The New York herald., 1874-07-29

lay first before our readers description OF the
havoc In that locality. Though the fall OF rain
alone would nave suGced TO bring terrible de-
vastation. 1t seems TO be well authenticated that
PRINCIPAL CAUSE OF THE GREAT CALAMITY
in this locality was water spout Of vast proper
city and poured down in overwhelming volume
through the natural water channels. The body
of water iell asunder on the second range OF hills
and sought a level by the way OF Butchers,
spring Garden and Woods runs, expanding
them with almost the suddenness or a
streams TO terrible elements OF destruction and
power, against which all efforts OF men were futile
and puny. In Butcher's Run the torrent first ap-
peared, some two miles and a half from Onio
street, near the home OF Mr. Frank Metz and Its
hrst lary was expended upon a new frame house
this away like chan before the wind, the torrent
gaining strength and motion from innumerable
against the house OF Mr.. Remkept and claimed
THE FIRST VICTIMS
10 tne aas s1 %, hS cSar IN ne % Si
career, taking building after building In Its course
and carrying together the ruins OF the buildings
and the BODIES OF the dead II marked It's track with
destruction to the narrow gully below. At the june
tion oil East street with Madison avenue the volume
upon the paved streets Of the city. and ABOUT
eght feet IN depth, rushed down both the thor
nese 'ns
collapsed as II caught In the embrace or
2 a,,,5aon %onstrous wee, r "A mother and three
with the ruins ruins on East street tue water moved
houses, and then rolled on 70 the eastward and
joined forces with the seething river, which had
thus tnoroughfare a large sewer, built to receive
the whole now of the run, burst with tremendous
Iorce, leaving a cavity some thirty ieet In depth
and giving new and angry impulse to the stream.
For hall mile this avenue sco0ped out in
places twenty feet lower than the curD, tearing
lamp posts from their places and twisting them
each side were hooded and the weaker ones were
wrecked. and IN some cases torn IRON their Ioun-
dations but most OF them until Vista street
was reached. held together, aud the terrified
occupants hnddlng in the second stories, escaped
grasp them. At Vista street the natural valley
leads to the eastward, the hill coming TO bold
runs runs meet and now togetner to % the allegheny.
Here, in direct line with the mood, was the
slaughter house OF Mr. sweden. which now lies as
Ii ell, pile OF broken mud-StalneQ tlmDerS. Just
below IL Concord street, graded some twenty 1eet
above the natural bed OF the stream, which It
crosses by culvert neatly paved and well llgnted,
iorty feet in width, water and gas pipes
qsSs me Ssa ssst ou.as g sseh rsa a
falls By an easy grade to q junction with
Spring Garden avenue, and which, on Sunday
morning was lined on both SIDES with neat brick
and frame houses, the dwellings, or persons IN at
;east comfortable, and some OF them quite
Ior moment at concord street, burst through the
houses, 1t preclpltated itselI in
VAST PLUyIAS AVALANCHE
upon the huge culyert constructed beneath O'Hara
and adjoining streets, rent II asunder with mighty
force, and, upcasting the surface, roppled down
Here Her the the treat destruction OF lie TOOK
place. Many persons. weary o. the storm.
Ss ss sSeer TO the ROOT no TSs csSreH
frightened by the lightning and the mutterings OF
the thunder sought their parents, and In many
instances mothers had gone to the beds OF their
children to lie down win them and comfort and
relieve their fears With the rending OF the earth
the gas pipes were torn asunder and pitch dark
ness came with the awful noise of the rising
waters and the quick upheaval OF the foundations.
track was desolation ana death-drowned mothers
and their bapes and fathers clasplng their sons to
Their arms, while families, nuddled together in
come too quick Tor action even thought,
were hurled away to be seen no more
in lifp Some had fallen into q mercilul
slumDer before the Angel OF Death stepped in,
Tor In the ruins, when daylight came, stretched
upon their beds, several bodies were found, only
tile dripping and muddy stains dsnguring what
otherwise seemed voluntary repose. TO none OF
these the sudden darkness and the noise gave
warning, and it Is all the better That they never
knew what manner OF calamity fell upon them.
AT the foot OF this street the whirnng, turbulent
valley of Spring Garden Run-a valley OF death TO
many, as the other had been. mile and a half
aoove TINS the -, stream trst a,,. gathered
az Burns glue factory. As at Butcner's
Run. u sewer had been built to carry safely away
less. For mile the water poured down parallel
to Spring Garden avenue, every moment gaining
power and velocity, the small paved streets rom
tributaries and pouring in their how in contribu-
tion. On the other side OF the valley the hill
almost perpendlcularly, with clayey sides, which,
washed down by tons. scanned the sides as II by
glaciers At Basin street the sewer burst, and the
water spirung out rushed under the houses
TOSSING THEM UP IN THE
like volcano and throwing them In heaps to
nch sa 81 See @ nere
merry. The only dwelling along rhs point wnere
lie was sacrificed was that OIL Michael Schater.
who with his child In his arms, stepped from his
front door into the flood and perlsned. Below
Basin street for quarter OF mile the people were
safety, but the buildings were scattered as
II blown up BY powder. After the sewer
ana ne arden SI5 fo% M a sre
channel, and made 1t q river from six to ten feet
Deep with velocity like mill chase. The street
is thickly built up both sides, the houses being
Ior the most part substantially built The occu-
pants ned to the second stores, and thus saved
street the overflow whirled and tossed tearing
out the sides Of the stables, occasionally SUB.
merging them and topping them over and pulling
uown hundreds OF little workshops.
THE LOSS IN CATTLE AND HORSES
here is very large, but their dead bodies lie I'M
noticed while the search Ior human remains pro-
crosses For quarter OF mile upon the street
the lower stories Oi the houses are lull OF mud, at
places to the depth OF two or three feet and the
owners unnOticed In the general excitement FUR
ther down, went diligently at work to restore
their .nabtauons to an inhabltable condition.
4,
ana, sloping to the west widens to triangular
space where IL meets Central and O'Hara streets,
and there, when the flood came down, the vortex
OF ruin was reached. Just past Viniai street the
first OF the now from Butchers Run was
met and formed an eddy, and then Whirlpool
followed the meeting Debris rom the ruins OF
O'Hara and Concord streets, aud q mile above were
preclpltated against the broken timbers that had
formed the tanneries and slaughter houses that
bordered upon the Spring Garden Run, and grind
ing together, they dew round and round, the
water rising 10 the depth Of twenty eet and wh1rl-
ing with such velocity tnat the street is hollow ed
out ike basin to the depth OF many feet. AS the
water subsidized ii lett the heavier "timDers piled
upon one another nearly to The caves OF the sur
rounding houses, which, being soidly built and
not being subjected 10 quick strain, withstcod
the inundatIon. so quick had been the rise OF the
water here, tnat horse attached to a light buggy
In winch a gentleman was riding overtaken,
whiried about a lew times, and finally ground
down oy the heavy timbers Last night the debris
had not been sufficiently cut out to admit OF the
recovery OF the body OF the man, but II could be
plainly seen enveloped In network Of beams and
planks, stll cllnging 10 remains Of the vehicle,
which the body the horse