Newport weekly independent., 1902-04-04
STRUCK BY MIND STORM.
Tremendous Damage Caused in Pittsburg, Pa., By Vio-
 lent Wind Storm.
LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE INJURED.
Indescriba ble Panic in d Church During the Easter Sermon, When the Wind Blew Over the Chimney and Demolished Part of the Koof-At Least Forty Per Hurt,


 sons Hurt.
 pittsburg. Pa, March 3O.-One of the tiercest WindStormS ever known in this section struck the city. to-day, just before noon, and did almost in jured many people, some of whom may die from the effects of their wounds. Scores of houses were un- roofed. many trees were blown down, tall stacks toppIed over and telegra ph and telephone wires generally disa- bled.
 The most serious accident occurred to the Knoxville Presbyterian church ill Knoxville. The church at the time was filled with an Easter congrega- tion numbering about six hundred persons. While the minister was in the midst of his sermon. particular ly strong gust of wind blew over the large chimney and lifted a portion Of the roof off the building. The bricks from the chimney crashed through the roof and carried a huge piece of the hardwood ceiling, measuring about 40N20 feet, down upon the wor shippers in the pews. An indescriba ble panic enSued, and d frantic rush was made for the doors and windows. At least forty persons were caught by the Wreckage and more or less hurt. Of this number five may not recover.
 The towboat Belle McGowan was blown over the Ohio river, and com pletely wrecked. Her crew was res cued.
 Jones & Laughlins had IA of their furnace stacks blown down. necess;- tating the shutdown of a portion of their plant for weeks.
 As Rev. J. w. English. pastor of the Robinson Run |. r. church. near Me Donald, was raising his arms to pro nounce the benediction, lightning struck the church Spire, and it top pied upon the roof. crushing it and
  two of whom will die
 The spire and part of the roof of the church, at Mcdonald. was torn off, and the building considerabI damaged.
 The Noblestown Presbyterian church was also unroofed.
 The Forest Oil Co. had between 200 I>l ,I Mcdonald region, and considerable damage was sustained to it's pipeage system.
 The offices of the Monongahela Con- meeting railroad in this city were de- stroyed by fire during the afternoon because no alarm could be turned in either by telephone or telegraph.
 Related reports from nearby towns up to midnight show that the wind played havoc at every town in it's track.
 At Mingo Junction. O.. the wind caught the big structural ore bridge of the National Steel Co.'S plant, and whirIed it along the tracks until it was stopped by another ore bridge which was sent spinning to the end of the track where it fell d ShapeleSs mass of iron. The bridges cost $50.- GOO. and will take five months to re- build.
 At Belle Vernon. Pa. thousands of dollars will be required to repair the storm damage. The American Win dow Glass Co.'S plant was un roofed, several smokestacks blown down and a wall blown in. Several blocks of houses belonging to the company were also wrecked.
 At Greensburg, Pa. the damage was considerable. Nearly nine thou sand feet of roof of the keely X Jones plant was carried away and east into q fish pond, a third of mile distant The churches had just dismissed their congregations. and while many of the Worshipers were lingering about the First Presbyterian church doors wait ing for the storm to abate, the great cupola of the editice was caught by the wind and toppIed into the street Curiously, heavy fragment of the Steeple was carried over SeVera houses and across vacant lot and cast through a window of Zion's | Lutheran church. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
 At Jeanette. Latrobe and New Al | exandria a number of houses were un roofed, but no great damage done.
 At Washington. Pa, the new bar mill of the Griffith Tin Plate Co. was blown down, entailing a loss of $iO,, | OC0 The Dlant was cOmDleteIv |