The Republican journal., 1874-07-30
Great Flood in Western Pennsyl-
yania.

last caused 4 sudden fearful rise OF all the .
streams in the vicinity OF Pittsburg and
Allegheny City, and 4 great loss OF
Fife and property. Dispatches give the
following Particulars
IN Allegheny City the greatest damage
done was in Spring Garden Avenue IN
the 9Th Ward In one tavern number
of persons were seated and when the
water rose a man named Hiss thought to
escape by swimming, but was drowned.
\ son OF Alderman Bolster lost his life in
Il vain endeavOr to save the life OF a baby.
A Young lady was also among the vie
TINS.
In many places great holes We're plowed
up in the streets Some Of the cross
streets are almost impossible and will re-
qulre large expenditures Tor repairs. The
sewer on Madison Avenue and Vista ST.
burst and Immediately the whole upper
part OF the city was inundated. On
Spring Garden street several houses were
swept away, causing a large loss OF life.
1t is reported that 50 bodies have thus far
been recovered. The damage on the
south side is also great, as a large num-
hel of stables and other buildings We're
swept away.
The loss of life Ivy the flood is appall-
ing. Thirtv-eight bodies have been re-
covered in Butchers Run district in Allie
ghany City and as many more are missing
who are supposed to have been lost. The
havoc in Woods Run is fearful The
place was perfect sheet of water Nine
bodies have been recovered there thus
far and five or six other persons are
still missing \ whole block of buildings
was swept away in that district and five
persons persisted in the food there.
HOUSES. BRIDGES AND PEOPLE SWEPT
AWAY.
For moro than n mile out on Spring
Garden Avenue, Allegheny City, the
marks OF destruction are everywhere
seen. The houses are thrown together in
heaps. Some % or 30 slaughter houses
on the avenue were washed away and
many buildings that were not totally de-
stroyed are seriously damaged The wa
ter rising to the height of - feet flooded
the first floors of all the houses and in
many places the second stories Several
houses We're swept into the middle of the
street and others carried off hundreds Of
wards and shattered to pieces A house
containing two or three families at the
rear OF Centre street was destroyed and
1t Is supposed all the inmates were lost.
THE TORRENT SWEEPS ALL BEFORE IT.
In Iemperanceville and Saw Mil Run
tae elements made sad havoc The fierce
torrents Of rain swelled every little trlbu-
tary Of Saw Mill Run into boiling stream
and the accommodating waters rushed with
irresistible fairy down the valley, sweeping
everything in its course. The tract of
devastation is marked by the wreck Of
buildings and bridges, immense heaps of
stones. large piles of drittwood, and the
torn and ragged sides of hills where the
Water surged and gnawed into their very
vitals Seven liteless bodies have already
been found and from 25 to 80 persons are
missing The iron bridge crossing Saw
Mill Run at Main ST and five other bridges
above were swept away. At Mclaughlins
about II miles west on the Pan Handle
Railroad II persons are reported drowned,
also hundreds of cattle, horses, sheep, ect
LATEsT-TwO HUNDRED LIVES LOST.
1t is thought that fully two hundred
persons lost their lives in the disastrous
Hood Names OF missing are continually
coming in. The extent of territory in
Guided in the damage is not less than %
TO p miles in diameter The escape of
Pittsburg lying as it does in the centre of
This circle, is miraculus.
Later dispatches gives fuller particulars
The flood was produced by the bursting
ol water ~pout, resulting from the
meeting of two storm clouds The ac-
count SAYS
For half an hour it did not rain There
were 10 distinguishable drops, as the
term is generally understood 1t was the
descent Of q torrent like river lcapino
over precipice In three minutes after
this water spout had burst more than one
hundred human beings We're swept away.
Down Madison Avenue in Allegheny,
came the flood in its most awful destruc-
t-venesS, sweeping away more than fifty
dwellings, and causing the death of seventy
persons in that immediate vicinity. At
Woods Run on the Ohio, fifteen were
swallowed up III the twinkling of All eye
The three rivers have been full of dead
al day, while the waterways leading
thereto have Welded up q harvest that
Slckcns the coroners and undertakers
Alderman Bolster of the 4th ward OF
Allegheny, who was submerged with his
family. his wife being on a sick bed, with
2 snperhuman effort gathered his wife and
five children, and starred to run out OF his
house, which was being swept away. His
little boy, perched upon his shoulder,
hearing the cry OF babe in the next
house, L. whom he was greatly attached
leaped from his fathers shoulder, and in
the morning was found, his arms clasping
nc babe crib, in which it was dead and
milling
Al Woods Run John Brady wife and
tour children lived in a little shantv at the
foot OF bluff that was sheer one hundred
feet nigh. over this bluff ran a small gas
pipe w supply a house alone When the
flood came and struck their house Mrs.
Brady seized the babe to her breast. leaped
out OF the back window, and Selling the
gas pipe sailorlihe dragged herself and
child 10 the top of the hill alone Her
husband and the other children were
drowned,
On O'Hara street Rudolph Artz, wife
and SIX children resided While Mr.. Artz
was trying TO pacfy his family about the
storm the flood broke in, and he was forced
TO see his family dug out Of the debris to-
day, AMI laid, seven of them, in a long
room in the undertaker's establishment
One man who was picking up bits OF
broken hardware. said he had lost nothing
.eycept his house and wife and two chill
dren, and was trying to pick up something
70 begin housekeeping with. He was a
stalwart man, but SO demented that hun
dreds who heard him fell Il weeping.
beautiful young girl, in her night
clothes, was seen on her knees in an upper
chamber of floating building, engaged
in supplicatlon. The house striking against
brick building and its course for mo-
ment stayed, she was seen to rush to the
window and stretch forth her white arms
as though mutely appealing for help A
moment later the building went whirling
on and she was seen no more.
Strong men were found with their cloth
ing torn from their bodies; some with the
agonzing throws OF death struggles writ
ten plainly on their faces some with their