Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-08-05
4 FEARFUL FLOOD.

PITTSBURGH, July 27.-The rain
storm which visited this city yesterday
and last night was the heaviest known
to the Oldest inhabitants, and the re-
suit the most disastrous in the history
OF this city. The storm Of the morn
ing oDlyinfcted some damage on the
sewers md individual property; but
at about 9 O'Clock the windows of the
heavens we're opened and the deluge
was fearful. Solid masses of water
flung themselves in angry volume up
on every square foot of the town and
country, the thunder and lightning
were terrific. and the death-cry of
scores OF victims rose upon the air from
a dozen submerged localities, The
exact course of this cyclone as yet is
not precisely known, but seems to be
semi circle, embracing the northern,
western and southwestern parts of our
city in its area. leaving the main por-
ton Of the city unharmed.
In Allegheny city, the calamity is
utterly appalling not only in the loss
of property, but iu lives of human be-
ings. The great fire, so recent with
in its borders, was nothing as compared
with this disaster People in the vici-
nifty where the greatest destruction oc-
Cured, say they could get out of the
reach of the fire, but the water over
whelmed them, and placed life in as
great jeopardy as property. In all
parts of the city more or less damage
was done; but thu great loss occurred
in the bottom districts, when the tor
rent swept from the hills. In these
the greatest distress prevailed. Fami-
lies in the peace and quiet of the Sab
bath evening, wee compelled to use
their uttermost e1ertions to save their
lives.
The devastation along the line Of
Butchers and Sawmill run was almost
beyond description. The work of de-
struction commenced at a point just
above the line of North avenue, where
Spring Garden run and Butchers run
unite and flow into an immense sewer
leading into the Allegheny river.
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 raviues em.ty into Butchers
run valley. Along his route houses
were built directly over the natural
water course to the rver, and involved
an immense number of houses that
were not on the line Of the cuiverts.
When the rain commenced falling, but
little app:ehensions we're entertained !;
but those who lived near the head of
the valley state that suddenly it SEEM
ed as if the heavens were literally open
ed, and the water came down as if dis
charged from an immense pipe. The
volume was so large that the narrow
valley was filed with the raging tor
rent. The force of the water was ire
sistble. The frame dwellings, stables
and slaughter houses gave way like
pipe-stems, and the debris from the
wreck was swept down along the plank
road their weight being augmented
every moment In the district lying
west of CHESTNUT street and north of
line parallel with North avenue, the
water rose to a height of fully twenty
feet. In some places the occupants of
dwellings we're unable to escape fn time
to save their lives, and in many in.
stances the iorce of the water rent the
structures into splinters.
The storm continued until half-past
10 o o'clock, and from various localities
the loss of life tonight is set down at
$50. Searching for the bodies began
at an early hour this morning, and
workmen poured in from every quart
er. Buildings were torn to pieces,
rubbish removed, bricks thrown into
the streets, and everything possible
done in order to recover the bodies OF
the missing. Women were present in
great numbers, anxiously looking on,
while friends stood near at hand to
witness the exhumation of their de-
parted friends. The police force was
busy to preserve ORDER but the excite
ment was so great that the crowd ran
to and fro in an almost maddened con-
dition. The bodies, as as they were
recovered, were immediately put into
wagons and taken to places designated
in the city. After arriving with the
remains they were washed and placed
in row, side by side, to await recog-
milton. Friends and strangers crowd
around to get sight at the remains of
the dead. Many bodies are in such
shape as to be difficult to recognize,
being badly bruised; while others are
fast turning unrecognizable, decompo-
sition having set in. Upon the whole,
however, they are in as good condition