Daily Republican., 1881-09-05
A STORM AT LAST.
RAIN, HAIL, THUNDER
AND LIGHTNING.

StfeetS OY6r1lOW00s GuttoFs TORI
mp, Cellars nlled, Railroad
OverflOwe cd. Buildings
and Trees Down.
Oh for rain, had been the general ex
preston OF the people for the last three
weeks and when neighbor met neighbol
mutual questions of when it would rair
passed between them. Each succeed
ing day grew hotter and more dry and
perspiring nature looked pitifully tc
the different points of the compass tc
see the least appearance of clouds
even if they were only as big as a man S
hand. But at last the rain came, aftt
all without giving many symptoms that
the earth was so soon to be deluged with
water. Early in the sultry afternoon
| Saturday a few drops of the aqueous
fluid fell spattering upon the pavements
| Every eye went upwards to see where
they came from, hut they saw nothing
but the sun shining through a heavy
misty atmosphere out of which the few
drops Seem to have been squeezed.
About half past three clock a rumbline
sound came from the west. Is that
thunder asked one of another? Yes, it
was thunder, and soon the sky in the
direction began to grow dark. No roll
ing billowy clouds were seen but the sky
simply began to grow black and the
blackuess spread away up zenitllwar,..
Hope revived and grew strong, ana so
did the wind. About four o'clock the
dust which had been reduced to the
consistency of -four became very lively
and agitated by the wind it took aerial
flights, filling up not only the
streets with great rolling volumes
through which no eye could penetrate,
but it filled stores, bouses and shops as
well as peoples eyes. However the
dust was indured with the hope that
rain soon would follow. 1t came at
last, not in gentle showers, but in u
deluge which made short work of the
dust and converted it into the opposite
eXtreme-mud. 1t came down in great
rolling sheets, the wind driving it into
every recess, every creviCe. every cor
ner. In about five minutes the cutters
We're filled to overtiowing, and every
thing moveable and within reach went
bobing down streams.
Market men and fruiterers, speedily
gathered up trays Of fruit, and baskets
and boxes of vegetables and despositel
them in safe places. Hail about the
size of ch'nquopins kept up a vigorous
pelJing on roofs and rattling against
window panes, and amidst the rain,
the wind, the hail and dirt came vivid
binding flashes of lightning and crash
after crash of thunder as if park after
park of artillery was let loose The
rain lasted about twenty minutes but in
that short space Oftime it had complete
ly flooded every part OF the city that
could be flooded and With the wind had
committed vast amount of damage 70
property.
The western part of the city being on
more rolling and exposed grounds suf-
fered more severely from the combined
effects of wind and rain while the south
ern part being low suffered from the
great overflow of water carried down
the cutters and sewers from the higher
portions of the city.
The injury to the streets is consider
able. The water came pouring down
Tatnall, Orange, Shipley and Poplar
streets as If dams had broken loose.
Cutters were torn up and bricks were
carried down over the railroad. Sand
was left lying in banks and mounds as
the water cleared away. For awhile
the Eaiiroad from the depot out to the
Harlan IL Hollingsworth shops was un-
der water in some places foot deep
and the running Of trains for few
minutes was suspended.
The water that went roaring and boil
ing down Poplar street and OvertlOwing
the Curbs aud pavenents filled num-
Der of cellars below Third street. At
the railroad where Poplar street crosses
some boards had been thrown across a
sewer that runs under the track, and
were washed away by the water. Some
workmen not knowing the boards were
washed away attempted to cross as usu-
al, but intead of crossing they found
themselves suddenly tloundering in the
water up to their necks. The men We're
extrcated from their perilous position
but the danger of being drawn under by
the surging torrent was 40 great that
the fun of the thing was completely
spoiled.
During the height of the storm some
workmen in the Railroad shops on
Fourth street noticed horse attached
to a market wagon, in which were a
lady and little girl, coming down the
street at a furious rate, the inmates Of
the carriage having no control Of the
horse. A workman named John Cuppy,
rushed out in the storm and by a dex.
terous movement traught with consid-
erable danger, succeeded in grabbing
the horse by the relns and stopped him.
The little girl had already jumped
screaming from the carriage, and the
lady getting ont they found shelter in
the shops. Mr.. Cuppy tied the horse to
a post, but prancing around, the lady
feared he would break loose. Mr.. Cuppy
then went out again in the binding
rain, united the horse, unhitched him
from the wagon and took him in tie
shop, where he was kept till the storm
was over, when the lady and little girl
went on their way rejoicing.
On Front street near Adams, the |
sewer about which grevious complaint
is made, proved entirely inadequate to !
carry OFT the waste water, If this sew
.r is not enlarged the citywill no doubt
nave big bill Of damage to pay some
lay In Happy Valley the flood for a
lime threatened a number Of frame
louses to such all extent that the in
mates desming it unsafe to remain,
made for higher ground.
The flood on Eighth street, at Shipley
'un sewer did considera BILE damage,
he parallel bars at the inlets to the
ewer proving hindrance more than u
,enetit. They soon became choked up
md the water which had to find al out
ct somewhere, went pouring over the
,avemeur into the cellars of the
lwelings, belonging to Messrs. Beste,
Elinn, Sutton and Mrs Scott. As Ship