Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-08-01
INCIDENTS or THE PITTSBURG
FLOOD.

Half Of the thrilling incidents of the great
food on Butchers Run have not yet been
told Mr.. A. W. Cole, one Of the members
of C. Haveler & Co., whose glue works were
entirely wrecked, states that when the flood
began to descend no one had any idea that it
would reach the great proportions which it
assumed. Mr.. Cole, who. during the storm,
stood outside of his dwelling, just in the rear
of the hill at the upper end of the glue works,
says that the hill had the appearance of i'm
mense sheets of water, as outlined on the OPP
posite hill when lighted up by continuous
flashes of lightning. When the great flood
of water rushed down the run he likened the
sound produced to the roaring of Niagara
Falls.
Mr.. Cole described the incidents attending
the destruction of the dwelling occupied by
August Renkauf, and the drowning of little
Emma, aged three years; Mary Renkauf,
aged one year, and the nurse girl, Miss Nolt-
ing aged fourteen years. When the flood
began, Mr.. Renkauf was visiting a 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 great volume, and was soon
several feet deep. number of articles of
furniture were jammed up against the door
leading to the second story, where the chill
dren were. She found she was unable to get
up the staircase, and then tried to get to the
rear of the house to save the sleeping ones
by the upstairs windows. She tried in vain
to rouse them. AS she passed out of the
front door, the side facing the Allegheny Rv-
er fell out, carrying her with it. She was
swept down the run about 100 yards, and
caught on the top of some of the debris of
the glue works. She clambered over this a
distance of 80 feet, and had to wade from that
point to the shore, a distance of about 20
yards, in water waist deep. Her calls for as
sistance were responded to by several men
who happened to be in the vicinity, and who
did what they could in enabling her to reach
the shore. She is in delicate health, and the
courage she displayed was remarkable. Dur
ing 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 pri-
vate lane leading past it, and by shouting at
the top of their voices endeavored TO awaken
the children, who were imprisoned in the up
per story of the dwelling. The roar of the
torrent drowned their voices, and they were
unable to make themselves heard. He and
his brother then picked up clumps of earth
and threw them at the window, hut Just then
the house was swept away and disappeared in
the food, and the three children were crushed
to death in its crumbline ruins. Their man
gled bodies were found about 100 yards below
the scene of the heroic efforts for their res
cue.
Another thrilling incident which occurred
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 Aperture
while the water was up to his chin. Fortu-
nately he secured plank, and with that he
made Tor the shore, which he reached in safe
ty.
The sudden rise of the waters in Butchers
Run is well illustrated by some incidents re-
lated by a German family, who reside in
stone dwelling opposite Ilaveer's glue works.
The husband told his wife to go to the cellar
to obtain some kindlngs for the cooking stove,
as he desired to go to work early Monday
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
Informed her husband of the fact and sugges-
ted that they had better vacate tie house, as
the Hood threatened to destroy It, The hus-
band who retired, jumped out of bed into wa
ter knee deep, and with his wife proceeded TO
get the children out OF an upper story window
on the high ground in the rear. After they
had accomplished this, the husband returned
to bedroom to get some clothing out of
wardrobe, but in the mean time the water
reached such height as to upset it and he
found it impossible to get the articles he
wanted, being compelled to vacate the apart
ment hastily
From Ben Mangold, a German, living
short distance from the Sehanapperts, whose
house proved the tomb of q family Of SIX,
the particulars of this sad episode in the