrishier, w. w. McKowle, Sam.
uel Brown. George Scott George Lang,
j. Il. Melvin, Gus Messmer,
BARLEY Cooley, Samuel Stringer,
Willie McGlone. IL Is impossible 10 say
yet how many Of these will die, but II is
feared that a majority of them will be- un-
Canevin, who was helping 10 Rescue the
victims. narrowly escaped being killed by
n falling wall.
II is almost impossible tonight to give n
reliable estimate OF the pe nnIary damage,
hut II will probably be s75, 900 OF 100000
In the immediate vicinity Of the wrecked
building the cyclone wrought terrible dam
age and In other parts Of the city aud out
along the railroads centerlng here. A por-
ton OF the foundry OF Mcintosh, Hemphlll
Il Co., on Thirteenth street, was wrecked,
as was also house In Allegheny. At
Walls station, on the Pennsylvania rail-
road, a large brick building, owned by the
Westinghouse Air Brake company, was
partly demolished, and at Wilmerding.
Pa, coal tpple was wrecked. AT Me-
keespOrt houses were unrOofed, trees
blown down aud windows smashed Three
houses In course Of erection were blown
10 pieces. On the river number OF boats
were torn from their mOOrings, east about
like corks, but they were secured before
much damage was done. The velocity Of
the wind was fifty miles an hour, the high
est record for years. II IL still blowing
bard tonight but Is growing colder and
the weather Is clearing.
LIST or THE DEAD.
The list Of dead, identified up 10 II
O'Clock, Is as follows:
SAMUEL SAM s,ddEkINsGER, ,dkHs aged is years.
CHARI FS FRlTCuFR aged ID Years