The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-08-10
THE PITTSBURGH DISASTER.
fThs FrIghtfui Horror of the PiOod--
over 400 Lives Lost.

fThe FrIghtfui Horror OF the FiOod-'
over .OO Lives Lost.
The great storm in Pittsburgh, which
set in az eight o'clock Sunday morning
as far as the destruction OF human life
is concerned, was the greatest calamity
which has evervisited that city, and, in
some degree Of horror rivals the recent
Mill river disaster in Massachusetts,
No high winds lent fury to the tempest
OF rain, the deynstion resulting entirely
from the sudden down.pouring OF i'm.
menso volumes Of water The flood
gates Of the sky were literally opened,
and the ordinary channels for carrying
away the water were everywhere inade-
quate, There had been copious show
ers during the earlier part OF the day,
aud when the evening rain set in, &C.
companied by continuous thunder aud
lightning, little apprehension was felt
by the people, as there appeared no oc-
casiou for alarm. Pittsburgh proper,
owing 10 the fact that 1t drains very
rapidly, escaped without loss Of life and
with comparatively light damage. The
paving Of many OF the streets in the hill
districts was torn up, huge ourbing
stones were hurled from their place,
shade trees were washed out OF the
ground, houses and cellars were flood
cd, and fences were carried away, but
nothing moro serious occurred.
The Seventh, Tenth, and Eleventh
Wards ofsAliegheny City caught the
full force Of the storm, and there oc.
CURED great loss OF life and property.
The avenues here ran through narrow
valleys, hemmed in by great hills on
either side. Gathering in vast quaint.
ties on these lofty grounds, the water
swept In overwhelming torrents, carry.
ing everything before Il. Frame houses
supposed to be able to Withstand any
assault Of the kind, were swept away ms
II made OF cardboard, and were in
few seconds torn 10 fragments, or strik.
ing against structures Of brick, crushed
them down, giving the inmates no op.
portunity to escape. So quick did the
Hood rise that in many instances the
rushing Of the waters into the second
stories Of the dwellings was the Grst
notice Of its approach.
At the intersection OF Madison avenue
and East street, the water divided, each
branch carrying destruction in its
course. In q triangular.shaped house
at the intersection OF tho street named,
resided Mrs. COnlon, q widow, who had
three children. one boy and two girls.
A young man named Archibald Arnold
and another, o cripple, named Rogers,
were in the house at the time. The
entire number, with the exception Of
Mel Conlon, were lost. Young Arnold
had gone into the house to rescue some
Of tho inmates, but fell q victim to the
destroying flood.
A square below the torrent again
united, aud, reinforced by additional
streams from the hills, swept forward
with augmented force to tho low
grounds or which are situated o'Harra,
Concord and Chestnut streets. Here
tho width Of the sweep Of water was
probably two hundred feet, and build
ings OF frame and brick fell before II as
II made Of sand. On o'Harra street,
four dwellings near each other were
crushed. In one lived Jacob Fuchs,
his wife, one child, and n brother Of
Mrs. Fuchs. All were lost. In the
next were Jacob Metzlen, wife and
ono child, all OF whom persisted,
Mr.. Hairnagel, wife and three chill
dren. who occupied the house
adjoining, also persisted. Aman named
Hubert, with his wife and three chill.
drep, lived in tho next dwelling below
and were the next victims. On the
opposite side OF o'Hara street q frame
house was carried by the food against
the brick dwelling OF Alderman Peter
Bolster, carrying away the front part ol
1t. The family fortunately had taken
refuge in the kitchen, and all escaped
with their lives, except one son OF i've
years. The latter was carried away by
the swift waters, and when found In
the adjoining building, his little hands
were clasped with the grip Of death to
a bedstead. Alderman Bolster's family
had o most remarkable escape, as the
water was three 10 four feet deep in the
room where they took refuge, and the
walls shattered.
The scene in the devastated district Of
Allegheny is one which beggars do.
scription. For hundreds Of yards
Madison ayenuei is lined with the wrecks
Of dwellings, furniture, bedding, dead
animals, timbets, stones, etc. On
o'Harra, Centre, ind other streets in
that vicinity, there is IN equal amount
Of rubbish, while many OF the frame
buildings not destroyed are moved from
their original places, and stand in all
positions except square, with the
thoroughiares. As in the mill disaster
told OF In Charles Reade's novel, so in
this, the victims were stripped almost
entirely Of clothing by the water and
floating timber, some having one shoe
on, some the shirt.band about the neck,
and others being without q shred.