The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-30

thought, were buried away toao seen no
more in life. ~, .t ,,, - IN,
now DEATH, oAMR. TO xASy i; S g..
!. Some bad fallen into mefcff,ti islumber
before the angel OF death stepped in, for i'm
the ruins, when daylight came, stretched
upon their beds, several bodies were foundi
only the dripping and muddy stains dis6g1
uring what otherwise seemed voluntary rel
pose. To none Of these the sudden dag Il
ness and the noise gave warning, and It is all
the better that they, never kneW what man!
ner Of calamity fell uFon them. lat ~ /
At the foot Of this street the wbrlng'
turbulent waters Mingled with those which
flowed from the valley Of Spring Garden
Ruu-a valley Of death toslnany, as the other
had been. A mile and half above this the
stream. first gathered itsforce, near the large
building known as Burns's glue factory. As
at Butchers Run, q sewer had been built 10
carry safely away the overflow OF the stream,
but this proved useless. For mile the
water poured down parallel to Spring Cart
den avenue, every moment gaining powef
and velocity, The small paved streets from
High street, which skirts the hill above, act
ins as tributaries and pouring IN their now
in eager contribution. On the other side OF
the valley the hill rises almost perpend!c,I-
larly, with clayey sides, which, washing
down by tons, scanned the sides as II by
glaciers. At Basin street the sewer burst
aud the water pouring out, rushed, under
the houses, tossing them1n the air as aroF
cano would, and throwing them In heaps to
each side. Most of these buildings were
stables and slaughter houses, with here and
therea lannery.I ... rs... -. = - !
CORRESPONDING SOURCE OF DISASTER.
The only dwelling near this point where
life was sacrificed was that OF MicbaehScha-
ter, who, with bis, child in his arms, stepped
FROM bis front door into the fiaOd and per-
ished. Below Basin street for quarter OF q
mile the people were aroused, and rushing
to the hill-sides found safety, but the build.
ings were scattered as If blown up by pow
der. After the sewer burst and the water
spread out from hillside to ,hill.side it took
Spriny Garden avenue for its chsnnel, and
made it q, river from six to- ten feet deep,
with velocity like mill chase. The street IS
thickly built up on both sides, the houses be-.
ing for the most part substantially construct
ed. The occupants fled &c the second stories,
and thus saved their lives. ID the rear OF the
east side Of the street the overflow Whirled
and tossed, tearing out the sides of the sta
BILE, occasionally submerging and topping
Them over, and pulling down hundreds OF
little workshops. The loss in cattle and
horses here is very large, but their dead
bodies lie uunotced while the search for hu-
man remains progresses. For quarter of a
mile upon the street the lower stories Of the
houses are full Of mud, at places to- the DEP th
of two or three feet, aud the owners, unno.
liced in the general excitement further
down, went diligently ut work to restore
their habitations to an inhabitable condition.
Near Viuial street the avenue descends
gradually, and sloping to the west, widens
to atriangular space where 1t meets Central
and 0'Hara streets, and there, when the
flood came down, the vortex of ruin was
reached. -s.'as >''..->~
THE WATERS FORM A MAELsTRoM.
Just past Vinial street the first Of the flow
from Butchers run was met aud an eddy
formed, and then whirlpool followed the
meeting. Debris from the ruins Of O'Hara
and Concord streets, and mile above were
percipitated against the broken timbers, that
had formed the tanneries and Slaughter
houses that bordercd upon the Spring Gar
den run, and grinding together they flew
round aud round, the water rising 10 the.
depth of twenty feet, and whirling With such
velocity that the street is followed out like
basin to considerable depth. AS the water
subsidized, 1t left the heavier timbers piled
upon one another nearly to the caves
of the surrounding houses, which, being
solidly built, and not being subjected to u
quick strain, withStood the iuundati0n. So
quick had been the rise Of the water here,
that horse attached to a light buggy, in
which a gentleman was riding, was oyerta.
ken, whirled about few times, and finally
ground down by the heavy timberS. Last
night the de6riS had not been sufficiently
cut out to admit of the recovery Of the BODY
of the man, but it could be plainly seen en-
yeioped in network of beams and planks,
still clluging to remains Of the vehicle,
which, with the body Of the horse attached.
was some six or eight feet below the top of
the ruins, and some distance above the sur
face of the street. .-i.-.@... :
From the time the first houses were de-
stroyed Until the climax was reached was
scarcely fifteen minutes, and from the time
the water first commenced to rise at O'Hara
street the ruin was accomplished in less than
three minutes. Considering too, the dark
ness of the night, and the uncertainty of the
real nuture OF the disaster, the fatality does
not excite surprise. -. ... ...' ='".' -
THE SAME STORY FROM ALL SIDES. ::
Z At Woods. run the tragedy has the same
features Of death. ruin, and ,larrow escape.
The water first burst into revolt 1.-THE ;jnue-
ton Of W est End avenue and the Beaver
road, and from there its flow Was ilpid and
destructive to the riyer-anlile away. The
brooks on the line Of the run are not thickly
settled, and the damage, though great for the
region Is not to be compared With the ether
localities mentioned, though the loss Of life
was proportionatelYr as great. The same
scenes OF desperate effort and calm despair
took. place, the same tragedy was en-
acted. and each one had bis own private
sorrow, crowded out all thought of the
heavier calamity which had fallen upon
others. On the opposite side Of the river
also. in the Thirty fourth and Thirty sixth
Wards, the same story can be told over again,
with only a few changes to be rpng OF how
this one met his death and how that one
escaped. From the suburbs 10 all dlrec-
lions comes the same tale, dreadfuliy new
and startling to those who SEND IL, put
strangely old and stale to us " DO read 10 alter
seeing what was seen yesterday IN our very
midst. Below will be. found some OF the
details gathered. with scenes and incidents
that could not be told in this inadequate
description Of our greatest local calamity.
SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
Pat Farley, who lives on Woods run,
proved himself quite,a hero. Farley man
AGED to procure stout rope, and ope end OF
this lie secured tightly to tree on the side
of the bill, and the other to his house. This
brave fellow, with Denning's aid. rescued
not only bis own family and children from
tho angry flood: but oil the family Of his