Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-03-31
TIE P|IISBURG STORM
Further Accounts Of the Wreck
OF Knoxville Presbyterian
Church Sunday.
Roof OF the Structure Blown in
During the Easter
Services.
Scores of Men, Women and Chill
dren Buried in the
Ruins.

Pittsuburg Pa, March 31-Just al
the close of the Easter services yester-
day terrific wind, rain and hal
storm burst upon Pittsburg and vi
cinity. One church was wrecked, the
roof falling upon the congregation
starting a wild panic. More than
score were injured, and six of these
probably will die. In another church
the side was blown in, the stove over
turned and the cooler members of the
congregation fought fire while trying
| to stop the panic. One boat was over
| turned in the river, more than forty
| houses were unroofed in this city and
Allegheny, hundreds of factory CHM
neys were blown down, and great loss
resulted.
The most serious result of the storm
was in Knoxville Presbyterian church.
Easter services were closing. The
minister announced the closing an
them and the congregation arose. AT
that moment the storm struck. The
chimney fell with crash, the roof was
torn loose, swayed a moment, and the
panic stricken worshipers struggled
and fought in their efforts to reach the
doors. Many We're trampled under
foot. An instant later the roof came
crashing down into the auditorium,
burying scores of men, women and
children.
Dozens of men and women, on seeing
the roof swaying above them, and
watching the struggling crowds at the
doors, dropped to their knees. Some
crawled under the pews, and thus es-
capped serious injury. The ceiling,
roof, and parts of the walls came
crashing down upon them. Slate.
bricks, mortar and beams fell upon the
unsheltered ones Many of the 400
worshipers were sheltered under the
gallery, and part of the roof fell In
such manner as to protect those
caught under it.
Meantime the rain was descending in
torrents, and the wind, blowing fifty
miles an hour, threatened every minute
to crush in the walls and kill those pin
toned beneath the debris. The screams
of the injured and the hysterical walls
of women caught under the fallen tim
bers added to the confusion. A thick
dust covered the wreckage, and under
the protecting galleries and the fallen
roof men and women fought to escape.
There We're six physicians in the con-
gregation. who hastily organized those
who escaped into relief parties and sent
out calls for the police and fire depart
ments. Help was rushed to the scene
and the surrounding houses were
turned into temporary hospitals.
AS the Rev. j. w. English, pastor of
the Robinson Run u. p. church, near
Mcdonald, was raising his arms to pro-
nounce the benedicttion, lightning
struck the church spire and it .toppled
upon the roof, crushing 1t, and injuring
seven worshipers, two of whom will die.
Leon Averill, aged II years, skull
fractured; will die.
Robert Patterson. aged 10 years, skull
fractured; will die.
The y. p. church at Mcdonald was
damaged, but no one was injured. The
Nobletown Presbyterian church was
also unroofed, but the congregation es-
capped injury.
In the First Lutheran church, Brad
dock, the wind tore hole in the wall,
upset stove with fire in it, and scat
tered the fire over the congregation.
Cooler members of the congregation
fought the fire and tried at the same
time to quiet the panic.
Reports from scores of churches tell
of panic-stricken congregations in all
parts Of the city and surrounding
%oyr-y,