Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-07-30
PITTSBURG.
Further Details of the Frightful
Flood.
Whole Families Engulfed with
Their Dwellings.
No Wounded All Dead or
Missing.
A Babe Floats Thirty-TwO Miles
in Its Crib and is Res
cued Alive.

4 july Lfs- hOuocluo va
people are again visiting the scene OF the
recent disaster. RumOrs were current last
evening that man and child had been
taken alive from the ruins, but could not
be traced to their source. The captain OF
the steamer l.. G.. Mccormick reports that
he passed three dead bodies floating in the
Ohio River, about twenty-seven miles
below.
The Chronicle SAYS, editorislly, this
evening. that one of the most remarkable
circumstances connected with the great
food disaster, is the fact that no list of
injured appears. The list, as published,
reads at most invariably dead and missing.
In tie terrible rushing torrent, there was
no middle ground, and for those who came
In its course, there was only but the choice
to silk or swim. Unlike 4 railroad acci-
dent. the flood leaves no list Of MANNED
and wounded, and along its raging way, the
only issue is lite or death. Half Of the
Thrilling Incidents
of the great flood on Butchers run have
not vet been told. Mr.. A. V. Cole, who,
during the storm, stood outside of his
dwelling, says that the hill had the ap-
pearance of immense sheets of water, as
outlined on the opposite bank, when light
ed up by the continuous flashes Of light
ming. When the great food of water
rushed down tie run, he likered the sound
produced to the roaring Of Niagara Falls.
A Mothers Agony.
Mr. Cole described the incidents attend
ING the destruction Of the dwelling Occu-
pied by Mr.. August Renkauf and the
drowning of little Emma, aged three years,
ani Mary Renkauf. aged one year, and the
nurse girl, Miss Noting, aged IA. When the
food began, Mr.. Renkanf was visiting
brother on Spring Garden Run. Mrs.
Reukauf went to her front door to aseeT-
tain the extent Of the flood, and upon OPEN
inc il the water rushed in in a great vol
ume, and was soon several feet deep. A
number Of articles Of furniture were piled
up against the door leading to the second
story, where the children were. She found
she was unable to get up the staircase, and
! then tried to get 10 the rear Of the house if
possible, to save the sleeping ones by the
| upstairs window. She uied in vain to
| rouse them. As she passed out the front
door the side facing the Allegheny river
| fell out, carrying her with it. She was
swept down the run about one hundred
yards, and was caught on the top Of some
Of the debris of Coles glue-wOfks. She
cIambered over this a distance of fifty feet,
/ and had to wade from that point to the
shore, distance of about twenty yards,
In water Waist Deep.
Her calls for assistance were responded to
by several men who happened to be in the
vicinity, and did what they could in en-
| abling her to reach the shore. She is in
delicate health, and the courage she dis
played was remarkable curing the time
| that she was being swept away. Mr.. y
| Y. Cole. with his brother Isaac, went 10
the rear OF the house by means Of pri-
yate lane leading past it, and by shouting
| al the top of their voices endeayOred TO
awaken the children who were imprisoned
in the upper story Of the dwelling. The
roar of the torrent drOwRed his voice and
| he was unable to make himself heard
above the tempestuOus element. He and
his bro. her then picked up ciumps Of earth
| and threw al the window, but just then the
house was swept of and disappeared in
the food, and the three children were
Crushed TO Death
| in its crumbling ruins. Their mangled
| bodies were found about one hundred and
| fifty wards below the scene Of the heroic ef-
forts for their rescue.
The Ereafng Chronicle has the follow
ING from Ben Loucald, German living a
short distance from the SchnappeTts,
whose house proved
The Tomb Of a Family Of Six.
II was struck by the Hood with force enough
to carry it completely from its foundation
and hurl it down the torrent. LOugald,
healing shrek upon shrek rend the air,
! looked out from an upper window. The
doomed house was carried along within a
stones throw. At the upper windows stood
poor Schnappert and his wife, each holding
aloft a child over the raging water and
shrieking God Almighty help us. God
| save u.s. In a few seconds the building
reached the bend where the flood turned
| south at the foot Of Buena Vista street.
Here it struck against a slaughterhouse and
dissolved like a pile of snow in the boiling
waters. The shriess were silent, and only
the crash and grinding Of the timberS was
heard.
The BranigaD Family
live on O'Hara street and occupy the last
house saved. The family consists Mr.. ant
Mrs. Branigan and four children. Had the
couple not speedily opened the door and
. | DFOhtn OlAl LlNC KISS AiAE NAtAC AtAAAAaA
would have drowned like so many rats
Across one window was the iron bar used
for securing the shutters. Swiftly the wate
rose until it stood five feet in the room Will
| A current like mill race setting through
the apartment. Mr.. and Mrs. Branigan in
stinclively seized each a child and clang e
this bar with the grip of despair, while TIN
cold muddy torrent swept over them. Fol
few moments these two hung to tha
providentially placed bar and were all res
cued. 4 neighbOT named McManns, whC
with the remaining child rushed to tn
street, was by some miracle swept into al
alley and on to the roof of a shed, wher
they were also saved.
Only One Person
who escaped from the flood was injured
The dead all bore marks Of bruises ant
mangling, but notwithstanding the toplini
of houses and avalanching of timber ant
debris, those who escaped from the wrecl
came out unhurt.
A Baby.
was foud in a crib floating in the Ohio riv
er. at the head of Montgomery Island
tbirty-two miles below the city, yesterda.
afternoon. and was recovered by a Mr.. Al
len. who lives near the island. The chile
was living but has not been identified.
No doubt missing ones were carries
into the Ohio river. Some Of the bodie
T will never be recovered, and others that ar
, found far below will be buried withOu
identification.
workmen are still employed in clearing tn
streets of the accumulated rubbish an
, restoring them to a passable condition
Heroic BOatmen.
Among the many heroic acts reportet
the exertiOns of Frederick Schultz, VIII
/ resides on Eten street, high above u
reach of the food. Schultz heard u
: Diercing screams of drowning victims
{ his home. and rushing out attempted
make his way through the water TO O'HaI
street. Finding that impossible, he swal
down 10 Center street and made his wa
r down nearly to Ohio street, where he fOur
a skifL. notwithstanding the swift eurrer
7 he made his way up to Center street an
l SDrine Garden avenue, and with the assls
D ance 0ftwo other men who got into the sSl
succeeded in recovering eleven bodies. ii
n description of the scenes which tranSplr'
5 during the night were thrilling IN the e
treme. The boat was caught in terrlD
= maelstrom and was whirled about WI
n such violence that the occupants we
I ha 1pffnUl tn Ea1