Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-07-31

Fearful storm Burats Over Pitts
bursh and Allegheny city, Pa aud
Involves Both cities Sn Common Mis-
tortune--AIoro Than $50 Dweliings
Destroyed and over 400 Lives Lost--
PFoperty Loss VRrfousiy Estinatsd
at from o., ,OOO, 900 to s3,OOO,OOO.
A most appalling calamity befell Allegheny
City and Pittsburgh on the night Of the 26th.
During the morning heavy rains had fallen,
but in the afternoon the skies cleared, the SUI
shone out brightly and the rain. was thought
to be over Toward evening, however, pre-
monitory flashes of lightning were seen north
east, southwest and northwest Of the city, and
ominous dark clouds overcast the sky.
About eight o'clock the storm broke, accom-
panied by vivid and continuous flashes Of
lightning, followed by terrific peals of thun-
der. The rain descended in torrents and in
such quantities that IL seemed as II the clouds
had suddenly met with some obstruction and
emptied their contents in an instant In a
few moments the streets were converted into
torrents, and down the steep grades an i'm
mense volume of water rolled with terrific
force, tearing up the pavement, bursting sew
ers, inundating buildings and filling cellars
The rain covered the entire city of Allegheny
and adjoining rural districts, but the most
serious damage and loss of life was confined
to Butchers and Spring Garden Runs in the
northeast portion of Allegheny; Woods Run
i'm the northwest section of the same city, and
Saw-mill Run in the southwest section Of
Pittsburgh.
An Associated Press dispatch says: The
accounts Of the terrible flood which has del
uged nearly all the suburban sections of this
city, as they come in during the afternoon
and evening, show the disaster to be far great
er than at first supposed. It is now thought
the total loss of life will not be short of 200
The loss Of property is proportionate. The
Evening Chronicle, in its five o'clock edition,
placed the loss at 142, and names Of missing
parties are continually coming in. The extent
of territory damaged is not less than twenty
to twenty five miles in diameter, and how the
main portion of the city of Pittsburgh, lying,
as it does, in the center Of this circle, es-
capped without further injury seems almost
miraculous
a prevailing theory seems to be that the
disaster was caused by some kind of a water
spout A gentleman who watched the storm
from few miles down the river, where there
WIS Dul llttlc thub lhc iOW hhui
flashes of lightning he could see huge, inky-
black elshaped cloud, which overhung
the city, the narrow ends being lowest, while
the dark parts gave vent to an almost perpet-
ual burst of lightning. 1t is almost impossi-
BILE for anyone not familiar with the geogra-
ply of this locality to form an idea Of this dis
aster or how it could possibly have occurred.
The main city of Pittsburgh, as 1t rises grad
ually from the point formed by the junction
Of the two rivers, has many gulches in certain
localities which render a flood of this descrip-
tion liable to do great damage.
The part known as the Hill region is fire.
quently liable to suffer from local inunda-
tions The damage here, however, is this
time light compared with other localities
strictly suburban. The north bank Of the
Allegheny River, upon whose hillsides and
in whose valleys the upper portion Of the
city is situated, has, according to all ac-.
counts, been the scene of the greatest disas-
ter. The work Of destruction commenced at
point about two miles north of the central
portion of Allegheny City. Butchers Run
Valley at its mouth is probably between 400
and 500 feet wide, and at the point where
the work of destruction commenced it is not
more than $50 feet wide Between North
avenue and this nOrtherly point numerous
ravines empty into Butchers Run Valley.
Along this run the houses were built directly
over the natural water-course, culyerts
being made in part as foundations for the
dwelling houses.
The 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 culvert. When the rain commenced
falling but little apprehensions were enter
tanned, but those who live near the head Of
the valley stated that suddenly it seemed as
If the heavens opened and the water came
down as if discharged from immense pipes.
The volume was so large that the narrow
valley was filled with a raging torrent, the
frame dwellings, stables and slaughter-houses
gave way like pipe-stems, and debris from the
wrecks was swept along the line of the plank
road, the weight being augmented every mo-
ment. In the district lying west of Chestnut
street and north the water rose to height of
fully twenty feet. In some places the occu-
pants of dwellings were unable to escape in
time to save their lives. In many instances
the force of the water shattered structures
into splinters.
The course of the flood was probably 200
feet wide, and buildings, frame and brick, fell
before the devastating element as though
they had been sand. Dwellings, stables,
workshops, and debris of all kinds mingled
together in one confused mass, making it
absolutely impossible for the spectator to dis
cover even the street line In some instances
houses were literally turned upside down.
The loss of life was fearful. At the time Of
sending the last account 142 dead bodies had
been recovered, and it was thought the num-
ber drowned would considerably exceed 200.
The total number of buildings destroyed was
LAT. 1t is yet too early to furnish a correct
estimate of the loss of property, but it is
immense, probably exceeding $3,0O0,000.