Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-07-16
HEAVY RAIN STORM.

Gas Run OverfiOwn-Damage Done at the
Gas Works and Elsewhere.
About noon to-day Lancaster and vicini-
ty was visited by an unusually heavy storm
of ram, which, fortunately was of short
duration. Had it been longer much damage
probably would have resulted. Cutters in
in all parts of the city were overflown, the
flood of water in many places extending
from curb to curb. In some places the
pavements were overflown and the cellars
were flooded with water.
The large sewer in South Water street
was not of sufficient capacity to carry off
all the water and in the vicinity of Ger
man streets was ovcrtlown. Gas run from
that point south was raging torrent from
eight to ten feet above its usual level.
Just north of the old gas company's
works, panels of fence were carried of,
which stood ten or twelve feet above the
stream. The grounds all around the gas
works formed quite lake, the great piles
OF coke were washed away, and the water
still rising entered the gas works and
drowned out two or three fires in the
furnaces on the northern side, but doing
| no serious damage.
The flood covered Water street in front
of A. A. Myers & Co. S and entered one of
the buildings but did no great damage.
The bridge at the entrance of Schoen-
berser's park was Overflown and partly
washed away and the road running through
the park to c. 3. Wacker & Bros brewery
was ovcrfown and formed part Of the
great torrent, and seven of Mr.. Wacker's
large beer butts, which were thought to
be far above his IN water mark, were swept
down the stream. The stone wall on either
side of the run below Myers's tannery was
partly washed away, and the potato patch
ten feet above was flooded.
The Quarryvillc railroad bridge that
spans the run some distance further down
was removed from its foundation several
inches, but otherwise was not much dam
aged. The track of the railroad from this
point to the COnestoga bridge is much
: washed. Residents along the run, as we'll
as the officers of the gas works. say that
they never knew the run to he SO high as
it was to-day.
The quantity of water which gathered
|
alley was so large that the sewers could
not carry it off. The water flowed over
the pavements and ran into the cellars Of
almost every house between Water and
Mulberry streets. The damage ut this
point was not great with the exception of
dampeling the cellars. Several cellars
, on Arch alley, below Walnut street, were
flooded.
w. T. O'Brien resides on Charlotte
$ street, between Lemon and Walnut. His
house is on the east side of the street,
i, about the middle of the square, and is
somewhat lower than the pavement from
which it stands in some distance. Near
: the house is 4 sewer which was too
!, small to lie of much use during the flood.
{; The water ran through Mr.. O'Brien' S
house, going in at the front door and out
at the back. The carpets, &C., were ruined
= by the water. A house next to that OF
:, Mr.. OBrien has celler full of water, rs has
4; one on the opposide of the street.
: On West Orange street near Charlotte a
, number of houses on the south side have
:, their cellars full of water.
= The water did considerable damage to
: the premises of jacob Kilheffer, Mrs. Man.
, ey and Henry Docrr, on the west side OF
Water street, between Chestnut and
{; Orange. Running through these proper
d. ties there is a small stream of water which
:. rises somewhere in the northwestern part
! of the city and empties into the Water
: street sewer a few yards below Mr.. DOerr's
! residence. This stream has a number OF
/; sewers connecting with it and carries a
!, great deal of water through its channel
: to the large sewer: To-day, owing to the
}, heavy rainfall this stream rose to Il tre-
:; mendous height and there was an over.
L how The water was at least three feet
: deep in the yards of Mrs. Nancy and Mr.
!, Kilhcfler, and the cellars of both houses
}, are full, almost level with the pavements.
D.. In Mr.. kilheffcr's cellar the tubs wash
=, boards and other wooden articles are
floating around in the water and the cOa
Y is covered. Large railroad ties which COW
II cred the stream in the yard of Mrs. Nancy
were lifted off by the force of the water
n Her yard was also badly damaged.
= NARROW ESCAPE.