The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1874-08-13
Incidents Of the Pittsburgh Deluge.


great food on Butchers Run have not
yet been told.
Mr.. A. V. Cole, one of the firm of @.
Hoveler & Co., whose glue-works were
entirely wrecked, states that when the
flood of water began to descend no one
had any idea that the flood would reach
the great proportions which it assumed.
Mr.. Cole, who, during the storm, stood
outside of his dwelling, located just in
rear of the hill at the upper end of the
glue-works says that the hill had the APP
pearance of an immense sheet of water
as outlined, on the opposite bank, when
lighted up by the continuous flashes of
lightning. When the great food of water
rushed down the run, he likened the
sound produced to the roaring of Niagara
Falls.
Mr.. Cole described the incidents at
tending 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 flood began MIR.
Renkauf was visiting brother, on Spring
Garden Run. Mrs. Renkauf went to her
front door to ascertain the extent of the
flood, and upon opening it the water
rushed in in a great volume and was soon
several feet deep.
A number of articles of furniture were
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 then 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 alley and river fell out, carry
ing her with it, She was swept down
the run about one hundred yards, and
caught on the top of some of the debris of
the glue-works. She clambered over this
a distance of fifty feet, and had to wade
from that point to the shore, distance
OF about twenty yards, in water waist
deep. Her calls for assistance were re-
sponded to by several men who happened
to be in the vicinity, 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 that she was being
swept away, Mr.. A. V. 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, endeavored to awaken the
children who were imprisoned in the
upper story of the building.
The roar of the torrent drowned his
voice and he was unable to make himself
heard above the tempestuous element
He and his brother then picked up
clumps of earth and threw at the window,
but just then the house was swept off
and disappeared in the flood; the three
children were crushed to death in its
crumbling ruins Their mangled bodies
were found about one hundred and fifty
yards below the scene of the heroic efforts
for their rescue.
Another thrilling incident which oc-
Cured in this vicinity, was the miraculous
escape of the Waterman of the glue
works. He thought the flood was small
affair, and started up stairs to 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 to coal-house
which stood in the vicinity of the boilers.
Out of this he crawled through an aper-
ture, while the water was up to his chin.
Fortunately he secured plank, and with
that he made for the shore, which he
reached in safety.
The sudden rise of the waters in
Butchers Run is well illustrated by some
instances related by German family
that resided in a stone dwelling opposite
to Hoveler'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 Mon
day 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 notified her hus-
band of the fact, and suggested that they
had better leave the house, as the food
threatened to destroy it. The husband,
who had retired, jumped out of bed into
water knee-deep, and with his wife pro-
ceeded to get the children out of an
upper story window, on to the high
ground in the rear. After they had ac-
complished this, the husband returned to
the bedroom to get some clothing out of
the wardrobe, but in the meantime the
water had reached such height as to
upset it, and he found it impossible to
get the articles, being compelled to hastily
vacate the apartment.
The Evening Chronicle has the follow
ing: From Ben. LangOld, German
living short distance from the Schanap-
perts, whose house proved the tomb of
family of six, we learned the particulars
of this sad episode. Schanappert's house
stood Immediately below the oil refinery
of HOldship IL Co., and was struck by the |
flood with force enough to carry it COM
pletely from its foundation on Madison |
avenue, and hurl it down the torrent.
Langold hearing shrek upon shrek rend |
the air, looked out from an upper win
dow. The doomed house was carried |
along within stones throw. At the up |
per window stood poor Schanappert and |
his wife, each holding aloft child over
the raging water, and shrieking, "God
help u.s." "God save u.s." Tn
: few seconds the building reached the
bend, where the flood hurried south at
The foot of Buena Vista street. Here it
struck against a slaughter-house and
dissolved like pile of snow in the boil
ng waters. The shrieks were silent, and
'nly the crash and grinding of timbers
vas heard. The Branigan family live on
CHara street, and occupy the last house
aved on the left, going down the street.
he family consists of Mr.. and Mrs.
8ranigan and four children. A neighbor,
Patrick McManus, was alone in the house
when the water tore over the back wall,
IN the ground floor and dashed toward
he front of the room, on OHara street.
Had the couple not speedily opened this
loor and broken out the glass, the whole
amily would have drowned like so many
ats. Across one window was the iron
'ar used for securing the shutter, and
Witty the water rose until it stood five
eet in the room with current like
Mill race setting through the apart
nent.
Mr.. and Mrs. Branigan instinctively
eized each child, and chung to this bar
With the gripof despair, while the cold,
muddy torrent swept over them. For
ew hours these two hung to that provi-