Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Tornado

January 1889

TORNADO AT PITTSBURGH

Many Lives Lost and Buildings Wrecked.

Last Wednesday afternoon a tornado visited Pittsburg and in a few minutes left a terrible record of ruin and death. The storm was formed with a suddenness that was overwhelming. Suddenly in the center of the city there was a terrible crash, and hundreds of people hurried to the corner of Diamond and Wood streets where it was found that the cyclone had caught the new building on Diamond street, owned by C. L. Willey, and hurled it to the earth, covering up two scores of mangled human bodies. The building was in course of erection. It was thirty by eighty feet in dimensions and was seven stories high. The front of the building had not been put in and the high walls of bricks and undried mortar were parted, one falling each way, partly wrecking nearly a dozen surrounding buildings. The main force of the falling building was thrown against Weldin & Co’s book store, on Wood street and the barber shop of Fred Schemaker, at No. 41, Diamond street. The rear end of Weldin’s store was crushed in, and the large front of the building was forced out into Wood street. The barber shop was completely demolished. The leather store next to the Willey building, occupied by W. R. Thomas, was also totally wrecked. The rear end of H. Walt & Co’s. book store was crushed in, while some of the falling structure struck Joseph Eichbaum’s building, fronting on Fifth avenue, breaking the windows and injuring a number of employes. A portion of the wall of a millinery store next to Thomas was caved in, and the windows and doors in a number of surrounding buildings were broken. The building of Rea Bros. & Co., stock brokers, on the corner of Diamond and Wood streets, was partly wrecked, and the occupants barely escaped.

Within five minutes after the collapse of the building the streets were filled with an exciting crowd, notwithstanding the fact that the rain and hail were pouring down in a perfect deluge. With the arrival of the firemen the work of rescue was begun. Ladders were run up to the second and third stories of the Weldin building, and the first one taken out was a young lady employed as a type-writer who fortunately had escaped serious injury. Crowds of willing hands eagerly took up the work of rescue, and every little while fresh localities where men had been caught were found. At the time of the disaster about twenty-five men were at work on the building, and not one escaped uninjured. In the barber shop next door seven men were imprisoned, while a half dozen more were buried beneath the debris of the Weldin building. Chief Brown, Coroner McDowell, Building Inspectors Frank and Eichberg and a score of physicians were early at the scene; the hospitals were notified, and a short time later the clang of ambulance bells and patrol wagon gongs were heard. When a poor unfortunate was found he was given temporary relief by the physicians and then carefully removed to one of the hospitals.

The work was continued all the afternoon and during the night and throughout the next day. More than forty mangled and bruised bodies had been taken from the ruins. Some were dead, others were dying and many were fatally injured. One or two died on the way to the hospitals. The total number killed in the wrecked building numbers 14. More than forty persons were more or less severely injured. It is thought that all the persons involved in the ruins have been rescued.

THE MONEY LOSS.

The total loss will foot up to over $100,000, on which there is a partial insurance. The losses are divided among several firms and contractors and will not fall especially heavy on any save Weldin & Co.

THE TRACK OF THE STORM.

The cyclone wrought terrible destruction in other parts of the city and out along the railroads centering there. A portion of the foundry of McIntosh, Hemphill & Co, was wrecked on 13th street as was also a house in Allegheny. At Wall station, on the Pennsylvania Railroad, a large brick building owned by the Westinghouse Air Brake Company, was partly demolished, and at Wimerding a coal tipple was wrecked. At McKeesport houses were unroofed, trees blown down and windows smashed. Three houses in course of erection were blown to pieces. On the rivers a number of boats were torn from their moorings and cast about like corks, but they were secured before much damage was done. The velocity of the wind was fifty miles an hour, the highest recorded for years.

Indiana Weekly Messenger, Indiana, PA 16 Jan 1889

The Dead at Pittsburg.

PITTSBURG, January 10—Up to one o’clock this afternoon, the list of deaths by yesterday’s accident reached 14. Two more bodies were found and four deaths occurred among the injured. Five persons are missing who are almost certainly in the ruins.

The body of Willie Goettman, aged sixteen years, was recovered at ten o’clock tonight. Young Goettman was alive several hours after the accident, and talked to his rescuers as late as 9 o’clock last night, but they were unable to locate him, and it is probable that he died from exhaustion. Four bodies were taken from the ruins today, making sixteen so far recovered. The rescuers are still at work and expect to reach Dr Road’s body before morning. Eight persons are still missing and believed to be in the wreck.

At midnight the seventeenth body, that of Charles McKeown, packer for Weldin & Co. was found in the rear of the store. His head was smashed to a jelly. The work of rescue is now so well systemized that the clearing away of the debris is being rapidly accomplished. It is thought that the remaining bodies will be secured before morning.

The Atlanta Constitution, Atlanta, GA 11 Jan 1889

THE PITTSBURG DISASTER

Awful Work of the Tornado in the Smoky City.

PITTSBURG, Jan. 11—The building which was blown down by the storm here Wednesday was located on Diamond alley, and was owned by C. L. Willey.

The building was in course of erection. It was 30 by 80 feet in dimensions, and seven stories high. The front of the building had not yet been put in, and the wind seemed to enter the huge shell from the open end. The high walls of bricks and undried mortar were parted, one falling each way, partly wrecking nearly a dozen surrounding buildings. Weldin & Co.’s bookstore on Wood street was crushed in and the front of the building forced out into the street, and the barber shop of Fred Schemaker, at 41 Diamond street, was completely demolished. The leather store next to the Witley building, occupied by W. H. Thoma, was also totally wrecked. The rear end of H. Walt company’s book store was crushed in, and part of the falling structure struck Joseph Richbaum’s building fronting on Fifth avenue, breaking the windows and injuring a number of employes. A portion of the wall of a millinery store next to Thoma’s was caved in, and the windows and doors in a number of surrounding buildings were broken. The building of Rea Brothers & Co., stock brokers, on the corner of Diamond and Wood streets, was partly wrecked, and the occupants barely escaped.

Of the forty-five or more persons in the Wiley building at the time, only five or six escaped uninjured. The wreck is one of the most horrifying that Pittsburg has been called upon to witness for many years. The scenes on the street were awful. Dozens of policemen and firemen kept the mob back from the vicinity of the disaster, while others, covered with soot and dust, ran in and out of the wrecked building, carrying in tools and bringing out the mangled forms of the victims as fast as they were recovered.

The following is a list of the killed as far as can be obtained:

Dr. C. P. Read, a prominent physician and former Methodist clergyman, aged 85 years.

George Mason, a carpenter employed on the wrecked building.

Charles Fritch, of Seerbysville, an employe of the barber shop.

Samuel Stringer, aged about 15 years.

Willie Goettman, of Allegheny, 16 years of age.

The injured are, as far as known:

Weldin Mason, Martin Heller, Elmer McKowen, Michael Ryan, Tim Watt, Alfred Lambert, ____ McCurdy, O. E. Smith, John Donnelly, Thomas Lemon, John Redut, Bernard O’Connor, Frank Barrett, William Springer, Morris Ryan, J. H. Herring, Ernest Rinehart, Owen Donnelly, O. E. Smith, Charles Petticord, J. M. Goehring, William Wilson, Charles Colly, Evan Pew, Thomas Barker, Gus Mesner, George Scott, T. E. Melvin, George Long, Harry Faulkner, Jerry Huckenstein, William Landan, John McGlone, Samuel Brown, Sr., Jere Huckenstein.

It is said that many of the above are fatally hurt.

Street Commissioner Flynn and Chief Steel, of the fire department, think there are at least twenty men yet buried under the Willey building. There are at least that many yet missing.

Of the thirty to thirty-five men employed on the building a majority of them ran to the cellar for protection when the storm came on. So far only seven men have been taken out. This leaves at least twenty yet to account for.

The News, Frederick, MD 11 Jan 1889

The body of Willie Goettman was unearthed at 9 o’clock.

Just at midnight the body of Charles McKeown was found under a mass of ruins in the rear of Weldin’s store. He had been employed as a packer in the establishment. He was 33 years of age and single.

One of the two terribly mutiliated bodies which were found early in the morning and taken to the morgue has been identified as that of George Biendinger, a bricklayer. The other is supposed to be that of J. S. Hiltabdle, of Allegheny.

The News, Frederick, MD 12 Jan 1889

The list of dead identified is as follows: Samuel Stringer, aged 16 years, printer; Thomas Jones, bricklayer; Charles Fritch, aged 16 years; George Mason, carpenter; colored boy named Fergie, bootblack in barber shop, George Kirsch, barber, aged 18 years. A little girl named Mayloue is in a serious condition. The remains of one man have not yet been identified. Inspector of Police McAltees stated that he was of the opinion that fifteen or twenty-five persons were yet in the ruins and he would not be surprised if the death list should be increased to fifteen or twenty.

Dr. J. L. Reed, a prominent physician of Allegheny, was in Weldin’s at the time, and he is still missing. It is feared that he is dead.

The following is the list of the wounded, rescued up till 10 o’clock last night:

Daniel Courtney, badly bruised and suffering from concussion of the brain.
Eugene E. Davis, printer, seriously injured.
Charles H. Petticord, bookkeeper for Weldin & Co., seriously injured.
Weldin S. Mason, severely cut about the head.
Alice Carter, 10 years old, injured slightly.
John Ridout, carpenter, back and head injured and leg fractured.
Bernard O’Connor, bricklayer, seriously bruised about head and body.
Frank Barrett, head and breast crushed, but not believed to be fatally hurt.
Thomas Lemon, brick layer, ribs broken.
Alfred Lambert, compositor, seriously hurt on the head and back.
W. A. McCurdy, bricklayer, badly injured.
James Watt, carpenter, injuries not fatal.
Michael Ryau, bricklayer, badly bruised.
John Donnelly, bricklayer, blinded by sand and badly bruised.
Henry Faulkner, badly injured about head and hurt internally; recovery doubtful.
Thomas McKee, bricklayer, legs broken.
Martin Halloran, engineer, badly bruised.
George Muron, probably fatally injured about head and body.
William Springer, engineer, badly injured.
William Barker, fatally injured internally.
John Goehring, lawyer, seriously hurt about head and leg fractured.
Morris Vine, bricklayer, blown from the top of building and taken from Weldin’s cellar, but injuries not fatal.
Owen Donnelly, bricklayer, hurt about head and back.
George Thrishler, barber, severe scalp wound and concussion of the brain.
W. W. McKnown, legs broken.
Samuel Brown, bricklayer, seriously hurt.
George Lang, printer, back injured.
J. B. Melvin, printer, arm dislocated and head cut.
Gus M____, printer, shoulder blade and leg broken.
Rev. Fr. Canovin, badly bruised.
Barclay Colley, fireman, bruised and cut.
Samuel Stringer, boy, possibly fatally hurt.
Willie McGlone, small boy, probably fatally hurt.

Rev. Fr. Canovin, who was helping to rescue the victims, narrowly being killed while getting a drink to Joseph Goehring, an errand boy employed by Weldin & Co., who was discovered among the debris. A partition wall in the rear of Weldin & Co.’s store fell, covering up Canovin and three others, but fortunately they were not much hurt.

At 8:45 o’clock last evening the voice of a boy named Grettman was heard, but the rescuers could not locate him. He said he was all right if they could get at him. At midnight he had not been reached and no sound could be heard. It is feared that he died from exhaustion.

Young Ghering was taken out about 9 o’clock. His position was such that he could not be rescued sooner, and he was kept alive by means of a rubber tube being run to him through which beef tea and whisky were fed to him. The body of a colored boy was taken out of the ruins about 11 o’clock. He was terribly crushed.

Of the thirty-five persons injured six will probably die.

A nut factory owned by Bontreger & Co. in the Seventeenth ward was blown down during the storm and a man named Hines was killed. The loss was $13,000.

The Fitchburg Sentinel, Fitchburg, MA 10 Jan 1889

It is believed, however that twelve have been killed and fifty-eight injured, six fatally. Among the injured are John H. Gearing, fatally; Miss White, a school teacher, fatally; Jerry Heckenstine, very serious; Wm. Sandon, leg and thigh fractured; Samuel Brown, very serious; Rose McCartney, a little girl, badly bruised; Richard R. Dabney, cut about the head and body; Thomas McKee, a bricklayer, crushed to death; Weldon Mason, very serious; Charles Petticord, badly bruised; D. McCartney, probably fatally.

Owen Donnely, serious; Elmer McKewn, probably fatal; two laborers and a boy whose names were not learned, badly injured.

Martin Hiller, who was just taken out of the barber shop, said that four more persons were in there, and then became unconscious.

Weekly Gazette Stockman, Reno, NV 10 Jan 1889

Articles transcribed by Dorcas Moseley. Thanks Dorcas!

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