The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1877-05-04
TUE RAIN STORM,
An Unprecedented Three Hours Water
Fall-The Streets Running Rivers,
and Store Easements are Made
lmpr0miu Water Tanks.
The Front Wall OF tho Texas Dlsilllery
Building Crushed In by the Water
Pressure, Carrying With II Two
Floors and Part OF the Roof

The Retaining wall Opposite Orr's
stable Gives way aud cart of the
street 0uichcd,
Our city was visited yesterday by
the heaviest rain that ever fell here In
the same length OF time, and the dam
age done by II Is considerable. The
streets were running rivers. Many
of the stores were flooded and the pro.
prietors obliged to keep force at work
sweeping out the water.
A CREvAssE.
Opposite 0rr's stable theirs Is deep
gully which runs oil toward the south
and carries away the water which is
emptied into II by the big sewer which
runs along Main street from the east.
There being no gutter or sewer west
OF II, the body OF water on Main street
soon became so great rs to oblige II to
find vent somewhere. II ran east till
it came to this gully, and It's
force was 80 great that II washed
the earth at the edge of the gully
away and undermined the sidewalk,
leaving the banqette suspended over
the chasm with no support but the
stringers for distance of fifty feet,
and preventing passage. The street
has been considerably encroached
upon. We think this fully demon
strates the necessity of substantial
drainage, with capacity enough to
carry off the water as fast as II accu.
mulates.
In the Second Ward great
deal of ground was flooded, pacticular-
ly along and north Of the Pacific track.
On the south side, between Elm street
and the railway, the water was over a
foot in depth, and one house entirely
surrounded by water. The children at
the different schools were water bound
for some time, and their parents
obliged to send vehicles for them. One
little fellow, on arriving ut his home,
found the house to be an island, and
was lifted through the window.
TEXAS DlsTiLLERY BUILDING.
During the heavy rain. Mr.. q. w.
CASTOR and Mr.. Joseph Parker, father
of the gentleman who Ia the owner
of the big mill, entered the distillery
building from door, which opens
from the mill, to see how the roof,
which had been put on but short
time, stood the effect Of the storm.
They were commenting on 1t, when
they heard crash in the front Of the
building, and fearing that something
was giving way, rushed to the rear
of the building, and jumped out OF the
doors, which were about twelve or
fourteen feet from the ground. They
barely escaped In time, as the entire
front wall fell In, carrying with 1t
about third of the roof, and the
IlOOIlDB anu Joisto VI eho WV h"oiSf
precipitating most Of the debris into
the cellar. They had very narrow
escape. On visiting the scene, we
found the front Of the building total
wreck. The cause Of the disaster was
the pressure of the clay and earth
against the front wall, which had been
built some eight or ten feet below the
level of the ground. Soaked with the
heavy rain, its pressure was enor-
nous, and crushed In the bricks, tum-
bling the wall down and thereby car
rying away the support Of the roof,
which Immediately followed.
Whether the rain has done any dam
age TO the crops, cannot be ascertain ed
at present. The road-beds Of the rail-
roads may suffer some. II the rain
was z, neral up the country, the river
will be apt to leave Its banks. There
ia no doubt that the grasshoppers
who were moulting have been de-
s.royed, and myriads OF them washed
away. IT'S an III wind, etc.