New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-28
THE DEVASTATED LOCALITY.

house and the entire family were saved.
THE DEVASTATED LOCALITY.
DESCRIPTION OF THE LOCALITY AND THE PROGRESS
OF THE FLOOD THE DISASTER THOUGHT 10
HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE BURSTING OF a
wATER-sPoUT-rHE RUSH OF WATERS so SUD-
DEN THAT NO TINE WAS LEFT FOR ESCAPE.
PITTSBURGH, July 27.-Accounts of the horrible
food which has Delayed nearly all the suburban
sections of this city they come IN, show that the
disaster is far greater than was at hrSt supposed IL
is now thought that the loss OF life VIII reach iuy
200 persons. and that the loss of property will be
proportiOnately large. The Erenng Chro"'ce IN It's
o'clock edition. places the loss at 142, and the
names of missing persons are continually coming IN
The extent of territory damaged is not less than 20
TO p mile, in diameter and how the main portion
of the City of Pittsburgh lying as It does IN the
center of this circle escaped further injury appears
almost miraculous. prevailing theory Is that the
disaster was caused by some kind OF water-spOut'
A gentleman who watched the storm from point
few miles down the river, where there was
little rain. says that by the htful flashes
of lightning he could see huge, nAy
black funnelshaped cloud which oyerhung the city,
the narrow ends being lowest while the dark parts
gave vent to almost continuous flashes OF lightning
Ills almost impossible for any not familiar
with the geography of the locality TO form an Idea
of this disaster or how it could possibly have oc-
CURED The main city Of Pittsburgh, as 1t rises
gradually from point formed by the junction Oh the
Two rivers mas many gulches in certain localities
which, under a Hood OF this description, are
liable 10 do great damage, and the part
known as the Hill region is frequently liable TO
suffer from local inuudations. The damage
here. however, is at this time light compared with
slhu
of the Allegheny upon whose hillsdes and IN whose
valleys rhe upper portion of the city is situated has,
according to all accounts, been the scene OF the
greatest disaster. The work of destruction began
AZ point about two miles north OF the central por
non OF Allegheny City. Butchers Run Valley at It's
mouth is probably between 400 and 500 feet Wide
and az the point where the work OF destruction
began. il is not more than 80 feet wide. Between
Nortb-ave. and this northerly point, numerous
raviues eupty into Butchers Run Valley. Along
this Run the houses built directly over the
natural water course culverts being made and used
IN part as foundations for dwellings. 4he line OF
destruction followed the water course to the river,
and involved an immense number OF houses that
were not on the line of the culyerts.
When theraiu began falling little apprehension was
entertained but those who lived near the head OF the
valley state that suddenly it seemed If the
If discharged from immense pipes The volume was
so great that the valley was filed with a raging
torrent The frame dwellings, stables ana slaughter
houses gave way like ppe-stems, and the debris
from the wrecks was swept down along the line OF
the plank-road the weight being augmented every
moment In the district lying west OF Chestnut-st,
and north of a line parallel with NOrth-ave, the
waters rose to hight of fully % feet. In some
some places occupants of dwellings were unable to
escape IN time TO save their lives. In
many places the force of the water rent
structures into spiinters After taking away large
number OF fences and outhouses, the. flood struck
the dwelling occupied by Henry Maltern, wife, and
two children. all OF whom were drowned. The next
house was that Of John Winkler, who found the
flood endangcrlng his barn and stock. He, with bis
brother started out TO the horses. Mr. NlnkIer re-
manned IN the house, and IN less than five minutes
all the lower rooms filled with water. Mrs.
Wnkler called tor assistance, but before 1t could
reach her the building gave way, and she was ell
gulphcd.
Further southwark was the dwelling OF John
Shearing As soon as the water began rising, Shear
ing moved his family, consisting Of his wife aud
twin boys aged four years, TO the hillside, in what
lie supposed TO be "A place of safety. The children
were sleeping sOundiy but one of the little fellows
wac aroused by the storm and rolled over the en-
bankmut into the angry food below. The body was
recovered this morning. Tue extensive glue works
were next TO succumb to the action of the water,
and were totally destroyed.
A short distance below these work small
dwelling occupied by August Rykotf and family,
embracing a wife and two children. They We're
unaware of the destruction which was sweeping
down upon them and. with the building, were car
ried down the stream. Mrs Rykof, bruised and
bleeding, was rescued from the torrent several
squares distant but the remainder OF the family
were drowned.
AZ the corner of East-st. and MadisOn-aye. the
water seemed TO devate. In a triangular house, at
the intersection of these streets resided Mrs Conlon
with four children also young man named Arnold,
and a cripple named Rogers. All were lost except
Mel COnlon Young Arnold had gone into the
house 10 rescue some of the inmates, but fell
victim TO the destroying element. About a block
below the intersection of Madison and Fastest.
the torrent again united, and swept down
with redoubed violence 20 the low lands embracing
Concord, OHara, and portion of Chestnut-sts.
The course of the food was probably 200 feet wide
and frame and brick buildings fell before the deyas
tating clement "a though they had been sand.
Dwellings stores workshops and debris of all kinds
mingled together IN confused mass, making IL
impossible for the spectator 20 discover even the
lines In houses were literally
turned upside down.
On Chestnut-st. al the intersection 81 Spring