The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-08-04
THE INDIANA STATE SENTINEL TUESDAY, AUGUST 4 1874

clock, just 40 minutes, in which all the de
s5ruction TO life and property was worked.
At Woods run the church was flooded, and
the water rose 10 tho clock, which
stopped at $50. Tbs marked the
time the waters began to subside. The suf-
ferers by this fearful calamity, with very few
exception, are poor and hard working peo-
pie, very poor in fact. We suppose major
ity OF them are Germans or of other foreign
birth. Not more than four or five names are
recognized, so far in either city, as known
outside of their immediate locality. The
details and stories of such of the survivors
as our reporters could interrogate last night
and this morning, follow. ard will be found
of surprising, but sad interest. There were
apparently no street spectators. The peo-,
pie of O'Hara and other streets, attracted by
the ma9uificence of the lurid lightning
flashes, and the loud detopations of the
thunder, had congregated az their attic win
dow, to witness the progress of the storm.
In little while many Of them would have
retired and had the violence Of the storm
been delayed a few moments longer. the
torrents would have washed away with
a fearful velocity hundreds Of innocent
sleepers. But a sudden rumbling sound,
unlike that of thunder. is heard; il ap-
pr0aches nearer and nearer, and substan-
tial building is wrested from its foundation
and carried away like a dog kennel, for sew
eral rods, the inmates fleeing for escape d.
TSCtlN TITO tDc IuiQSt Vi ~ lt6i "a Ndtcl,
which i'm the few seconds which elapsed
from the first appearance of the trouble,
sped down the thoroughfare on the low
ground adjacent the run.
FOURTEEN MEN ON THE LOOKOUT.
At the house or saloon OH the south side
of O'Hara street, nearly opposite the pork
house, II men had taken up their position in
the ''tlormer'' window. They were watch
men upon the lighthouse wall, of the raging
storm, little dreaming of their impending
danger. One OF these men suddenly felt the
house going, and in twinkling there was
swapping assunder of timber, bike so many
twios, and the second story and attic of the
house gracefully floated from the first story
and was landed on the top of the building
adjoining. where it still remained last even
ing. Alarmed for their safety these men
piled out of the .'dormer' window 'pell-
nell, scrambling over the roof to the next
building in the most hurried manner
The houses were now piled together in a pro-
miscuous heap, and they had to wait for the
intervals of the flashes of lightning to see
where to leap. They braVed their dangers
nobly, faced the storm with heroic courage,
and scaling the nights of roots at danger
Gus angles and fearful declivities, finally
reached terra firma at distance TAR enough
removed from the train of the water spout
to be out Of danger. Christ Diebold, ayoung
man who was walking along Chestnut
street when the storm was at its hight, was
one of the earliest eve witnesses OF the
terrible deluge. but was unable to give
any account of the scene, other than
that the streets in the vicinity
were swimming with houses. stables,
horses, cattle, and above and over all, men.
women and children. Cries and agonizine
screams could be heard on all hands, and
ltt-ifh oh 1nlh of iUh nj m
could be occasionally seen heads of persons
i'm the water. The walls soon died away,
the roar of the water gradually lessened
until al length they subsidized enough to
permit those VINO bad since appeared upon
the scene to 90 to work searching for the
despatched to the river for slliffs, and one or
two persons rescued by means thereof.
Diebold says the water came with the
rapidity of flash nj lightning,
filling everybody with the wild
est CONSERVATION, and he doubts
not many were drowned by their own fool
ish attempt TO save themselves by plungine
from their houses in the blindingstorm. Mr..
Diebold said he had been searching for Mr..
Hoover and daughter, who lived on the
north side of O'Hara street, just alongside OF
the run. The body of the mother and one
child had been found in the ruins of the
house, and the little had been recovered
alive, but the father and daughter were still
missing. His opinion was they We're under
the house on the opposite side of the street,
which had been moved two blocks, and de-
posted in a straight line whence the volume
of water coursed.
THE TIME OF THE DISASTER.
Mr.. Diebold thinks it was about 7:4e
| O'Clock when the water burst on the streets
and at 9O'cleck, as nearly as he can recollect
the water had subsidized. Thus it will be
seen that in 40 minutes the work of destruc.
ton was rendered complete, and the locality
of the disaster lay in waste and ruins. Sucl
sight Mr.. Diebold says he never witnessed
| i'm his life, and never wishes to look upoI
1 again. The ghastliness of the scene wa;
heightened materially by frantic women anC
| children. who, despite the fearful storm
| went scramblIng about, at the peril of tIei
| lives, amid the darkness and desolation
confusion and chaos, in search of their loveC
ones. Several persons, according TO tn,
statement of Mr.. Diebold, were found in thei
night clothes, and others with their boot,
| off, which would indicate that they had beer
| in bed, or were preparing to retire when tn,
disaster overlook them. A Young mar
named George Fisher was next inter
viewed by our reporter. This youns
man had appeared al the scene or the dis
aster Immediately after the water had reced
ed and had worked during the whole of tho
night, and all day Yesterday, without sleep
| He gave very vivid description of the re-
suit of the his labors i'm extricating the liv.
| ing-for he rescued onelittle fellow alive
| and the dead. With reference to the child
rescued alive, Mr.. Fisher said that shortly
| after arriving at the place where Mr.. Hoov-
| er's house stood he heard bitter walls from
| the water underneath the building adioin-
| ing, which had been iammed from
] the pork house almost on TO the
street. He al once repaired there and stOop-
| ing down, when the lightning came, saw a
| little boy fioundcring in the water. 1t was
but the work of the moment TO descend to
| the water. and every effort was bent toward
| saving the little One-wl1ich endeavor was
rewarded,with success and the child rescueC.
| Naturally, the unfortunate child asked for
his parents, but alas, they We're not present
TO comfort him. Their Whereabouts were
! not known Perhaps they were lying be-