The Night they tried to steal the Golden Cross from top of Mellon's Fire Escape

 I have not been able to find an article in newspapers but several people including a long passed city firefighter . Have confirmed this is a true story of the night 2 young boys attempted to steal the supposedly Solid Gold Cross from the top of East Liberty Presbyterian Church steeple , also Known as The Cathedral of Hope

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Liberty_Presbyterian_Church_(ELPC)

https://cathedralofhope.org/

 It has been  Nicknamed "  Mellon's Fire Escape"  after Its patron contributing family The Mellon's  a prominent  Robber Baron Bankers  at the turn of the century paid the full cost of the church and some Mellon family members are buried with in the church.

http://www.offthebluff.com/history-of-the-fire-escape/

 

This is the 5th church to stand on the site and was started in 1931 and finished in 1935 and is a magnificent master piece of work and no expense spared .

So why wouldn't 2 boys not believe the story's the cross was  solid gold  instead of actually being  plated and plot to steal it one evening some time in 30s. while church was being finished. 

Well the story goes they acquired a long thick rope and proceeded to sneak onto the site past the watchman and started working their way up the scaffolding in place and securing a rope to the steeple   toward the top when the height became to much and they took a death grip on the rope and started screaming for help.

The Watchman finding them called the Pittsburgh Bureau of Fire who came with their Tiller Ladder truck the tallest available at the time  and rescued the youth their grip so tight on the rope they had to have it cut from their hands .

It would be neat if i could actually confirm this with a news article and if I do find more evidence I will update you on it. 

Ironically it was the very Mellon family who saw to the destruction of the East Liberty neighborhood boosting a plan to turn the business area into a walking mall which turned out to be a disaster of crime ridden abandoned store fronts.

Today Urban Renewal ( also Secretly  Known as "Negro Removal" )  is going on and if you lived in East liberty and would return today you would not recognize the area so much has been torn out low income dwellers removed and  replaced by expensive tissue paper worthless ugly high-end condos

 

January 1 2022 What was the Mysterious Blast that was heard all over Western Pa. is it a warning from the heavens ?

 I was laying on the couch enjoying a cowboy Movie on New Years day when approx 11:30 AM I heard and felt what sounded like a terrific clap of thunder .

But I was not alone from Washington to Beaver to Armstrong County it was heard and felt 

At First it was thought to be an Earthquake however seismic equipment picked up no quake. 

https://www.wpxi.com/news/local/no-explanation-reports-loud-booms-across-region-allegheny-county-reports/BPBN5AK63BDDND4VUF6HZMQQOI/

Now it is believed to be a meteor  since a large flash was recorded over Washington County at that time 

But they still do not know for sure .

 Report US National Weather Service -Pittsburgh

We have been getting a lot of questions about a loud explosion that was heard over southwest Pennsylvania earlier today. Data from GOES-16 may provide a clue.

This image is a product of the satellite's Geostationary Lightning Mapper function, showing Total Optical Energy (basically, a measure of flash intensity). You can see the flash showing up here in the area of western Washington County, PA at 16:22Z (11:22 EST). This flash does not appear to be connected to any lightning activity in the area. One possible explanation is that a meteor exploded at some level above the ground. We do not have any confirmation of this at this time, but it seems to be the most likely explanation.

 Then there this from USGS web site

If it was a meteor it is very rare they explode over this are one of the last was recorded in  June 24, 1938

There was also a loud explosion about 1 Pm on December 31 as well.

UFO Expert Stan Gordon  says he has been getting reports from all over about loud explosions the past 3 months and I can confirm this with many people posting about loud noises  on socail media.

So what is it? Meteors , Explosive  Gas from old coal mines blowing off  and possibly Collapsing 

Underground explosions being set off by secret government project tunneling under Western Pa. according to some conspiracy theorists .

Or as some have conjectured the coming of Revelations with all the weird  noises, Big Foot Sightings and UFO and weird things seen in the sky.

Whatever is going on lets hope it is for good and not evil intent.

 

A new in 2021 Park in Lawrence County Pa. Quaker Falls with a spectacular view and a long forgotten significant stop. On the Underground Railroad.

 Earlier this summer in 2021 The Lawrence County Commissioners opened up a spectacular new park near the Pa. and Ohio Line along US-224 W. State Street 

Known as Quaker Falls Recreation Area

https://uncoveringpa.com/how-to-get-to-quakertown-falls-new-castle-pa

https://pabucketlist.com/exploring-quaker-falls-in-lawrence-county/

 

But while many might know about these falls far fewer know about a one time town they are named after known as  Quakertown  a 1/2 mile North East of the Falls

The town played a significant role before the Civil war when they where a stop on the Underground Railroad  for Fugitive Slaves heading north to Canada after the passage of the Fugitive Slave act of 1850

https://phhist.com/quaker/

The town which existed till last resident left in the 1930's at one time had a train station  and several businesses and was founded by Quakers who where pacifists 

All that's left now are foundations and a few graves. 

 

These men and women of the town put themselves at very significant danger of arrest and imprisonment for helping escaped slaves but they did so fully confident of the protection of the lord from the slave chasers who crisscrossed the are looking for fugitive slaves. 

You never know what you will find in the woods of Pa. because so many towns like Quakertown have been lost to history.