Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-07-28
ANOTHER GREAT FLOOD.
Terrible Tempest at PftShnrs- hile-
wi,eny Civ s:e:uged-TWO Hum
tlred Lives Lost Immense De-
sfrucsiOm Of PrOperty-Ap-
paIIing Scenes-Supp0S-
ed " ;sser Spout, &c.

suburban sections of this city, show that the
disaster is far greater than at first supposed.
II is DOW thought that the loss OF lie VIII
reach fully Two hundred PERSONS, aud the loss
of property be rroportloDately large
For more than a mile cut Oh Sprlug Garden
Avenue, Allegheny City, marks OF destruction
everywhere are seen. Houses are thrown to-
ectbcr in heaps Some twenty-five or thirty
saurhtcr houses on the avenue were washed
away. Many buildings, not totally destroyed,
are seriously damaged. The water, rlslog to
the height Of fifteen feet, flooded tic first floors
Of ali the houses, aud III many places the second
stories Several houses were swept into the
middle of the street, aud others carried oil hun
drcIs Of yards aud shattered to pieces. Several
houses containing two or three ia miles at the
rear of Centre street were destroyed, and it Is
supposed all the inmates were drowned.
In Tempcraucevie aud Saw Mill Kun the
elements made sad havoc. The fierce torrents
swcllcd every little tributary Of Saw Mill Run
into a boiling stream, aud the aecumulatlng
waters rushed with mad and irresistible fury
down the valley, sweeping everything 10 their
course. The track OF devastation Is marked by
wrecks of dwellings, bridges, Immense heaps
of stones, large piles OF DRIFT wood, and the
torn and ragged sides Of the hills.
Al McLauyhn's. about eleven miles west,
on the Pan Handle Railroad, eleven persons are
reported drowned, also hundreds OF horses,
cattle, sheep, &c.
The Evening Chronicle places the loss at
l42, and names Of missing parties are contlnu-
ally cnnliug H. The extent OF territory dam
aged is not less than from twenty to twenty
five miles in diameter, aud how the main poi
ton Of the city of Pittsburg, lying, as it does,
in the centre Of this circle, escaped further 10
iury, appears almost miraculous. The prevail
luz theory is that the disaster was caused by
some kind of water spout.
a gentleman who watched the storm from a
point a few miles down the river, where there
was little rain, says that by the itiul flashes OF
lightning he could see huge inky black funnel
shaped cloud, which ovcrtung the city, the
barrow end being the lowest, while the dark
parts gave vent to almost continuous flashes CT
lightning.
The work Of destruction commenced at a
point about two miles north OF the central p0r-
lion of Allegheny City. Butchers Run valley,
at It's mouth, is probably between Jour and
five hundred feet wide, aud at the point where
the work OF destruction commenced 1t Is not
1uorc than one hundred and Fifty feet wide. Be
tween North avenue and this norlheriy point
numerous ravlneS empty into Butchers Run
valley Along thls'run houses were built d.
rcctly over the natural water course, culverts
being made aud used in part as foundation for
dwellings.
The line of destruction followed the water
course to the river, aud involved an lumcnsc
number oil houses that were not on the Iluc OF
the cuIvcrts. When The rain commenced fall
ing but little apprehension was entertained, bat
those who lived near the head of the valley
state that suddcu y it seemed as If the hcav-
ems ", r. opened and the waters came down as
if discharged from immeu pipes
The volume was So great that the valley Was
filled with IA raging torrent. Frame dwellings,
stables, and slaughter houses gave away like
pipe stems, and the debris from the wreck was
swept down along the line Of plank road, the
weight being augmented every moment. ln
the district living west Of Chestnut street aud
ucrth of line parallel with North avenue, the
waters rose to height of fully twenty feet. 10
some places the occupants oil dwellings were un-
able to escape in time to save their lives. In
many places the force Of the wafer rent struc-
lures into splintcls After taking away large
number Of fences aud out-hou:?S the flood
struck the dwelling occupied by Henry Nal
tern, wife, and TWO children, all OF whom were
drowned
The next house was that Of John Winklcr,
who found the food endangcrng his barn aud
stock. He, with his brother, started out to the
horses Mrs. Wiuklcr remained in the house,
aud in less than five minutes all the lower rooms
were filled with water. Mrs. Winkler called
for assistance, but before it could reach her the
buildings gave way, aud she was eugulIed.
Further southwark was the building Of John
Shearing As soon a. the water commenced
rising Shcaring moved his family, consisting of
his wife and twin boys, aged four years, to the
hillside, to what he supposed to be place of
safety The children we're sleeping souudly,
but one Of the little fellows was awakened by
the storm, and rolled over the cmbankment
into the angry food below. The body was re-
covered this luornlug.
The extensive glue works were next to sue
cunb to the action Of the water, and were to-
tally destroyed.
X short distance below these works was a
small dwelling, occupied by August Kickoff
and family, embracing his vile aud two child
rcn. They were unaware OF the destruction
which was sweeping down upon them, and
with the building, were carried down the
stream. Mrs. Kickoff, bruised and bleeding
was rescued from the torrent several squares
distant, but the remainder CT the family were
drowoed At the corner of East and Madison
avenue the water seemed to devate. ln a trl-
angular house at the intersection OF these streets
resided Mrs. Couou, with four children; also, q
young man, named Arnold, and cripple,
named Rogers, were in the house. All were
lost except Mel Conlon. Young Arnold had
gone into the house to rescue some OF the ln-
mates
About block below the intersection of Mad
ison avenue and East street the torrent again
united and swept down with rcdoubled vio-
lerce to the low lands, embracing Concord,
O. Hara, aud portion Of Chestnut Streets
The course Of the food was probably 200 feet
wide, and frame and brick buildings were car
ried before the devastating element as though
they had been sand. Dwellings, stores, work
shops, and debris of all kinds mingled together
l.. r.