The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-08-13
PITTsBURG,S GREAT FLOOD.
The Heavens Let Fall a Torrent-A
Graphic Description of the storm
Thrilling Scenes and Hair-breadth
Escapes.

flIISBUkG'S GhEAI fLUODs
Graphic Description of the storm
Thrilling Scenes and Hair-breadth
Escapes. rAH
The city of Pittsburg and adjacent coun-
try was deluged by flood of rain on the
evening of July 26, the destructive effects
of which are hardly paralleled by any sim
liar event in history since the day that
Noah took passage in the Ark. The cor
respondent of the New York Tribune tele-
graphed the following graphic
PEN-PIcTURE OF THE STORM.
"a description of the appalling storm, or
water-spout. whichever it may be called,
should not be out of the way, although it
would be impossible to draw even a faint
picture of the awful original. AT about
half-past six O'Clock on Sunday evening
two great black clouds came up from OPP
pOsite points of the compass, one to the
southwest and one to the northeast. They
rose slowly like two awful demons. Their
edges were ragged and black, flecked here
and there with patches of fiery colors. A
dozen little promontories jOtted out here
and there, like the heads of hydra upon
each, changing shape and appearance every
moment, assuming the form of bird, or
far up across the intervening space as
though to reconnoiter the enemy, and then
again receding. But all this time the two
great giants swathed in inky blackness, and
almost without outline slowly approached
each other. Suddenly a noise between a
roar and a growl burst from each. There
was no distinct defamation like ordinary
thunder, but low, terrible and continu-
Gus rumbling grOwl, causing the air to
vibrate and the very foundations of the
earth TO shake as though tertian
ague had seized upon the everlasting hills.
A fringe of fire like the aurora borealis be-
gan to run along the ragged edges, faint at
first, but growing in intensity every mo-
ment, until it looked as, though the two
demons had put on an armor of fire. On
they came, nearer and nearer, when sud-
denly mighty bolt of binding light leap
ed from the central head of the demon of
the northeast, burned high up in the sky,
and then fairly struck the opposing demon.
a moment and deafening crash made the
earth tremble palpably. But the demon of
the southwest was not even stunned, but
paid back his assailant with forked iavelin
of sulphurOus flame.
This was the opening of the grand bat
tie. The long lines of flames that enveloped
the combatants ceased TO dance and flicker,
and like the borealis gathered into tongues
of silver and blue fire, and leaped forward
simultaneously from both directions, until
the rapidly narrowing space between them
seemed to be an ocean Offire. The two de-
mon clouds met directly over the city, and
seemed to rock the earth to its uttermOst
foundations. For a few minutes previous
few heavy drops of rain had been patter-
ing down, but when the two giants met in
their death embrace it seemed as though a
river had been unclaimed in the heavens,
and was falling bodily to the earth below
For half an hour it did not rain. There
were no distinguishable drops as the term
is generally understood. 1t was the descent
of a torrentlike a river leaping over preci-
pice."
The extent of territory damaged is not
less than twenty to twenty-five miles in
diameter. The main portion of the
city of Pittsburg, as it rises gradually from
the point formed by the junction of the
two rivers, has many gulches in certain
localities, which render flood of this de-
scriptiOn liable to do great damage, and the
part known as the hill region is frequently
liable to suffer from local foundations.
The damage here, however, is this time
light compared with other localities strict
ly suburban. The north bank of the Ale
ghany River, upon whose hiltsides, and
in whose valleys the upper portion of the
city is situated, was the scene of the great
est disaster. The work of destruction COM
menced at a point about two mites north
of the central portion of Allegheny City.
Butchers Run Valley. at its mouth, is
probably between 400 and 800 feet wide,
and at the point where the work of destruc-
ton commenced it is not more than 80
feet wide. Between North avenue and this
nOrtherly point numerous ravines empty
into Butchers Run Valley. Along this
run the houses were built directly over
the natural water-cOurse, culverts being
made and used in part as foundations for
dwelling-houses. The line of destruction
followed the water-course to the river, and
involved an immense number of houses
that were not on the line of the culvert.
When the rain commenced falling but lit
tie apprehensiOns We're entertained; but
those who lived near the head of the val
ley state that suddenly it seemed as if the
heavens were opened and the water came
down as if discharged from immense pipes.
The volume was so large that the narrow
valley was filled with raging torrent.
The frame dwellings, stables and slaughter
houses gave way like pipe-stems, and the
debris from the wrecks were swept down
along the line of the plank road, the
weight being augmented every moment in
the district lying west of Chestnut street
and north of line parallel with Ninth
avenue. The waters rose to depth OF
fully twenty feet. In some places Occu-
pants of dwellings were unable to escape
in time to save their lives. In many in
stances the force of the water sent struc-
lures into splinters. 1t is estimated that
in this district about seventy dwelling
houses were destroyed. Spring Garden
avenue lies to the south of Butchers Run,
and is separated by high hill. In this
valley the same scenes were enacted, but
on a smaller scale as regards loss of life.
The total loss of life is variously estimated
at from one hundred and fifty to two hum
dred, while the damage to property is OF
course beyond present computation.