Yes at one time Pittsburgh did have a Fire Boat like other big citys

I was in Cub scouts Pack 224 in early 60's when I got the ride of a life time  on the City of Pittsburgh Fire Boat.  The C.D Scully named for a former mayor    which a few short years later would be decommissioned and sent to some where in Florida believe it has been scrapped.

No longer seen as viable and a waste of taxpayer dollars the boat which sat at a birth around 6th street in the south side of Pittsburgh   and visible from the Liberty bridge was barely being used as Pittsburgh no longer had so many docks and warehouses close to the river bank  which would burn as many where torn down .

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19730630&id=dJ9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LG0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3305,4133187

However in the 80's the city fire bureau  and rescue officials was caught with its pants down when a pleasure craft caught fire and no resource was available to respond so a small fire pump is now fitted on the craft that are part of the river rescue center on the north side.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19830818&id=FzkgAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3WEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3298,848909

The berth where the boat sat and command center is now a public park but it was temporarily given a reprieve and used in the movie  "Striking Distance " with Bruce Willis where he had his home on the river in the movie .

Its a part of Pittsburgh history few know about and you would have to be in your 50's to have experienced.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19450602&id=k2wxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=x2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2925,3007521

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19561102&id=mSkNAAAAIBAJ&sjid=3GsDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7246,306318

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19430619&id=wLI0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=_2kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3820,5894708

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19460625&id=HScjAAAAIBAJ&sjid=32kDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4202,2246600

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1129&dat=19730630&id=dJ9RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LG0DAAAAIBAJ&pg=3305,4133187

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19430616&id=zM8aAAAAIBAJ&sjid=oUwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4944,5149567

What Building did Harry Houdini actually do his hanging straight jacket act from In Pittsburgh ?

Yes the famous Harry Houdini came thru Pittsburgh several times in his career  he jumped off the old 6th street bridge in shackles   and even did his famous Straight Jacket escape while hanging upside down from a building  in downtown Pittsburgh  but which building because even the article in the Post Gazette is not clear which one.

http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/Op-Ed/2009/03/22/The-Next-Page-Harry-Houdini-and-Pittsburgh-the-ties-that-bind/stories/200903220183

Was it the newspapers building or the building across the street from it.  No one seems to really know because different pictures of the time show different buildings in the background

Typical Straight Jacket Escape

 To make matters worse his brother who appeared as the Great Harden also did the trick at the time so
accounts of who did what often got confused .
So we know both where here and both did the trick but from what buildings?

A Haunted Chapel in a Personel Care Home in Washington County ? Some claim it is

This Personnel Care Home near Houston Pa. which does not want its name revealed  has been many things over the years so the fact the chapel may be haunted comes as no surprise

It started out as a log cabin then it was a  boarding home said to have taken part in the underground railroad movement   then 1920's era Bootleggers Speak Easy hotel  then it was converted to a Tuberculosis Sanitarium in 40's and finally a Personnel Care  Home  in 70's

The statuary and pews for the chapel came from local churches and people claim they get the feeling they are being watched one reported seeing an orb while another reported the faces of the statues coming to life.
 Any truth to any of it who knows but with the history of this place and its mysterious tunnels underneath one of which was rumored to go all the way to Cannonsburg  you could say it is a creepy place at times.I know I have been in the basement by myself

Coward Bank Robber still on loose after killing Inocent citizen who tried to stop him.

It was a warm afternoon  June 6 in 2013   at the Giant Eagle in Strabane Square  South Strabane a shopping center when Vincent M Kelly saw a bank robbery go down at the Citizens bank branch in the store and followed the robber out to his car where he tried to detain him.  Not the smartest move of an unarmed citizen but apparently something made him think he had the drop on the suspect but he did not and was fatally shot  and the suspect has gone un found to this day.


http://www.post-gazette.com/local/washington/2013/06/16/Photo-of-suspect-released-in-fatal-shooting-after-Giant-Eagle-bank-robbery/stories/201306160201

 Little is known about the suspect other than floppy hat he wore and he was driving a small 4 door sedan.  Hopefully he will be caught as most bank robbers will pull off more than one heist and I hope they throw the book at him and he is sent to death row.

I watched this shopping center be built into the hill side and no one would have ever expected something like this to happen but it has.