10 Jan 1889
Page 1
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Newspaper
Pittsburgh Dispatch
Location
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
Date
Jan 10, 1889
Page
1
A cyclone struck Pittsburgh injuring 35 and killing seven as the Willey building on Diamond Street collapsed and toppled nearby structures. Rescue crews and volunteers worked through debris for hours, with many feared dead or missing. The disaster prompted large police and fire response and a vigilant search across Wood Street and Diamond Street.
A collapse at a barber shop left 20 people pulled from debris by 215 o'clock. five died already. Firemen heard a faint plea for water from a victim trapped beneath rubble. Workers cleared a ton heavy stone with a cable and rescued two men, one alive but dying. Dr Wylie and Dr Sutton fought to save a third, who died en route to hospital. A brush boy later found dead in the cellar.
A 16 year old Weldin & Co. employee Joseph Gearing survived seven hours trapped in a ruined Allegheny building. He was fed whiskey and beef tea through a hose to stay alive while firemen freed him. Many others were injured or buried as rescue efforts continued with police and volunteers.
A prolonged list of dead and wounded grows as the night passes. Victims identified include Samuel Stringer and Thomas Jones. others from Allegheny, including George Mason, are listed with injuries ranging from scalp wounds to internal trauma. Rescue workers and bystanders visit the morgue on Fourth Avenue as the disaster details unfold.
An eyewitness describes a field hospital scene at the Homeopathic Hospital's twenty eighth ward. Nurses and doctors attend to wounded victi ms with grim fortitude as George Mason dies, a bricklayer with base skull fracture, and a delicate boy among the injured. The setting conveys horror, compassion, and quiet suffering as responders provide care.
The owners estimate heavy damage across multiple buildings. Thomas McGlone millinery shop on Diamond Street suffers 910,000 in stock loss and over 3,000 in building damage. W C Thoma shoe dealer loses entire 15,000 value plus 1,500 stock and tools. Willey building at 729 and adjacent barber shop destroyed, totaling around 20,000 in outlay and 4,000 in lumber value. Weldin & Co. store loses 90,000 in stock with half destroyed. Gregg property on Wood and Diamond damaged about 1,000. Several other structures sustain minor damage and local banks own several impacted buildings.
A roofer working for Contractor Ralph on the Masonic Temple roof was lifted by hurricane winds to the Hamilton Building roof. He fell, struck his abdomen, and clung to the roof as the wind subsided, narrowly escaping serious injury.
A cyclone struck Reading in the late afternoon, destroying the silk mill and a paint shop. Over 200 female workers were buried, with fires, explosions, and frantic rescue efforts unfolding as crowds gathered in the ruined city.
A Reading Pennsylvania cyclone devastates the northern city, killing at least 60 people and injuring about 100. Eyewitnesses describe a funnel shaped storm along the track, striking Mount store and nearby roofs as a deathly pall drapes the town. Relatives endure agony as the scope of loss unfolds.
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