Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1874-07-30


Two Hundred Hen, Women and
Children DrOWned-An Hour
of Awful Agony and En-
duranee-Damage to
Steamboats, and
Railroads.
PITTsBURG, July 29.-Thousands of
people are again visiting the scene of the
great disaster to-day, which has been
the case since its occurrence. At Butch
er's Run, last evening, as the shadows
crept over the sad precinct, the scene
was purely dismal one, and the thou
sands of visitors who crowded the ruins
during the day, had turned from the
scene of death and destruction, and in
some portions of the district reIgned the
silence Of the tomb, in others the care
less voices Of children sounded in close
proximity to the devastated homes,
which are now in heaps of shapeless
ruins, and which, doubtless, conceal q
large number Of bodies not yet discov-
cred. Rumors were current last eve
ming that a 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 ne passed three dead bodies floating
in the Ohio river about twenty-seven
miles below the city, but was unable to
reach them. The loss on the est te of
A. Hadeler, on Butchers Run, will
reach fifteen thousand dollars, and the
loss Of G. Hadeler, eight thousand dol
lars
The Chronicle says, editoriaIIy, this
afternoon, that one of the
MOST REMARKABLE CIRCUMSTANCES
connected with the great flood disaster
is the fact that no list Of the injured ap-
pears. The list as published and read is
invariably dead and missing. In
the terrible rushing torrent which swept
down the numerous runs there was no
middle ground, and for those who came
in its course there was only one choice
sink or swim, Unlike railroad acci-
dents, the flood leaves 10 list of the
manned anu wounded, and sll along It's
raging pathway the only issue is life aud
death.
Half of the thrilling incidents of the
great flood on Butchers Run have not
yet been told. Mr.. A. Y. Cole, one of
the members of the firm of C. HOOller &
Co, whose glue works were entirely
wrecked, states that when the food of
waters began to descend no one thought
that it would reach the great proportions
which it assumed. Mr.. c., who during
the storm stood outside of his dwelling,
located just in the rear of the hill, at the
upper end Of the glue-works, says that
the hill had the appearance Of
IMMENSE SHEETS OF WATER,
as outlines of the opposite bank where
lighted up by the.cOntinuous flashes of
when the great flood Of water
rushed down therun he likened thesound
produced by the moaning Of Niagara
falls. Mr. Cole described the Incidents
the destruction OF the dwell
ling occupied by Mr.. Auguest Penkauf
and drowning of little Emma, aged
three years, and Mary Penkauf, aged one
year, and the nurse girl, Miss Noting,
aged fourteen. When the flood began
Mr.. Penkauf was visiting a brother in
Spring Garden run. Mrs. Penkauf went
to her front door to ascertain the extent
of the flood, and upon opening it the
water rushed in a great volume and was
soon several feet deep. A number of
articles of furniture we're 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 tried to get to the rear of the house
if possible to
SAVE THE SLEEPING ONES. ~
by the upstairs window. She tried In
vain to rouse them. AS she passed out of
the front door, the side facing the AL
leghany 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 the glue
works. She clambered over this s.
tance of fifty feet, and had to wade from
that point to the shore, a 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 they did what they
could in enabling her to reach the shore.
She is in delicate health, and the cour-
age she displayed during the time she
was Oaing swept away was remarkable.
Mr.. A. Y. Cole, with his brother Isaac,
went to the rear of the house by means
of private lane leading past it, and by
shouting at the top of their voices, en-
deavored to awaken the childIen who
were imprisoned in the upper story of
the dwelling.
THE ROAR OF THE TORRENT
= ! 4 L. II a..
make himself heard above the Tempest
uous element. He and bis brother then
picked up clumps Of earth and threw at
the windows, but just then the house
was swept off and disappeared in the
flood, and the three children were
crushed to death in the crumbling ruins.
Their mangled bodies were found about
one hundred and fifty yards below the
scene of the heroic efforts for their res
cue Another thrilling incident which
occurred in this vicinity was the mirsc-
ulo1s escape of the watehman of the
glue works. He thought the flood was
q small affair and started up stairs to
get beyond the reach of it, just as there
was about a foot OF water in the lower
story. He had scarcely reached the
second story when the stairs gave way,
ana ne WAS CDm kjellcu 10 Juutp uONu u
a cualhOuse, which stood in the vicinity
of the boilers. Out of this he crawled
through an aperture, while the water
was up to his chin. Fortunately he Sc
cured a plank, and with that made for
the shore, which he reached in safety.
THE SUDDEN RISE OF THE WATERS
in Butchers ruB, is well illustrated by
some incidents related by q German
family that resided in stone dwelling
opposite Hoveller's glue works. The
husband told his wife to proceed to the
cellar and obtain some kindling for the
cook-stove, as he desired to go to work
early on Monday morning. The wife
placed the wood in the stove, but by the
time she had completed her work, the
water had reached the floor. She noti-
fled her husband of the fact, and sugges-
ted that they had better vacate the
house, as the food threatened to destroy
it. The husband, who had retired,
iuuoped out Of.the bed into water knee
deep, and, with his whe, proceeded to
get the children out OF an upper-story
window on to the high ground in the
rear. After they had accomplished this,
the husband returned to the bedroom to
get some clothing out of wardrobe, but
n the meantime the water had reached