Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-20
SWEPT BY THE STORM.
Wind, Rain and Lightning Do Great
Damage Hereabout
NARROW ESCAPES FROM DEATH.
A southside B uiTding Struck While Filled
With People.
THE EAST END SUFFERS HEAVILY

Pittsburg and vicinity were yesterday
afternoon visited by q most terrific storm
Of wind and rain, and the two, combined
with the effects of lightning, did more dam
age than has been experienced here for
several years The rain came down in such
torrents duri ng the afternoon that, to use
the hackneyed expression, it seemed as if
the very food-gates of heaven had been
opened The peals of thunder, followed by
the flashes of lightning, were not conducive
to the well-being of the nervous.
Reports from the two cities show that
the deluge of water caused a great loss in
washing out vegetable and flower gardens,
this being especially the case in the East
End where some of the most beautiful
flower beds were completely destroyed.
Beds of roses were the greatest sufferers be-
tween the wind and rain, but many trees
were blown down while others were nearly
stripped of their branches. The lightning
also did its share of injury to property and
there were number of narrow escapes Of
persons from death. The telephone and
telegraph wires suffered considerable dam
age, and the police system was partly dam
aged, especially in the hill districts Sew
eral patrol boxes were undermined and the
wires disabled.
Lightning Played Among the Children.
While the lightning got in its work in
various parts of the city by knocking a
number of trees into smithereens the most
serious individual damage was done in the
Thirty first ward, and It seems almost a
miracle that no lives were lost. Previous to
the storm number of young men were
playing ball in the field adjoining Beltz-
her of people, including many children.
When the storm broke nearly all of them
took refuge in large frame building on the
Carter and McKibben plan of lots, belong
ing to a gentleman employed at GUS
ky's and containing seven or eight
rooms. The house would have been
ready fQr occupancy within q week or two.
The children distributed themselves over
the building: Suddenly binding flash of
flame seemed to envelop the entire house
followed by adeafening peal of thunder that
shook the buildings In the neighbOrhOod.
The bolt struck the dormer roof, tearing
shingle boards and heavy timbers into
shreds and leaving a big hole. Thence it
darted along the floor of the attic room
the ground shattering the walls as it went.
Strange as it may seem, not person was
was hurt. though several were stunned.
The structure will have to be almost en-
tirely rebuilt
AT the height of the storm, about o'clock.
thetower of the Highland avenue school
house was struck by lightning and MANY of
the shingles cut ont. There was a puff of
smoke and fearing that the building was on
fire the nearest engine was summoned, but
its services were not needed.
Panic on an Electric Car.
When the bolt struck the tower an elec-
trio car, literally packed with people who
had been spending the day at Highland
Park, was passing. The people became
panic stricken and made desperate efforts to
escape from the vehicle into the pouring
and some of the male riders crawled through
the car windows OF course there was no
danger and all got soaking wet for their ex-
citement.
An electric switch just outside the Union
station was struck by lightning and several
persons were stunned. They were not badly
hurt, and when they recovered from their
fright walked away.
A large plate glass window, valued at 1925,
in w. Fl. Keech's store, on Penn avenue was
window damaged. A frail-lookfng awning
over the window withstood the STORM
., An 1sfoot plank was blown off the top of
car on the incline running from Second ave-
way up the plane. The plank was carried
about so feet ahead of the car and dashed
against the engineers cab, on Bluff street,
breaking the windows, but doing no other
damage.
number of houses on Old avenue were
flooded by water from Boyds Hill, though
no material damage was done except that a
quantity of yellow mud was deposited on
the first floors.
A number OF window panes in the tower of
Christ Episcopal Church, Allegheny, were
blown ont Several trees were also blown
dnwn q fnrra n a win