Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-28
BUILT UPON GRAVES.
Odd Recollections of the Old Oak
Alley Church Property.
SCENE OF A FAMOUS EXPLOSION
And One Of the Greatest Church Fights
known to History.
WORK ON TIE NEW CENTRAL BEGUN

The work of remodeling the old Oak
Alley Church for a Central police station
was begun yesterday. Renovation will be
pushed as rapidly as possible. and there is
little doubt that the place will be ready for
the Department of Public Safety when it
will be required, on April 1.
The old Oak Alley Church, which will be
known no more as a place of worship, has
clinging about it many interesting reminIs-
cences. One of the most stubborn church
fights ever known to Pittsburg occurred
within Its sacred walls, The fight, which
occurred nearly twenty years ago, was illus
trated in an9Gastern police journal.
1t is fact, although not generally known,
that the famous old church was built on
ground formerly used as grave yard. The
dead were never removed from the yard
and while the burying place has been aban-
doned for nearly 80 years, it is not unlikely
that bones of the unknown dead will be
disturbed when the deep sewer trenches are
dug through the property. The sewerage
system to be established from the new
prison is intended to be complete and will
be one of the most expensive features of the
proposed improvement.
Mad Freak of An Exploded Boiler.
A peculiar and fatal boiler explosion oc-
Cured near the old church some 30 years
ago. A German beer saloon, In a dingy
frame building, adjoined the church. Just
across Liberty street was located Wallace's
marble works. One evening the small
boiler in the marble works exploded. Like
a huge proiectile shot from a mortar the
boiler was thrown across the street. AT the
bar in the beer saloon, and facing the marble
works across the street, customer stood
waiting to be served. In front of him and
between him and the marble works the
German bartender was stopped drawing
from the wood glass of beer. The flying
boiler passed through the frame building
directly over the stopped form of the bar
keeper, killing the customer instantly. The
barkeeper was not harmed in the least.
''That story is true as Holy Writ" As
sistant Superintendent of Police Rodger
O'Mara said last night. He stood with q
party watching the workmen destroy the
old church building, and each of the party
was relating some occurrence of note that
had taken place in or about the church
within their memory.
O'Mara Tells of the Explosion.
ct remember the accident well" he went
on, "and 1 have no doubt that host of
other old Pittsburg people remember it too.
1 remember of running to the place when
the accident occurred. 1t attracted the
usual large crowd. The volunteer fire COM
panies were called out, and the news of
the happening spread like wildfre. 1t
was in the evening just before
getting dark and it was the subject for gos-
sip and talk for week after The little
German barkeeper was frightened out of his
wits. When he escaped from the wrecked
building he carried part of q glass of beer
with him. He was covered with plastering
and dust, but he did not have scratch on
him. The customer, have forgotten his
name, died in his tracks. and when found
part of the boiler was found resting on his
dead body"
The plans prepared for the new station
house provide for all the modern prison
Improvements, with comfortable quarters
for officers and those employed about the
institution.