New-York tribune., 1874-07-30
ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THRILLING Incl
DENTS.

,,oc,rv op THE wArCUNAN AT THE GLUE WORKS
ONLY ONE PERSON WHO ESCAPED NJohnp.
PITrsBrRGu, July 29.-Half OF the thrlinhg
incidents Of the great flood on Butchers nun nav V'
vet beeu told Mr. A. W. Cole, one OF the menoers VI '
Arm ot G. Uayeler d Co.. whose glue works were en-
t,relv wrecked, states that when the hood pegan I"
descend no one had idea that It would reaeh the
great proportions which IL assumed. Mr.. Cole, who
during the stern, stood outside OF his dwelling just ID
the rear of the hill at the upper end OF the Hue "oAs
saws that the hill had the appearance OF immense sheet
of water as outlined the opposite hill when ghted
up by continuous flashes OF lightning when the grea.
of rushed down the run he kened the souhu
produced TO the roaring OF Niagara Falls.
Mr. Cole described the incidents attending the de-
sruction Of the dwelling occupied by August Renkauf,
and the drowning OF little Emma, aged
years; Mary Renkauf, aged / year, and the
nurse girl Miss Noting aged Il years. When the nood
began. Mr.. Renkaui was visiting brother on spring
Garden Run. Mrs RenRauf went TO her front door 10
ascertain the extent of the food, and upon opening II
the water rushed IN in great volume, and was soon
several feet Deep number of articles OF furniture
were ammed up against the door leading to the second
story, where the children were She found che was
unable get up the staircase and then tried 10 get 10
the rear house 20 the sleeping ones by 'he
upstairs windows. She tried in vain TO rouse them AS
she passed of the front door the side facing the
Allegheny River fell out, carrying her with IT,
and caught the top of some OF the DEBRIS
Of the glue works. She cambered over this
of so feet and had TO wade from that point 10
the shore distance OF about 20 yards IN water waist
deep. Her calls for assistance were responded 10 by
several men who happened to be in the vicinity aud
who did what they could in enabling her to reach the
shore She is in delicate health and the courage she dis
PLAYED was remarkable. During the time that she was
being pt away Mr. " Cole with his brother Isaac,
went TO the rear of the house by means OF private
lane leading past and By shouting at the top OF their
voices endeavored awaken the children. who were
imprisoned in the upper story Of the dwelling. The
roar drowned their voices and they were
unable to make themselves heard. He and his brother
then picked up cumps OF earth and threw them at the
window but just then the house was swept away ana
disappeared in the flood and the three children were
crushed TO death in its crumbling ruins Their manged
bodies found about $50 yards below the scene OF
the heroic efforts for their rescue.
Another thrilling incident which occurred IN this VI
cinity was the miraculous escape OF the wachman Of
the glue works. He thought the food small affair
and started up stairs get beyond the reach of It just
AS there was about foot of water IN the lower story
He had scarcely reached the second story when the
stairs gave way and he was compelled to jump down 10
a coal.hOuse which stood in the vicinity of the boilers
Out Of this he crawed through aperture while the
water was up to his chin. Fortunately he secured
plank and with that he made for tue shore, which no
reached IN safety.
The sudden rise Of the waters in Butchers Run s well
illustrated by some incidents related by German
family who reside in stone dwelling opposite HaY
eers glue works. The husband told his wife TO 60 to
the cellar obtain some Bindlings Tor the COOKING
stove as desired TO work early Monday morn
ing The wife placed the wood in the stove but by the
time she had completed her work the wafer had reached
the floor. She informed her husband OF the fact ana
suggested that they bad better vacate the house. as the
food threatened TO destroy IL. The husband, who had
retired jumped out of bed into water knee Deep ana
with his wife proceeded TO get the children out OF an
upper-stOry window on the high ground IN the rear
After they accomplished this the husband returned
to "a bedroom get clothing out OF "a wardrobe
but in the mean time the water reached such hght
as upset it and he found 1t impossible to get the ar
cles he wanted being compelled 10 vacate the apart
ment hastily.
From Ben Mangold, German living short distance
from the Scbanap2ert whose house pfoyedthe tomb OF
family Of six particulars of this sad episode IN the
history of the Butchers Run tragedy are learned
schanapperts house stood Immediately below the oil
refinery OF Hadship Co., and struck by the food
with force enough carry it completely from It's iound
tOns, Madison-ave, and hur 1t down the torrent
Mangod hearing shrek upon shrek rend the air. looked
out from an upper window The doomed house careened
along within a stones throw. At tie upper windows
stood poor Sehanappert and his wife, each holding
aoft a child over the raging water, and shrieklng,
God Almighty help us;" "G0d save us"
In few seconds the building reached the bend where
the flood turned south at the foot of BLeaa Visast
Here IL struck against slauGhterhouse aud dissolved
like pile of in the boiling waters Ihe shTeks
were silent and only the crash OF timbcrs was heard
The Brangan family live on OHara-st, and occupy the
last house saved the left going down the street. The
family of and Mrs BranGan and four children
Aneighbor, Patrick McManus, alone in the house
when the water tore up the back wall the ground
a and sbq1i upl he Of OF
OHara-st. Had the couple not speedily opened this
door and broken oIt the glass the whole family would
have been drowned Across one WINDOW was the lfon
bar used securing the shutters. Swiftly the water
rose until IT stood five feet IN the room with current
like a mill-race setting through the apartment Mr..
and Mrs Branigdn instinctvey seized each child aud
clung to this bar with the grip Of despair while the cold
muddy torrent swept them For four hours these
two hung that providentay placei bar and all
rescued. McManus, who, with the remaining child.
rushed TO the street swept into alley and to
the roof of "a shed. where they also where saved.
One singular feature OF the flood has nobeea alluded
to- So far as We able to ascertain, ouly person
who escaped from the flood injured The dead all
bore marks of bruises and mangng, but notwthsiaud
ing the topping Of houses and ava!anches Of timber
and debris those who escaped from the wreck out
unhurt Among tue many heroic acts reported the
exertions of Frederick schultz, who resides Itenst
high above the reach of the flood. Itenst. from
the hill TO O'Hara-st. Schultz heard the piercing
screams OF the drowning victims at his home ana rush
ing out attempted TO make his way through the water
TO Oharast. Finding that impossible. he swan down
10 Centerst and made hs way down nearly to Obo-st
where he found a skf. Notwithstanding the swift
rent made his way up to Centrest and Spring Gar
deuave aud with the assistance OF two or three other
men who got intothe skh, succeeded IN recovering IL
bodies His descriptions OF the which ranspred
during the ght thrilling in the extreme. H. il
who discovered the body OF Officer Hess who
drowned on Chesnut-st The victim cluging the