St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-07-31
A Beluge at Pittsburg.
Worse than th. Will River tIuod

\IAElN -'W LIVES LOST NNp on I'I:pI'-
EHIN DESTROY Ed.
\ tremendous and almost unprccc-
dcntcd fall Of rain occurred at Piit>l.ur"
and AllcgIamN city. Pa. SUNDAY night
swelling the rivers and brooks. and
creating ncW torrents Which poured
through ih" narrow %"r"cS and valley :
in and oVcI which those cities are huilt
>Wccpim" everything before them, in
manner not unlike the recent Mill river
Hood, and causing. hcSidcs the loss of
many lives. the destruction of much
property. The extent of territory dam
aged is MOI less than ~ Ia - miles in
diameter. and how the main portion of
IittShuIg. living. rs il docs. in the cen
tire OF thI> circle, escaped further injury
appears almost miraculous. \ prevail
ing theory is that the disaster WAS
caused 10y some kind of watcr-SI,out
and. indeed. Il gentleman who watched
the storm from point IL few miles down
the river. where there WIS little rain.
SAYS that 10y the iitful flashes of light
ming he could see Il large. inkv black
funnel shaped cloud which ovcrIun~
tn" city. the narrow end being lowest.
while the dark parts gave vent to al
most continuous flashes of lightning.
To get Il fan idea of the disaster one
needs to he familiar with the geography
of the locality. The main city of Pitts
burg. a> II rises gradually from a point
formed 10y the junction of the Momon
gahcla and Allegheny rivers. has many
%ulcllcS III certain localities. which. un-
der Il Hood of this description are liable.
t" ii" great damage, and the part known
rs the hill region is frequently liable tu
suffer from local foundations. The
dana%" here, however. is ut this time
light. compared with other localities.
strictly suburban. The north bank of
the Allc@hanN. upon whose hilI-SidcS
and on whose valleys the upper portion
oi the city Is situated. has this time,
been ia" scene of the greatest damage.
| / he work of destruction commenced ut
Il point about two miles north of fin,
central portion of Allegheny city.
/ Butchers run valley at its mouth is
| probably between 100 and 500 feet wide.
and ut the point where the work ni
destruction commenced il is not More
thar 100 feet wide. Between North
avenue and this n"rthcrIy point mumcr-
0us raNincS empty into Butchers run
] '
| built directly over the natural wafer
course, culvcrts being made and used
! in part us foundations for the dwellings.
! The line of destruction followed the
Watcr-cnIIrSr to tie river. and involved
an immense number of house that were.
not on the line of the cuIvrrts
When the rain commenced falling but
! little apprehension WAS entertained. but
those who lived near the head of ih,
valley state that suddenly it seemed rs
| if the heavens were opened. and the
water came down rs il discharged from
immense pipes. The volume WIS 81
raging torrent. The frame dwellings.
stables and Slanghtcr-h"usrs gave way
| like pipes stems, and the debris from the.
wrecks WAS swept down along the linz.
of plank road. the weight being aug
mcnted every moment. In the district
| living west ot Chestnut street, and mort h
of II line parallel with North avenue.
| the water rose to the hight of fully ~
feet. In some places the occupants of
| the houses were unable to escape and
in many places the force of the water
rent the structures into SplintrrS. After
taking away II large number Of fences
and out houses. the food struck the
dwelling occupied 10y Henry Maltern.
wife and two children. all of whom wcr,
drowned. The next house was that of
John Winkler. who found the flood en-
dangcring his barn and stock. lie. with
his br,d her. started out to the horses.
Mrs. Winklcr remained in the house.