Wilmington daily commercial., 1874-07-28
FIRST EDITION.
DeIuged Pittsburg and Allegheny.

| AN AWFUL vIsITATIoN OF FLOOD AND RUIN-GREAT
DESTRUCTION OF LIFE AND PROPERTY SEVENTY
DWELLINGS, IN RUINS AND 200 LIVES LOST.
The morning papers bring additional details
of the deluge of water which visited pittsburg
and Allegheny on Sunday evening last, partial
accounts Of which were telegraphed the COM
MERcrAL yesterday. During Sunday heavy show
ers took place, but they proved only preparat Dry
| to the deluge which came down between 8 and 0
O'Clock in the evening.
| The rain was accompanied with vivid light
ming, and for over an hour the storm was fast
| and furious.
THE WATER CAME DOWN IN SHEETS,
which fairly glstened as the flashes of lightning
| fall upon them in quick succession
| At Pittaburg the storm WAS the most severe
and destructive which ever occurred there.
Through all the streets leading from the hill
boulders were rolled from their positions and
hurled to tue level below, while in many places
| great holes were plowed up in the streets, many
of which are impossible. All the suburban sec
tions of the city were flooded and it is now be-
| lieved that
200 PERSONS Persisted.
At o'clock last evening, 142 names of miss
ing persons had been obtained, and the list con-
tinued to swell during the evening. 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 Pttsburg, lying as it does
|
| jury, appears almost miraculous.
THEORY OF THE FLOOD.
The prevailing theory is that the disaster was
caused by some kind of water spout. A gem
tleman who watched the storm from point a
few miles down the river, where there was little
rain, says that by itful flashes Of lightning he
| could see q huge inky black funnel shaped
cloud, which overhung the city, the narrow end
being lowest, while the dark part gave vent to
almost continuous flashes OF lightning.
THE DESTRUCTION AT ALLEGHENY
The north bank of the Allegheny, upon whose
hill sides and i'll whose valley the upper portion
of the city il situated, has according to all ac-
courts, been the scene of the greatest disaster.
| The work Of destruction commenced at point
| about two miles north of the central portion OF
Allegheny CITY, Butchers Run Valley, at it's
mouth, il probably between 400 and 500 feet
wide, and at the point where the work of destruc-
tion commenced, it is not more than 100 feet
| wide.
Between North avenue and this northefy
point numerous ravines empty into Butchers
Run Valley. Along this run the houses were
huilt directly over the natural water COURSE cul-
verts being made and used in part as foundations
for the dwellings,. The line of destruction fol.
lowed the water course OF the river, and involved
an immense number of houses that were not on
the line OF the culverts.
FOB MORE THAN MILE
out on Spring Garden avenue, works Of de-
structon are everywhere seen. Houses are
thrown together in heaps, some 20 or 80 slaugh
ter houses on the avenue are washed away, ant
many buildings not totally destroyed, are ser
ously damaged. The water rising to the heigh
of fifteen feet, flooded the first floors of al
houses, and in many places the second floors
and several houses were swept into the street
Others were
CARRIED OFF HUNDREDS OF YARDS.
and shattered to pieces.
In the district lying west of Chestnut street
north of line parallel with North avenue, the
water rose to height of twenty feet. In SOM
places the occupants OF dwellings were unable
to escape in time TO save their lives. In man.
places the force Of tue water rent the structure
into eplinters.
THE COURSE OF THE FLOOD
The course of the flood was probably 500 fec
wido and frame and brick buildings fell befor
it as though they had been sand. Dwellings
stores and workshops and debris Of all kind
mingled together in one confused mass, maxim
1t impossible for the spectator to discover eve
the street lines. In some instances houses Wer
literally turned upside down.
1t il estimated that in the district throug
which Spring Garden and Chestnut streets pas
seventy dwellings were destroyed, but no est
; mate has been made Of their value. larg
number of people are missing. 1t is though
many bodies are still in the debris.
THE SCENES AND INCIDENTS
Of the flood beggar description. At first littl
, apprehension was felt, but as the water contir
ued to rise alarm was depicted in every cour
tenance, and as building after building wa
4 moved from their foundations terror sprea
broadcast over the cities. The most pitab
and agonizing scenes presented themselves o
' every hand. Two men who had gone out to 81
cure their barn, leaving the wife of one at hom'
were cut off before they could return, and VINE
q the dwelling went down the wife was engu
] phed. In another instance, father move
d his family and twin boys, aged four yea
3 to the hill side, which he supposed to
3 place of safety. The children wer
. sleeping soundlv, but one of the little fellow
Q was reused by the storm and rolled over tll
3 embankment into the angry flood below. I'll
Q body was recovered yesterday. Numero'
instances are recorded wherein the occupan
10 were unaware of the rise of the water unl
}, their houses were ready to fall, and it being tt
ls late then to escape they persisted in the flood
/, mothers and their children, the sick, lame al
D helpless all in a twinkling