Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-08-19
The Terrific Storm That Visited
Pittsburg Last Might.
DEATH AND DESTRUCTION CAUSED
Steamboats,. Barges and Other
Craft Overturned.
A FATAL ELECTRIC WIR1

=
terrific and destructive storm that has Wis
tied this city in many years came last
night 1t came without warning and at a
time when the parks were filed with peo-
pie and the rivers with boats crowded with
excursionists.
AS far as known at this time two lives
were lost, a score of persons were injured,
two, 1t Is thought, fatally, and property
damaged to the extent Of 100000.
The dead are: Mile Limbaugh, cook on
the steamer Lud Keefer, drowned, and an
unknown woman, blown from the Point
bridge
Those probably fatally injured are: Pat
rick Shot, fireman of the West End electric
railway power house; John Adams. con-
ductor, I'd avenue traction line.
At least twenty others were injured more
or less seriously by being hit by flying
debris, but their names have not been OBJ
tanned.
Death and Destruction.
The storm struck the city about 10 O'Clock
and was over in about half an hour, but in
that time death and widespread destruc-
ton was left in its track. The rain came
down in torrents and was accompanied by
vivid lightning and terrific wind. Houses
were unroofed, trees uprooted and fences
and outhouSeS demolished.
SO tremendous was the force of the tor
rado that the steamers Lud Keefer, Little
Bill and Arlington were overturned, ard
many barges. coal boats and small craft
torn from their mornings and sent adrift
The passenger barge Dakota was forced
against the Smithfield Street bridge and the
side crushed in. She sank in several feet
of water.
When the storm struck the Keefer, Capt
Keefer, Mate Miller, Millie Limbaugh, the
cook. and two colored chambermaids were
on board, but all reached the shore in
safety except Mile Limbaugh, who became
exhausted and was drowned. The steamer
Courier, with 400 passengers on board. was
swept with water, and the passengers be-
came panic stricken, but Capt. Klien sue
ceeded in making landing at Painters
Mills, and all were discharged from the
boat in safety.
While the wind was at its highest an I'M
known woman attempted to cross the
Point bridge. She was caught in a whirl-
wind and blown into the river and drowned.
Fatal Electric Wire.
The day had been extremely hot and
thousands of people were at Schenley Park.
When the storm came on there was a rush
for shelter. The wind had Frustrated the
electric light wires and several women
were seriously shocked by coming in con-
tact with them. On I'd avenue a feed wire
was broken, and in attempting to repair
1T Conductor Adams was fatally shocked.
He is still living, but has never recovered
&C nsciousness
On the south side the large grain elevator
of Henderson & Johnson, in course Of con-
struction, was almost completely demolish-
ed. The heavy iron Orders fell on row
of tenements and crushed them, but for
tunately the occupants were away from
home.
Two freight cars on the Pittsburg and
Lake Erie road were lifted from the tracks
and blown into the Monongahela river.
Portions Of the Monongahela and Castle
Shannon inclines were carried away by the
wind and demolished.
On the north side allegheny great dam
age was done to small buildings and many
trees were uprooted in the parks, but as far
as reported no person was seriously in
jured.
Building Blown Over.
On Arch street, in this city, a new brick
building was blown over, crushing a dou-
BILE frame dwelling adjoiring. occupied by
Mrs. DAILY, with one Child, and Mrs. Pryor,
with three children When the building
went down Mrs. Pryor and her oldest child,
a son, escaped, but the two smaller chill
dren were buried in the debris.
The same fate caught Mrs. Daily and her
Child.
An alarm was sent in from box 1885, but
before the firemen got there a number of
men had Dug the people cut and found
them all unhurt.
PlcnlC parties returning nome Dy way OF
the Brownsville road had a rough expert
cree.
The tornado broke while nearly 500 per-
sons were scattered along the road. When
the storm came up everybody rushed to the
fences to hold on and keep from being
blown over. The wind tore up the fences
and blew men, women and children to and
fro. Everybody got soaking wet and many
were slightly injured.
Great damage was also reported to the
houses scattered along the road, while
giant trees were twisted and hurled across
the road. Many barns were completely de-
stroyed.
The storm Frustrated all local telegraph
and telephone wires. but through wires
were only interrupted for short time.
The rainfall was As inch and the wind
had a velocity of fifty miles an hour.
Blown Into the River.
Later.-Another life was lost during the
storm, making the death list three. Archi-
bald Sophie was blown into the river and
drowned while trying to tighten the lines
of some coal barges in the west end. He
was married and had a large family.