Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1874-07-31
ANOTHER TERRIBLE FLOOD.
Pittsburgh, Pa. DeIuged--.2OO Lives

Cd iall oil rain occurred At flttSDurg uuu
Allegheny city, Pa, Sunday night, swell
ing the rivers and brooks, and creating new
torrents which poured through, the narrow
gorges and valleys in and over which those
cities are built, sweeping everything before
them, in manner not unlike the recent
Mill river flood, and causing, besides the
loss OF many lives, the destruction of much
property. The extent Of territory damaged
is not less than 20 to 25 miles in diameter.
The loss of life is estimated:at from $50 to
200 persons. In one district seventy hous-
cs were destroyed.
A prevailing theory is that the disaster
was caused by some kind Of waterspout.
A gentleman who watched the storm from
a point few miles down the river, where
there was little rain, says that by the htiul
flashes of lightning he could see huge,
inky, black, funnel-shaped cloud which
overhung tho city, the narrow end being
lowest, while the dark parts emitted al
most continuous flashes OF lightning. II
is almost impossible for any one not famil-
lar with the geography OF the locality to
form an idea of this disaster, or how II
could possibly have occurred. The main
city of Pittsburg, as IL rises gradually from
point formed by the junction of the two
rivers, has many gulches in certain local.
ties, which under flood OF this descrip-
ton are liable to do great damage, and the
part known as the hill region Is frequently
liable to local iuundatio ns. The damage
here, however, is at this time light COM
pared with other localities strictly suburb
an, The north bank of the Allegheny, up
on whose hilsides and In whose valleys
the upper portion. of the city Is situated,
was the scene of the greatest disaster. The
work Of destruction. commenced at point
about two miles north OF the central por-
ton of Allegheny City. Butchers Run
Valley, at its mouth, Is probably between
400 and 500 feet wide, and at the point
whore the work of destruction commenced
il Is not more than 100 feet wide. Between
North avenue and this northerly point nu-
merous ravines open Into Butchers Kun
Valley. Along this run the houses were
built directly over the natural water course,
culverts being made aud used In part as
foundations for dwellings. The line OF de-
structon followed the waite course to the
river, land involved an immense number
| OF houses that were lot on The line OF the
culverts. When he rain commenced fall
ing but little apprehension was entertain
ed, but those who lived near the head OF
tho valley state tn at suddenly II seemed as
| if the heavens had opened and the water
came down AS If discharged from immense
| pipes. The volume was so great that the
valley was filled with a raging torrent.
| The frame dwellings, stables, and slaugh-
ter-houses gave way like plpe-stems, de-
bris from the wrecks was swept down
along the line OF the plans road, the weight
being augmented every moment. In the
district lying west of Chestnut street and
north of a line parallel with North avenue,
the waters rose 10 a height OF fully twenty
feet. In some places occupants uf dwell
ings were unable 10 escape in time TO save
their lives. In many places the force Of
the water rent structures intolsplinters.
Pittsburg proper, owing To the fact tina
it drains very rapidly, escaped without los,
of life and with comparatively light dam
age. The paving OF many of the streets In
the hill district was torn up, huge curbine
stones were hurled from their place, shade
trees were washed out OF the ground, hous
es and cellars were flooded, and fences wer'
carried away, but nothing more serious oc
Cured.
The scene In the devastated district o
Allegheny is one which beegars descrip
ton. For hundreds OF yards Madison nv
enue is lined with the wrecks of dwellings
furniture, bedding, dead animals, timbers
stones, &c. AS in the mill disaster told o
in Charles Reade's novel, so in this, tn
victims were stripped almost entirely o
clothing by the water and floating timbers
some having one shoe on, some the shirt
band about the neck, and others being
without a shred.
The United States signal observer a
Pittsburg says there We no indication OF
storm, Sunday night, except slight chang
= in the barometer. 1t appeared 10 com
: from the northeast and passed over the cit.
westward. The disasters in Charters val
q. ley were perhaps half an hour later thai
those at Butchers run and Woods run
The weather observer rejects the theory q
: a water-spout and thinks that owing TO tn
} peculiar geographical formation Of this sec
: ton of the country a similar disaster coul'
be caused at any time in those sections b.
what he terms "extiaordinary rain-falls.
: |