Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Donnelly Building Elevator Accident
May
23, 1903
FOUR ARE KILLED IN FALLING ELEVATOR
Jollification by Students in Pittsburgh Turned
to a Shocking Tragedy
Pittsburgh, PA May 23.
It was almost 12 o’clock this afternoon before
any of the victims of last night’s frightful
elevator accident at the Donnelly building,
during the electro-mechanical
 institute
ball, were identified.
Crowds surrounded the entrance of the morgue all
night, awaiting information as to the
identification of the four bodies that had been
taken there from the scene of the accident. The
bodies were so badly disfigured and distorted
that identification was only possible through
marks on the clothing worn, and as some had no
marks on their clothing, identification was
impossible until friends inquired for them
because missed from their homes.
The casualty list as furnished bye the coroner
and obtained from the hospitals is:
The dead:
Miss MAMIE CURTIN, 18 years old of Hazelwood, Pa
Miss SUSIE FLANNIGAN, 19 years old, of 427
Woodland avenue, Allegheny
RAYDEN P. F. FLOHR, 28 years old, of McKee’s
Rocks
NELLIE SWEENEY, aged 16
The injured:
ALBERT MYERS, 23 years old, laceration of right
hip and compound fracture of right leg.
HARRY LIPSON, 22 years old, scalp wounds
Miss KATIE FLANNIGAN, 27 years old
Mrs. LULU POSTELWAITE, 46 years old
Miss MARGARET POSTELWAITE, 17 years old,
daughter of Mrs. Lulu Postelwaite, suffering
from nervous shock.
CHARLES BLONDE, 18 years old
FANNIE SIMMOND, 20 years old
JOHN MORRISON, 35 years old
FRANK HAMROCK, 28 years old
L. N. GILLIS, 40 years old
Mrs. L. N. GILLIS
PAUL GILLIS, 3 years old
Unknown man, about 24 years old, bruised and
cut; is unconscious; at the Mercy hospital.
The injured are all suffering from severe cuts
and bruises, but with the exception of the
unknown man, it is thought all will recover.
Coroner Jesse H.
McGeary and his assistants were kept
busy throughout the night answering telephone
calls from friends and other anxious to
ascertain particulars. The coroner at the
earliest time possible sent out summonses for a
jury to inquire into the cause of the accident
and to fix responsibility. This jury met in the
court room of the morgue building at 10 o’clock
this morning and a rigid investigation was at
once started.
After the jury had been sworn and had viewed the
remains of the victims, friends were given
permission to remove the bodies to their homes.
The accident occurred at 1026 Fifth avenue, the
fifth and sixth floors of which building are
occupied by the Pennsylvania Electric Mechanical
institute. The employees and students of the
institute had cleared the floors and sent out a
large number of invitations for a ball, which
was to be held last evening. There were probably
700 people in the hall at 10 o’clock, when the
elevator started from the firest floor loaded
with seventeen people. The fifth floor was
devoted to dancing, while the sixth was arranged
for a dining and cloak room. The guests were
first taken to the sixth floor.
Just as the elevator reached that floor there
was a crash and it fell to the bottom. Not one
of the seventeen occupants escaped injury. The
two heavy weights, each weighing a ton, fell on
the victims after the elevator had reached the
bottom. The dead were terribly crushed, and it
was some time before they were identified. The
accident is attributed to the overloaded
elevator and a new elevator man who did not
understand his business.
When the noise of the elevator crashing to the
ground reached the ball room a dance was in
progress. The wildest confusion followed and a
serious panic was narrowly averted. Women rushed
to the open elevator shaft and were ready to
jump down. Several of the men who remained
cool-headed rushed before them and closed the
gates, then by main force they shoved the
panic-stricken people back into the ballroom and
closed the doors. Dozens of women fainted in the
room. The fire and police departments were
called out, as were all of the available
hospital ambulances.
Weekly
Sentinel, Fort Wayne, IN, 27 May 1903
GIRLS MASHED TO
PULPY MASS
Victims of Elevator Accident Frightfully
Mutilated
Identification Was Only Possible by the Marks on
the Clothing of the Victims – Twelve Persons
Injured – Coroner Is Holding Inquest
Pittsburgh, May 23
It was almost daybreak this morning before any
of the victims of last night’s frightful
elevator accident at the Donnelly building,
during the Electro-Mechanical institute ball
were identified, and at 10 o’clock the crushed
and mutilated remains of a woman were still
lying at the morgue, unknown and unclaimed.
Large crowds surrounded the entrance of the
morgue all night, awaiting information as to the
identification of five bodies that had been
taken there from the scene of the accident. The
bodies were so badly disfigured and distorted
that thorough identification was only possible
through marks on the clothing worn, and as some
had no marks on their clothing, identifications
was impossible until friends inquired for them
because missed from their homes.
The casualty list as furnished by the coroner
and obtained from the hospital.
The dead:
Miss MATTIE CURTIN, 18 years old of Hazelwood,
Pa
Miss SUSIE FLANNAGAN, 19 years old, of Allegany
HAYDEN P. FLOOHR, 28 years old, of McKees Rocks
Woman about 19 years of age
The injured:
ALBERT MEYERS, 23 years old, fracture of right
leg and arm
HARRY LIPTON, arms and legs
KATY FLANAGAN, aged 27
Mrs. LULU POSTELWAITE, 46 years old;
Miss MARGARET MOSTELWAITE, [POSTELWAITE] 17
years of
CHARLES BLONDEL, 18 years old
FANNIE SIMOND, 20 years old
JOHN MORRISON, aged 35 years
FRANK AMROCK, 28 years old
L. N. GILLIS, 40 years old
Mrs. L. N. GILLIS
PAUL GILLIS
And an unknown man about 24 years of age,
bruised and cut, who is unconscious at the Mercy
hospital.
The injured are all suffering from severe cuts
and bruises but with the exception of the
unknown man, it is thought all will recover.
The coroner at the earliest time possible sent
out summonses for a jury to inquire into the
cause of the accident and fix the
responsibility. The jury met in the court room
of the Morgue building at 10 o’clock this
morning and a rigid investigation was at once
started. After the jury had been sworn and had
viewd the remains the friends of the victims
were given permission to remove their bodies to
their homes.
The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA 24 May 1903
Transcribed by
Carla. Thank you,
Carla!
 Search
for more information on the Donnelly Building
Elevator Accident
and other disasters in the Historic
Newspapers Collection. The number of
newspapers on line has recently doubled - search
over 1000 different newspapers. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
Search for ancestors in
Pittsburgh & Allegheny County, PA among billions of names at ancestry.com. Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
A century and a
half of Pittsburg and her people Read this book on line!
Use this
Free trial to search for your ancestors.
|
