Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-08-05
son avenue. which traversed the

ison avenue, which traversed tn
whole length of the ravine, cross
ing the creek several times oil
bridges. The entire ravine, TO
two miles from its opening, wa
closely built up with houses front
ing Immediately on the street, ant
built up close againt the hills OF
either side.
Parallel with Butchers run are
several smaller ravines, very simil'
arly situated, and on which de-
struction, on q smaller scale, was
enacted.
Over n district thus situated the
storm cloud burst on Sunday even
ing. At about 6 1-2 o'clock on
Sunday evening two great black
clouds came up from opposite
points of the compass, one to the
southwest, and one to the north
east. They rose slowly like two
awful demons. Their edges were
ragged and black, aecl1ed here and
there with patches Of fiery colors.
A dozen little promontories jotted
out here and there, like the heads
of hydra upon each, changing
shape and appearance every mo-
ment, assuming the appearance OF
bird, or beast, or monster; occa-
sionally extending far up across the
intervening space as though to re-
connoiter the enemy, and then
again reccding. But all this time
the two great giants swathed in inky
blackness, and almost without out
line, slowly approached each other.
Suddenly q noise between roar
and a growl burst from each. There
was no distinct defamation like or
binary thunder, but a low, terrible,
and continuous rumbling growl,
causing the earth to vibrate and
the very foundations of the earth
to shake as though a tertian ague
had seized upon the everlasting hills.
A fringe of fire like the aurora
borealis began to run along the
ragged edges, faint at first, but
growing in intensity every moment,
until it looked as il the two de-
mons had put on armor of fire.
On they came, nearer and nearer,
when suddenly a mighty bolt of
light leaped from the GEN.
raj head of the demon of Ithe
burned high up in the
ky, and then fairly struck the OPP
posing demon. A moment, and a
leafening crash divided the hot at
and made the earth /
remble palpably. The two clouds
lad met directly over the doomed
ity, and seemed to rock the earth
o its foundations. For few min
ties previous a few heavy drops
lad been pattering down, but when
he collision came it seemed as
.hough a river had been unclaimed
n the heavens. There was no
onger rain, as the term is general
y understood. 1t was the descent
Of torrent, like a river leaping
over a prccipice. In three min
utes after this terrible water-spout
had burst, more than one hundred
and fifty human beings were swept
away!
The suddenness Of the food is
described most graphically by those
who were in its course a few min
utes after the storm commenced.
Word was passed from house to
house that the water in the run
was rising, and that the ravine
might be flooded. The next min
ute raging food swept down the
ravine, carrying everything before
it, flooding the lower portions of
the house, destroying buildings,
lifting others from their founda-
tons, and sweeping them down the
run to hopeless destruction. The
proximity of many of the build
ings to the hillsides proved the sal
vation of hundreds of people, as
many who would otherwise have
been drowned escaped by their
back doors and windows; climbed
the hillsides out of reach of the
Sign of the