Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-28


LOST.
PIrTsBuRG, July 27.--Accounts Of The Terri
bic flood which has deiuged nearly all The
suburban sections of this city, rs they come
In, show that the disaster is far greater than
was at first supposed. 1t Is now Thought
that the loss of life will reach fully 200 per-
sons, and the loss Of property be proportion
ately large.
The Evening Chronicle, in its o'clock
edition, places tho loss at 142. and tho names
OF missing parties are continually coming IN
The extent Of territory damaged is not less
than twenty 10 twenty-five miles in dlame-
ter aud how the main portion OF tho city OF
Pittsburg, lying as 1t does IN the centre OF
this circle, escaped further injury, appears
almost miraculous.
The 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 htidl
flashes of lightning he could see huge inky
black funnel shaped cloud, which overriding
the city, the narrow end being the lowest
while the dark part gave vent to almost con-
tinuOus flashes OF lightning.
IL is almost impossible for any one, not
familiar with the geography of the locality,
20 form an idea of this disaster, or how II
could possibly have occurred.
The city of Pittsburg, IS 1t rises gradually
from a point formed by tae junction of TWO
rivers, has many gulches in certain Localities
which under a flood OF this description, are
liable 10 do great damage, ana the part
known as the hill region Is frequently liable
to suffer from local foundations. The dam.
age here, however, Is at this time light, COM
pared with other localities strictly suburb.
an.
Through all the streets leading from the
boulders were rolled from their positions and
hurled TO the level below, while in many places
great holes were plowed up in the streets.
Some of the cross streets are almost impss-
sible and will require large expenditures for
repairs, among them Henry Brady and Tustin
streets in the Fourth Ward.
Van Bruam, Millenberger. Marcen, Pride
and Stevenson streets, in the Sixth Ward, are
also seriously cut up Where the new sewer on
Forbes street was recently buih great bitches
have been opened.
In Allegheny City the food was terrible. a
sewer on Madison Avenue and Vista streets
hursted, inundating the whole upper part Of the
| city.
Tbe-damsge on the south side is also great, a
large number of stables and other buildings
having been swept away. 1t is reported that
several lives were lost there.
| For more than q mile out on Spring Garden
avenue, Allegheny City. works OF destruction
| are every where seen. Houses are thrown to-
sether in heaps some % or so slaughter houses
| u
buildings not totally destroyed are seriously
damae ed. The water, rising TO the height Of
Fl teen feet flooded The first floors of all houses
and in many places the second floors Of several
| houses were swept into the middle Of the street
Others we're carried of hundreds Of yards and
shattered to pieces. house containing two OF
three families at the rear of Centre street, was
! destroyed, and it is supposed all The inmate:
| were drowned.
The north bank OF the Allegheny, upon
whose hill sides and in whose valleys the up
per portion of the city is situeted has, accOr
ding to all accounts; been the scene of the
greatest disaster. The work OF destruction
commenced at a point about two miles north
of the central portion OF Allegheny city,
Butchers Run Valley, a. its mouth is probab
point where the work q. d. Strncti0n common
ced, it is not more han $50 feet wide.
Il Between Month avenue and this northeri,
point numerous ravlnes empty into Butcher:
Run Valley. Along this run houses were
bullt directly over the natural water course
culyerts being made and Used in parts as foun
dalons for the dwelling The line Of destruc-
ton followed the water course of the river
and involved an immense number of houses
that were not on the line of the culverts.
When the rain commenced falling but little
apprehension was entertained but those WHIT
lived near the head Of the valley state tina
suddenly it seemed as IL the heavens wer,
opened, and water came down as il discharged
from immense pipes. The volume was S,
great that the valley was filled with a ragin,
torrent. Frame dwellings, stables and slaugh
ter houses gave way like pipe stems, and III
debris from the wrecks was swept along tn
line of the plank road, weight beng augmen
ted every moment.
|