The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1874-07-31
GREAT STORM AT PITTSBURGH.
$50 Lives Lost.
Entire Families Swept Away by the
Angry Waters.

visited this city, and the lost Of life is
fearful. The great fire of AS, the arsen-
al calamity, and the flood Of -, sink in
30 insignifcance when contrasted with
the storm king that devastated portions
of two cities last night. There was
perfect deluge of water for about an hour
and half, and the lightning and thun-
der we're terrific 1t is impossible TO
give the exact number Of lives lost, bat
it is said that close to one hundred bod
les have been recovered already. and
that yet there are quite number mis-
sing. In Spring Garden and Butchers
Runs, both of which are thickly popula-
ted, houses were washed to pieces, and
the water rose so rapidly that many peo-
pie did not realize their danger until
they were surrounded with the angry
waters, and there was no means of es-
cape. In Saw-mill Run the freshet was
also equally as great, and the loss of life
fully as disastrous. Whole families
have been swept out of existence. In
AelleRuenN OllG VI ieAtiACAF i4A'N'+NA
and nine children are all reported lost.
PIrTsBURG, July 27.-Ths loss of life
by the flood has been appalling. Thir-
weight bodies have been recovered in
Butchers Run, in the District of Allie
gheny County, and as many more are
missing, and supposed to have been lost.
The havoc at Woods Run was fearful
and the place was perfect sheet OF wa
ter. Several houses were swept away.
Nine bodies have beer ec-ered so far,
and i've or six are still ..iis5ing.
On the south side, in a saw mill, eight
bodies have been recovered, and thirty
seven are missing. \ whole block of
buildings were swept away in this dis
trict. It il thought that over one hun
drel and fifty persons have perished in
the flood.
The rain came down in perfect de-
luge, the water coming down the streets
leading from the hill with fearful veloci-
ty, the current being swelled also by wa
ter from the side streets.
The Union Depot was inundated with
water three to four feet in depth. The
water in the Panhandle Railway tun-
mel was four feet, rendering it impossible
for trains. Considerable damage was
done to property.
On SmithfieId and Liberty streets, and
from all the side streets, leading from
the hill, powders were rooted from their
position and hurled to the level below,
while in many places great holes were
opened up in the streets. Some of the
cross streets are rendered almost impas-
sable, and will require large expendi-
lures.
In Allegheny City the food was terri
Vista street burst, inundating the whole
upper part of the city. \ number of
houses were swept away on Spring Gar
den street. The water attained depth
of ten feet, causing large loss of life.
In this vicinity it is reported that IF
ty i've bodies have so far been recovered.
The destruction to property can not be
estimated. The damage TO property on
the south side is great. A large num-
her of stables and buildings were swept
away. Several lives are reported to be
lost. It is now thought the total loss of
life will be not short of two hundred,
and the loss Of property is proportional.
The extent of territory damaged is not
less than twenty to twenty-five miles in
diameter, and how the main portion of
The city of Pittsburg, lying as it does in
the center of this circle, escaped without
further injury seems almost miraculous
\ prevailing theory seems 70 he that the
disaster was caused by some kind of wa
ter-spout. \ gentleman who watched
the storm from few miles down the
the river, where there was but little rain,
says tn 1t by the ftful fashcs of light
ring he could see hinge, nky-black,
funnel-shaped cloud, which nverhung
she city, the narrow end being lowest
while the dark parts gave vent to an al
most perpetual burst Of lightning
II is almost impossible for any one
not familiar with the geography of this
locality to form an idea of this disaster
or how ii could possibly have occurred
The main city of Pittsburg, as it rises
gradually from the point formed by the
junction of the two rivers, has many
Sulehes in certain localities which rem
der flood of this description liable to
do great damage, and the part known as
the hill region is frequently liable to
suffer from local inundations. The
damage here, however, is this time light
compared with other localities strictly
suburban. The north bank Of Allegheny
River, upon whose hillsides and in
whose valleys the upper portion of the
city is situated, has, according to all ac.
counts, been the scene of the greatest
disaster The work of destruction com
menced at point about two miles north
of the central portion of Allegheny City
Butchers Run Valley at its mouth is
y ohably between four and five hundred
feet wide, and at the point where the
work of destruction commenced it is not
more than one hundred and fifty feet
wide. Between North avenue and this
northerly point numerous ravines empty
into Butchers Run Valley. Along thi:
run the houses were built directly over
the natural water course, culverts being
made and used in part as foundations
for dewlling honses. The line of des.
trouetion 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
little apprehensions we're entertained;
but those who lived near the head of
the valley 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 filed
with raging torrent, and the frame
dwellings, stables, and slaughter houses
gave Way like pipe-steIns and the debris