The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04
PITTSBURGiS CALAMITY.
THE TERRIBLE TALE.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.


| A FLOATING CRADLE-THE RAILROAD
DAMAGES.
PIrTsRURG, PA, July 29.-Thousands of
people are again visiting the scene of the re-
cent great disaster to-day, which has been
the case since its occurrence. At Butchers
Run, lsss evening, as the shadows crept over
: the sad precincts, the scene was peculiarly
dismal one The thousands OF visitors
who crowded the ruins during the dav
/ 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 careless voices OF children
sounded i'm close proximity 10 devastated
homes, which are now in heaps of shapeleSS
ruins, and which doubtless conceals large
number of bodies not vet discovered. Ku-
mors were current last evening that man
and child had been taken alive from the
ruins, but they could not be traced to their
source. The captain of the steamer l.. Z.
Mccormick, reported that he passed three
dead bodies floating in the Ohio river, aoout
| q miles below the city, but was unable TO
req IN them The loss on the estate of \. Hove
! Ter, ON Butchers run, Will reach 81 800
/ Among he many heroic acts reported are
I the exertions of Frederick Schultz, who re-
sides on item street, high above the reach of
| the flood. Item street runs from the Dill TO
Ohio street. Schultz heard the piercing
screams of the drowning victims at his
bone. and rushing out attempted TO make
| his way through the wsterJO O'i1ara street.
Finding that impossible. he swan down TO
Center street, and made mis- way down
nearly to Ohio street where he found SIKH.
Notwithst anding the swift current he made
| his way up to Center street and Spring
Garden avenue. and with the assistance OF
! two men, who got into the slSiff. succeeded
/ in recovering eleven bodies. His descrlp-
| ton of the scene which TRANSFERRED during
/ the night were thrilling IN the extreme.
] 81. -. 4. rrf tsra0.
/ Hess, who was drowned on Chestnut strest.
Tue victim was clinging 10 the corner OF the
| house. and it was found necessary to drag
| the body away by main force, so tight was
the death grip. The boat in which they were
riding was caught in a terrible maelstorm
and whirled about with such violence that
| the occupants We're forced to lie down on the
/ bottom 10 save themselves. Fortunately
THE SWEEP OF THE WATER
was changed, the floods having forced a
channel through to the river Then the
wrecks of houses. boards and household
! goods began to sweep down and clinging to
/ them or struggling in the surging water
! could be seen bv the flashes of lightning the
/ victims. On one occasion, the body of
woman was seen on a pile of lumber, Mr.
/ :. made grasp as the pile swept by and Sc
cured the body. Several similar incidents
occurred, but Notwithstanding the efforts
of this heroic crew they were not able
| to. rescue single one alive
Half OF the thrilling incidents of the great
flood on Butchers run have not yet been
| told. Mr.. A V. Cole, one of the members
of the firm. of G. Holler & Co., whose glue
works were entirely wrecked, states that
when the flood of waters began to descend
no one had any idea that the flood would
reach the great proportions which ii as
sumed Mr.. Cole, 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
water as outlined on the opposite bank
when lighted up by the continuous flashes
| of lightning. When the great flood of water
! rushed down the run he likened the sound
I produced TO the roaring of Niagara Falls.
] Mr. Cole described the incidents attending
| the destruction of the dwelling occupied by
Mr.. August Renkauf and the drowning of
! little Emma aged three years. and Mary
| Renkauf aged one year, and the nurse girl
Miss Noting, aged fourteen. When the
food began, Mr.. Renkauf was visit
run. Mrs. Renkauf went to her front
door to ascertain the extent of
the flood, and upon opening it the waters
rushed in in great volume andwas soon sew
erl feet deep. A number of articles offurni-
Iure were piled up against the door leading
to the second story where the children were.
She found that she was unable to get PUP the
stair case, and then tried to get to the'rear of
the house, if possible, to save the sleeping
ones by the mp stairs window. She tried in
Lgain to rouse them. AS she passed out of
1.-THE front door, the side facing the Allegheny
river, fell out, carrying her whit. 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 clambcred over this, 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 Vi
cinity and did what they could in enabling
her to reach the shore. She Is in delicate
health, and the courage she displayed was
remarkable. During the time she was being
swept away, Mr.. A. V. Cole, with his broth
en- Isaac, went tOthe rear of the house by
means of private lane leading past it, and,
by shouting at the top of their voices, en-
deavOred 10 awaken the children who were
imprisoned in the upper story the dwell
ing. The roar of the torrent drowned his
voice and he was unable to make himself
heard abOYet the tempestOus element. he and
his brother then picked up clumps
Ofearth and threw at the window, but Just
then the house was swept Offand disappeared
in the flood, and the three children were
crushed to death in irs crumbling ruins
lucli lldD4ftN DOuiCS NtIC dDOuI one
hundred and. fifty yards. below the scene of
the heroic efforts for their rescue. Another
thrilling incident which occurred in this
vicinity was the miraculous escape of the
Waterman of the glue works. lie
thought the flood was "a. small affair
and started up stairs to get be-
yOnd the reach OF it just as
there was about a foot of water in
the lower story. He scarcely reached the
the second story when the stairs gave way
and he was compelled to jump down to a
coal house 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 secured plank and
with that made for the shore, which he re-
sched in safety. The sudden rise of the
waters in Butchers run is well illustrated by