New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-28
THE ERA OF FLOODS.

PITTSBURGH AND ALLEGHENY CITY DEL
UGED.
A LARGE NUMBER OF HOUSES SWEPT AWAY AND OVER
100 LIVES LOST
On Sunday evening Pittsburgh and Al
legheny City were visited by a terrible calamity
in the shape of a food. The prevailing
theory is, that the cause OF the disaster was
the bursting of water spout. though other
opinions are held The water descended
IN vast torrents, and in the twlnkllng
of an eye the streets were flooded. Hundreds
OF houses were swept away, and the loss OF
life is stated at between 100 and 200, though
no accurate figures can yet be obtained. A
rough estimate places the pecuniary loss at
s3,0OOOOO.
A DESCRIPTION OF THE AWFUL STORM
THE MOST TERRIBLE EVENT IN THE ANNALS OF
PITTSBURGH AND ALLEGHENY CITY-THE EXTENT
or THE DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY
NOT REALIZED I'LL MORNING-rwo IMMENSE
BLACK CLOUDS HERALD THE APPROACH OF THE
CALANITY-TIEY MEET AND POUR THEIR TOR
RENTS UPON THE SISTER CIrIEs-OvER ONE
HUNDRED LIVES LOST AND A LARGE NUMBER OF
HOUSES SWEPT AWAY.
by TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE
PITTsBURGH. July 27.-Never IN the history of this
city there ever anything terrible as the in
cidents OF the food OF Sunday night. More than
100 lives were lost and S3.OO0O0O of property was
destroyed by the bursting of a water-spout over the
city. Not until to-day did the public realize what
an awful destruction of life and property had
occurred. The morning papers mentioned the death
Of - persons only. Tins was probably owing to the
fact that the storm continued all night in modified
form IL RIO h. fret into
Allegheny City came near being drowned in the
bursted sewers. But to-day, when the dull, dreary
morning broke through drilling ram, great cry
Of horror ran through the sister cities. As early
o'clock it was said that not less than four hundred
people had lost their lives AZ Butchers Rum Spring
GaTden-aye., Madison-ave.. Wood Run and Saw-mil
Run representing nearly the cardinal points Of the
compass OF the two cities. By o'clock the streets
of both cities were filed with people rushing to-
ward the various scenes of disaster
r description OF the appalling storm. or water
spout. whichever il may be called should not be
out Of the way although II would be impossible TO
draw even faint picture Of the awful original. NJ
about g. o'clock on Sunday evening two great black
clouds came up from opposite points OF the com
pass, one 70 the southwest and one TO the north
east. They rose slowly, ike two awful demons.
Their edges were ragged and black, tiecked here
ana there with patches OF fiery cOlOrs A dozen lit
tie promontories iotted out here and there like the
heads of hydra upon each. changing shape
and appearance every moment assuming the
appearance Of bird, or beast monster :;
occasionally extending far up across the
intervening space as though 20 recOnnolter the
enemy. and then again recedIng. But all this time
the two great giants swathed IN inky biackness.
and almost without outline. slowly approached each
other Suddenly noise between roar and groWl
burst from each. There was no distinct defamation
like ordinary thunder. but low, terrible, and con-
tinuous rumbling growl. causing the air TO vibrate
and the very foundations of the earth 70 shake
as though terrain ague had seized upon the ever
lasting hills. fringe of fire like the boreas
began 10 run along the ragged edges faint az first.
but growing in intensity every moment, until II
looked as though the two demons had put on an ar
NOR OF ire. On they came nearer and nearer. when
suddenly mighty bolt OF binding hight leaped
from the central head of the demon OF the north
east burned high up IN the Sky, and then fairly
struck the opposing demon. moment and deaf
ening crash divided the hot atmosphere and made
the earth tremble palpably. But the demon of she
southwest was not even stunned. but paid back his
assailaut with a fOrked javeIn OF sulphurous dame.
This was the opening OF the grand battle. The
long lines OF flames thai enveOped the combatants
ceased 10 dance and Ticker ana axe tine DOTeahs
gathered into tongues of silver and blue fire, and
leaped forward simultaneously from both directions
until the rapidly narrowing space between them
seemed 10 be an ocean OF Hre. The two demon
clouds met directly over the city. and seemed to
rock the earth 90 rs uttermost foundations. For
few minutes previous a few heavy drops Of ram had
been pattering down but when the two giants met
in their death embrace II seemed a though river
had been unclaimed IN the heavens. ana was falling
bodily 10 the earth below For half an hour II did
not rain. There were no dist.ngui-nable drops
as the term is generally understood. II was the
descent Of a torrent, ike a river leaping over a
precipice. La three minutes after this terrible
water spout had burst more than 100 human beings
were swept away. Down Madison-ave, Allegheny,
came the flood in its most awful destrucuyeness.
sweeping away more than 80 dweiling-houses. and
causing the death of 70 persons in thai immediate
vicinity AT Woods Run. on the ONO. Is were
swallowed up in the twinking OF an eye. and az
Saw-mill Run. on the south bank of the MOnonga-
hela. p more were suddenly inCulfed. The three
rivers have been full Of the dead all day, while the
waterways leading thereto have yielded up harv est
that sickens coroners aud undertakers.
INCIDENTS OF THE CALAMITY.