The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-01-10

A Building In Course OF Construction
Blown Down.
Surrounding Buildings Wrecked
Eight Known 70 Have PerIshed-
many Others May Be Dead.


wind and hail. the worst for years. swept
over the city this afternoon, carrying with 1t
death and destruction. Suddenly In the
centre OF the city there was a terrible crash.
A few minutes later, the central fire alarm
bells sounded the call for box IA on the
corner Of Diamond and Wood streets Hun
dreds Of people hurried to the scene. They
found that the cyclone had caught new
building ON Diamand street, owned By G. l..
Wiley, and hurled IL to the earth, covering
up two scores of mangled human bodies.
This building was in course of erection and
was 30xS0 feet, seven stories high. The
front Of the building had not been put in.
The high walls Of brick and undried mortar
were parted. one falling each way, partly
wrecking nearly dozen surrounding build
ings.
The main force Of the crushing building
was thrown against Welden g. Co.'s boek
store on Wood street, and the barber shop
of Fred Schemaker at No. Al Diamond street
The rear end Of Welden's store was crushed
In and the front OF the building forced out
into Wood street. The barber shop was de-
mOlished, and the leather store next the
Wiley building, occupied by w. II. Thomas.
was also totally wrecked. The rear end Of
II. Walt & Co.'s
BOOK STORE WAS CRUSHED IN,
while some Of the falling structure struck
joseph Richbaum's building. fronting Fifth
avenue, breaking the windows and injuring
number Of the employees. A portion of the
wall of the millinery storeanext to Thomas's
was caved in, and the windows and doors on
number Of surrounding building were brok-
en-. The building of Rea Brothers & Co..
stock brokers, on the corner Of Diamond and
Wood streets, was partly wrecked, and the
occupants barely escaped.
With the arrival of the fremen, the work
Of rescue from the Weldin building ruins
was begun. Ladders were run up to the sec
was young lady employed as type writer,
who fortunately escaped serious injuries.
Crowds with willing hands eagerly took up
the work of rescue and every little while
were found. At the time Of the disaster,
about 25 men were at work on the building.
Not one escaped uninjured. In the barber
shop
SEVENTEEN WE'RE IMPRISONED,
while half dozen more were buried beneath
the debris Of the Waldin building The hos
pitals we're notified and in q short time the
clang of ambulance bells and patrol wagon
gongs was heard. Contractors Booth and
Flynn had 25 wagons and carts on the scene
inside Of an hour, and private ex-
pressmen lent their wagons and aid in helping
resc-e the victims. When poor unfortunate
was found, he was given temporary relief
removed to one of the hospitals. The work
continued all the afternoon, but at IL O'Clock
tonight number OF persons were known to
be still underneath the debris.
Up to that hour, 40 mangled aud bruised
bodies had been taxed from the ruins, some
lao ON ~
died on the way to the hospitals. From the
best information obtaipable, eight were
killed outright or died in a short time and 35
others injured. 1t is believed the list Of dead
Killed d vas was a little girl named
McGlone, walking along the street
with her brother when the building fell.
THE LITTLE GIRL WAS KILLED INSTANTLY.
Her brother, 1t is thought. is fatally injured.
The body of George Kirsch, barber, aged
IS. was found in the cellar Of the barber
shop.
DR.. J. l.. Reed. prominent physician OF
Is still missing. 1t is feared he Is dead
Rev. Father Canevin. who was helping
rescue the victims, narrowly escaped being
killed while getting drink for Joseph
was discovered among the debris. A parti-
fell, covering up Father Canevln and three
others, but fortunately they were not much
hurt.
.The loss by the storm in this part Of the city
exceeds $4,000. Terrible destruction was
also wrought in other sections Of the city
and OUT along the railroads centering here. A
portion Of the foundry Of Mcintosh, Hemp
hell & Co., on 18th street, was wrecked, as
was also house in Allegheny. At Wells
station, on the Pennsylvania railroad, large
brick building owned by the Westinghouse
Air Break Company, was partly demolished,
aud at Wilmerding coal tipple was wrecked.
At McKeesport houses were unro0fed, trees
blown down and windows smashed. Three
houses In course OF erection were blown to
pieces.
THE LIST OF DEAD
Unidentified up to II o'clock is as follows:
Samuel Stringer, aged 16, printer.
Thomas Jones, bricklayer.
Charles Fritch, aged 16
George Mason, carpenter.
A colored boy named Ferge, bootblack In
the barber shop.
George Kirsch, barber, aged Is.
The remains Of one man have not yet been
identified.
Inspector Of Police McAlero said late to-
night he was OF the opinion that 10 to 20 per-
CONS are yet la the ruins, and he would not
be surprised If the death list would be In
creased to 15 or 90
From Other Places.
SUNBURY, Pa, Jan. "a terrible acci-
dent occurred in this city at $50. A rain
and wind storm came up suddenly and blew
over two stacks Of the Sunbury nail
mills which crashed through the slate roof,
completely demolishing the pudding de-
partment of the mill. Thirty-fve men were
employed in this department and half Of