Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 43, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 April 1902 — CHURCHES FALL BEFORE STORM [ARTICLE]

CHURCHES FALL BEFORE STORM

Conflict of the Elements Does Damage in Pittsburg and Vicinity. MANY STRICKEN AT WORSHIP Several Are Dead and Others Are InJared and May Die as the Result of Being truihcd in Pews and Caught Beneath Palling Roots. Just at the close of Blaster services Sunday a terrific wind, rain and hail storm burst upon Pittsburg and vicinity. One church wap wrecked, the roof falling upon the congregation, starting a wild panic. More than a score were injured, and six of these probably will die. In another church the side wa3 blown in, the stove overturned, and the cooler members of the congregation fought fire while trying to stop the panic. One boat waß overturned in the river, more than forty houses were unroofed in Pittsburg and Allegheny, hundreds of factory chimneyß were blown down and great loss resulted. The following list shows the churches wrecked and the number killed or seriously injured: Knoxville (Pa.) Presbyterian, six fatally hurt; Wellsburg (W. Va.) ‘U. P., two dead, four fatally hurt; Rebinson’s Run (Pa.) U. P., two fatally hurt; Greenville (Pa.) U. P., preacher fatally injured; McDonald (Pa.) U. P., Braddock (Pa.) First Lutheran and Bradford (Pa.) Park Avenue U. P. The most serious result of the storm was in Knoxville Presbyterian church. Easter services were closing. The minister announced the closing anthem and the congregation arose. At that moment the storm struck. The chimney fell with a 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 were trampled under foot An instant later the roof came crashing down into the auditorium, burying scores of men, women and children.

Reports from scores of churches tell of panic stricken congregations in all parts of Pittsburg and surrounding towns. Nine houses on Ophelia street were unroofed. The windows in Whittier school were all blown in on the south and west sides, and the roof torn off. The roof was ripped off the Union bridge between Allegheny and Pittsburg. The ©uquesne forge plant at Rankin was badly wrecked. The smoke stack of the Diamond Ice company, seventyfive feet high, was blown down on the Monongahela river bank at Braddock. Windows in the Parker Avenue United Presbyterian church were blown in at Braddock during the service, creating a panic. The storm wrecked a $50,000 ore bridge in the plant at Mingo Junction, O. The window glass trust plant at Belle Vernon, Pa., was unroofed. The plant of the Griffith Tinplate company, the Catholic and United Presbyterian churches and nine houses were wrecked at Washington, Pa. The United Presbyterian church at Jamestown was partly wrecked by a cyclone during Easter services. The Rev. J. M. Jamison was offering prayer. There was a terrific crash, and part of the south ehd of the church crashed in, burying the minister.