New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-11

snowdtM ton miles south Of this city lest night
THE PITTSBURG DISASTER.
sIxTY-sEvEN PERSONS INJURED OR KILLED.
THE MATERIAL IN THE WRECKED SuuDINe
SAID TO BE PooR-rHE SEARCH
FOR THE DEAD.
[sY TELEGKAPh TO THE TRIBCxEl
PtSburg, Jan. l0.-The number Of dad g
the result Of the collapse yesterday Of ]. o.
Altogether dxty-ssvcn persons wers either in.
jurcd or killed. Eight are fatally injured.
twenty-four seriously, fifteen slightly, and
i've arc missing. The mangled corfses OF three
worlrmsn are stin supposed to be buried ten feet
deep in the ruins of the Wiley Building. The
body of the Rev. DR.. James L. Reed is stin buried
In the cellar underneath Weldin e. Co.'s book
store. The bodies Of lady customer and clerk
are supposed to be near by. The two are 70
ported to have been examining some books when
the catastrophe occurred. Fircmen say that
yesterday afternoon they heard womsn's voice
issuing from the depths. The remaining portion
Of the walls Of rte Wiley Building were leveiled
to-day, that the work Of rescners might be rem
dered less hazardous. Dense masses Of people
press against the ropes In Wood and Dismond
sts, eager to approach the ruins. while the hos
pitals and morgue have continual streams Of
visitors whose faces reveal their anxiety.
Investigations ss to the cause OF
the accident so Tar have been confined
to the newspapers, the belief that the wind was
not altogether responsible for tho disaster being
general To-day Coroner Heber Mcdowell
selected fury which this afternoon visited the
ruins and then adjourned until tomorrow, when
the taking of testimony will begin. Many per-
sons are constantly carrying away bricks, pre-
sumably with the idea Of supplying evidence.
One paper published story that @ few days ago
q building inspector, Martin Frank, was seen
at tho Wiley Building Mr.. Frank is said to-
have appeared indignant While he talked witty
the workmen he broke up several bricks and
crumbled the mortar in his hands. City Council
map Hugh Ferguson will at tho next meeting
present an ordinance making 10 criminal offence
for contractors to erect less than three walls
at the same time. Michsel Malone. ex-Govern-
ment Architect says that the neglect to provide
fronb wall undoubtedly contributed to tho
weakness Of the building John Hnckenstdn.
a., Was the contractor for the build ug. He was
a. Greensburk Penn, whsn the accident oecurredf
A reporter found him to-day just after
he had made the rounds Of the hospitals
inquiring FOR his wounded wortn,en. Hs
cried like child ss he told the reporter that no
had used the best material and plenty OF IT In the
construction Of the building When the brick-
layers at work on the seventh story saw the storm
approaching they quit work and went below 70
eat their dinner under shelter. John Huckeu-
stein. IT, the son Of the contractor. remained on
the seventh story to cover the walls with boaros
as a protection against the rain He felt the
building sink from under him. and knew nothing
more until he crawled from among the boilers IN
the cellar. Testimony concerning the strength OF
the mortar is conflicting. brick layer who was
employed on the building. and for obvious rea-
sons desired his name concealed, said:
aWc all knew that the mortar was poor. and
that its sticking qualities were pool. The weighs
of the bricks would have held the walls together
almost as we'll az the crumbling sand MORTAR
which let one brick slip over another when the
strain came"
The seven English newspapers OF Piftsourg
unite in demanding thorough investigation, and
the widespread bereavement resulting from the
accident precludes all possibility Of q whitewash.
In addition to volunteer corps Of citizens,
6remen, policemen, employees Of the Street Bureau,
the Carpenters Union has set large force OF
men at work A derrick has been erected and
the heavy timbers and stones are being lifted
o.t from the mass. The body OF Samuel
3rows, jr. o young carpenter, was taken out
- h Vim yc%ph W. ybo Se1a,ng; Was saken t out last
Ni4tt G e,.'N rscs .9g> He 'vas fourteen years
rs 4 gev..as,t >'.,.l :, rbe last, and tried
- ~, "a 8.e ~ ialrents. The rescue Of
Inn, Yss = :: > 'sm OF the part Of fire.
man Sns =. ss as Ilipany No. l. lie boy
was pinned dyv "a the cellar by .
Of bricks and timbers apparently held up by
the scantling rendered its removal hazardous.
SNYDER volunteered TO cut the timber and thereby
took his life n his own hands, tho
During the exciting and dificnlt work OF res
cue this morning plan-looking young man OF
thirty appeared on the scene and before the
astonished Chief Evans and Chief Brown of the
Fire and Safety Departments knew who he was, no
had taken charge Of the whole job. The stranger
appeared gifted with natural power to command
Morl, ana niuu'A IN hand From that hour matte.s
went more smoothly and, effectively. The young
man is Abraham Lincoln Pearsol, Pttsburg
steamboat mate he Is the hero Of the occasion.
His first feat was to Chamber up. the tottrring
wall and lasso the seven-story chimney, SO IL
could be pulled down. som thing nobody else
apPsgS r Reed ed " WHOSE % bodv is undoubtedly in ths
ruins Of tho Weldin building. was eiehty-one
years Of age He was Q native Of Philadelphia
Revolutionary War He had brother. killed
in the Seminole War, and lost another in
the War with Mexico Bis father was
psse Of this century Dr. pReed was for many
years in charge Of the Methodist Episcopal book
rooms in this cBy. and had held several charges
In this city. icst. rday morning he was driven
to Weldin's book store, where he frequently went
and is known to have let ten minutes before the
building fell The family hoped that he mighs
turn up alive but gave up hope when the ele-
yator boy at Weldins told them that the doctor
had gone up On the elevator o few minutes before
the crash came.
Tw twenty-five MEN IN PERIL ON SUSPENSION
= BRIDGE
Esston Penn, Jan. l0.-Twenty-nve men were on
the suspension bridge here last night In the storm.
when heavy wire guy rope was broken, causing tho
bridge to sway One of the men, Oscar walframs
was blown from the bridge to the canal below,
distance Of about eighty feet He swan 70 the
shore sand IL confined to hfs bed TIVE othee
cAught the railing while going down ana oed On
untl the storm passed Tho others Isy oowp %
the bridge and had their hands and knees bedlJ
hruised and bIsfeyed IN holding on TO tho railing