The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-07-28
Latest Concerning the Terrible Flood
ut Pittsburg 200 Lives Lost

II lSblkt; IL. guy 49,
Accounts of the terrible flood which has
delugcd nearly all the suburban sections of
this city, as they come in show that the dis
aster is far greater than was at first sup
posed. 1t is now thought that the loss OF
life is 200, and the loss Of property will be
proportonately large. The Evening
Chronicle places the loss of life at 142, and
the names of the missing parties are CON
tnually coming in. The extent of territory
damaged is not less than twenty to twenty
five miles in diameter. How the main por-
ton of the city Of Pi;tsburg, lying as it
does in the center, escaped further injury
appears almost miraculous. The prevailing
theory is that the disaster was caused by
some kind of water spout. A gentleman
who watched the storm from point few
miles down the river, where there was little
rain, says that by the tit,ul flashes of
lightning he could see a huge inky black
nel-shaped cloud, which ovcrhung the
city, the narrow ends beng lowest, while
the dark parts gave vent to almost con
tinuous flashes VI lightning.
The north bank of the Alleghany, upon
whose hillsides and in whose valleys the
upper portions of the city is situated, has,
according to all accounts, been the scene
of the creates, disaster. The work of dc.
miles north of the central portion of Ale
ghany city. 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 100 feet wide. Between North ave
nue. and the sOutherly point numerous "a
vines empty into Butchers Run valley.
Along this run the houses were built di-
rectly over the neutral watcr-coursc, cul-
veris being made and used in part as foun-
dations for dwellings. The line of dcstruc-
ton followed the watcr-course to the river
and involved an immense number of houses
that were not on the line of the culyerts
When the run commenced falling bus little
apprehension was entertained, but those
WIN liNtb uN'il tilt lt'ul VI lilt vanity Slult
that suddenly it seemed as if the heavens
were opened and the water came down as
if discharged from immense pipes. The
frame dwellings, stables and slaughter
houses gave way like pipe-stems, and the
debris from wrecks was swept down along
the line of the plank road the weight be-
ing aumented every moment. In the dis
trict lying west of Chestnut street and
north of a line parallel with North avenue
the waters rose TO a height of fully twelve
feet. In many places the occupants of
dwellings were unable to escape. The
force of water rent structures into spln-
fences and out-houses the flood struck
the dwelling occupied by Henry Matern,
his wife and two children, all lost. The next
house was that of John Winkler, who
found the flood endangering his barn and
stock. He with his brother started out to
the horses. Mrs Wrinkle remained in the
house, and in less than five minutes all the
lower rooms were filled with water Mrs.
Winkler called for assistance, but before
it could reach her the building gave way
and she was engulfed. Further southwark
was the dwelling of John Steering. As soon
as the water commenced raising Steering
moved his family, consisting of his wife
and twin boys aged four years, 10 the hill
side, in what he suggested place OF SAFE
tv The chillrpn were slppDinV SounllV
but one of the little fellows was aroused
by the storm and rolled over the embank-
ment into the angry flood below. The
body was recovered this morning.