Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1874-08-06
TERRIBLE DEVASTATION.
Allegheny City and Pittsburgh, Pa,
the Scene of Awful FlO0d-TwO
Hundred Lives Lost.

Allegheny City and Pittsburgh, Pa,
the Scene of Awful Flood-TwO
Hundred Lives Lost.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, July q, 1874
The rain-storm which visited this city
yesterday and last night was the heav-
lest known to the oldest inhabitants and
the result the most disastrous in the his
tory of this city The storm of the
morning only inflicted some damage on
the sewers and individual property; but
at about nine o'clock the windows of the
heavens were opened and the deluge was
fearful Solid masses of water flung
themselves in angry volume upon every
square foot of the town and country, the
thunder and lightning were terrific and
the death-cry of scores of victims rose
upon the air from dozen submerged
localities. The exact course of this cy-
clone as yet is not precisely known, but
seems to be a semicircle, embracing the
northern, western and southwestern
parts of our city on it's arc, leaving the
main portion of the city unframed. In
Allegheny the calamity is utterly APP
palling, not only in the loss of property
but in lives of human beings. The great
fire so recent within its borders was as
nothing compared with this disaster
People in the vicinity where the greatest
destruction occurred say they could get
out of the reach of the fire, but the
water overwhelmed them and placed life
in as great jeopardy as property. In all
parts of the city more or less damage
was done; but great loss occurred in the
bottom districts, where the torrent swept
from the hills. In these the greatest dis
tress prevailed. Families in the peace
and quiet of the Sabbath evening were
compelled to their uttermost eXertion to
save their lives. The devastation along
the line of Butchers and Saw mill Runs
was almost beyond description.
The work of destruction commenced
at point about two miles north of Ohio
street This valley proper commences
at point just above the line of North
avenue, where Spring Garden Run
and Butchers Run unite and flow
into an immense sewer leading in
to Allegheny River Butchers Run Val
ley 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 avenue and this northerly point
numerous ravines empty into Butchers
Run Valley. Along this route houses were
built directly oven the natural water
course to the river and the ruin involved
an immense number of houses that were
not on the line of the culverts. When
the rain commenced falling but little
approximations were entertained; but
those who lived near the head of the val
ley state that suddenly it seemed as if
the heavens were literally opened and the
water came down as if discharged from
an immense pipe. The volume was so
large that the narrow valley was filed
with the raging torrent The force
of the water was irresistible. The
frame dwellings, stables and slaughter
houses gave way like pipestems, and
the debris from the wreck was swept
down along the plank road, its weight
being augmented every moment. In the
district lying west of Chestnut street and
north of a line parallel with North ave-
nue. the water rose to height OF fully
twenty feet. In some places the occu-
pants of dwellings were unable to es-
cape in time to save their lives, and in
many instances the force of the water
rent the structures into splinters.
The storm continued until about half
past ten o'clock and from various local.
ties the loss of life tonight is set down
Of 200
Searching for dead bodies began at an
early hour this morning, sand workmen
poured in from every quarter Build
ingS were torn to pieces, rubbish re
moved, bricks thrown into the streets,
and everything possible done in order to
recover the bodies of the missing.
Women were present in great numbers,
anxiously looking on, while friends
stood near at hand to witness
the elimination of their departed
friends The police force was
busy to preserve order; but the excite
r,cnt was SO great that the crowd ran to
and fro in an almost maddened condition,
The bodies, as soon as they were recov,
cred, were immediately put into wagons
and taken TO places designated in the
city. After arriving with the remains
they were washed and placed in row
side by side, to await recognition.
Friends aud strangers crowd around to