The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-07-29
AN AQUEOUS CALAMITY.
LIVES LOST

P%ITTsBURG, July 27.-All the aoot
gates of the heavens were opened
last night and a vast volumn Of wa
ter was discharged upon. the city
During the day heavy showers tool
place, but they proved only prepare
tory to the deluge which came dowr
upon us between eight and Mint
O'Clock in the evening. The rain wai
accompanied with yived lightning
and for over an hour the storm was
fast aud furious, driving pedestrian
to shelter with much precipitation, il
fact, making everybody, and thing
move on" with more alacrity thar
is ever infused into them by any O
our energetic patrolmen. The water
came down in sheets which fairly
glistened as the flashes of Lightning
fell upon them in quick succession.
and Nature was never gTander in
spectacular effect. As will be seen
by the reports below, terrible damage
was done in every part of the city
and the full extent can hardly be
known at the present writing. A
fearful loss Of life is reported from
Allegheny, and a ~pecuniarY loss be-
yond that caused by the late destruc-
tive con1agration. Hall a million
dollars win not cover the damage to
property and the sun may be much
greater.
In the Soho District Of the city and
in that vicinity the loss to the munic-
ipality is as great as to private indi-
viduals. On Dinwiddie, Tustin, Bra
dy and Henry Streets the most
serious results followed the rushing
of the waters and so great was the
havoc that for several squares the
appearance is as if a huge water
spout had burst. On Dinwiddie
street the new sewer was stopped up
then burst, and the whole surface of
the street was washed out, disioint-
ing the water mains and plugs. Bra
dy street, from Tustin to second ave-
nue., is completely washed away, and
the water main connecting with the
latter thoroughfare broken off at
several places. Henry street and
Tustin street are also in a like plight,
and win not be passable for weeks to
come. But for the quick discretion
of Superintendent Atkinson, Of the
water works the damage here and
elswhere would have been much
greater. Fearing trouble he ordered
the water shut off from the upper
basin, and when the breaks in the
mains occurred, no ;nundating effort
occurred. An hour after the storm,
he had succeeded in connecting q
main at DiEwiddie street by which a
small supply of water was given the
East End, but found in impossible to
furnish Second avenue.
The tunnel of the Panhandle
Railway was flooded with some four
feet Of water, and of course became
impossible for trains, aud traffic, for
the time being, on that road was
suspended. The yards Of the corpor-
alton were also thoroughly inundated,
and the track of the road covered
to the intersection with the
yards Of the union Depot.
From seventh avenue and Grant
street the water had made itself a
course to the Union Depot, and here
it gave Col. Unger pleasant o. remi-
of last years flood. The
water here had a level OF from two
to five feet on the plat in front of the
building, and had forced itself into the
and furnace rooms, putting out
FIRE and creating havoc gener-
ally. The bridge in the zeal Of the
Elevator was partially washed away,
but further than damaging o goodly
amount of commissary stores in the
Depot Hotel, no other damage
done here.
The water came down Wylie ave
lue with a terrific roar. 1t seemed
mad in its fury. In lis course it seemed
% take everything with it. Huge
eobblestones and bricks came down
ike light paper boats in the mighty
torrent. Every thing passed before
It. At a orn a pile of rubbish
would be raised, only to be swept
with greater force, soon to land at
pile of greater proportions.
Down Elm Street towards Fifth
avenue as well as the other streets
hat run across from Webster to
avenue, the water IAN fiercely
either way down the hills, always
carrying with it the huge piles Of
lebris.
Down Webster avenue the current
seemed to have spent its force after it
'ame to Seventh avenue, where the
current grew strongest.
The storm last evening was no
css violent in Allegheny than in this
and while the rain fell in blind
ng torents.tbe heavens were lurid {
the lightning. The greatest
iamagc done was on Spring Garden
lvenue, in the Seventh ward, where
-aluable property, as well as life, was
destroyed. The sewers had not the +
.apacity to carry off the immense {
of water that poured into !
hem, and being obstructed, the wa Z
er rose to the height of numerous :
dwellings, along the thoroughfare, {
umbiing many of them down, and, I
0 far as is definitely known at pres {
drowning four persons. The en- {
ire strip of land from Madison ave- !
Iue to Troy Hill as far out as Gerst's +
'rewery, was flooded, and the con- /
ents of tanneries, slaughter-houses !
nd other buildings were washed !
way. ;
The water rose with fearful rapid :
y, and before the occupants of the :
numerous dwellings and other build
nss could escape to highland they
cut of, and remained in great
read of the result of the inundation.
n most Of the buildings the water \
lied the lower stories, and several .
-ere carried from their foundations b
nd lie wrecked upon the bank of the q
an and in some cases well up in the v
treet. On Concord street two houses
nth their occupants were swept '
way, but fortunately all the human b
were saved. AT Spring Garden t
venue and Chestnut street, the '
ase was sadly different. In one y