Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-06-16
DEVASTATION.
By Floods in Alleghs y and MOnOn.
gahela Rivers.
Portions Of Pittsburg and Allegheny
City Submerged.
Damage to Property estimated al
81, 100000.

Damage to Property estimated al
s1,5OO.OOO.
PITTsBURG, PA, June 10.-At noon to.
day the marks on the pier of the Suspen.
sion Bridge showed even 90 feet in the
Allegegheny, and rising at the rate OF
about eight inches pei. hour. At O'Clock
it stood "a feet strong. At half past 10
O'Clock it was little over 25 feet, and
from that time on till late tonight the
yellow food kept creeping up the mark,
to the great CONSERVATION of the dwellers
along the banks. The loss that has been
occasioned by the swell is immense, and
it is thus far impossible to estimate it.
The muddy current bore on the surface
debris of every kind imaginable. Trees,
fences, broken sheds, stables, broken
lumber RATS, twisted, crushed and bro
ken barges, loaded and unloaded-all the
evidences of an immense loss sustained
by those having property of this kind.
The lower Streets are overfiowed on both
sides of the river. The water has crept
over Duquesne way, crossed the pavement
and is gradually mounting up the steps
and sides of the houses. The cellars on
Liberty street and Third street from the
river are inundated. Over in Allegheny
the floor of the Coliseum, where there
was to have been a. concert tonight, is
two feet under water. Travel and traffic
are at stand-still along the river streets,
and the mail carriers are unable to make
their rounds to-day. The water is toe
deep and wild for wading. The surface
of the rivers, especially the Allegheny, is
strewn with the debris of houses, RATS
haystacks, fences and boats dragged FROM
the banks along the stream and crushed
in the fierce current.
At 8 O'Clock this morning raft swept
down the Allegheny with five men on il
shouting piteously for help, ID hearing OF
the crowds of people who lined both
shores, but could render no assistance
They were hurried down into the Ohio
| Several men and number of horses and
| cattle foated past during the morning.
| The rain up the rivers seems to have
been even heavier than here, and reports
from all points chronicle disaster anC
generally alarm for the dire consequences
yet to come. The telegraph poles have
been washed out in many places, the wire.
are down and meager reports that are
coming roundabout ways probably Dc
not tell half the story of dslsles md, djs
i aster. stskss- = siss 4 ~ ~
In this city the Creates excitment pre-
walls and the river shores are lined by
crowds of anxious peqble, who shake
their heads as they look at the watery Sky
and the warning streams, and watct
every new evidence of wreck and ruins
Residents close along thebanks are busy
carrying and hauling their possessions
to places of safety. The inhabitants OF
Kerr's Island are fieeingEor their lives,
with theis children in tFhir arms.
The lightning has played its part in the
fearful game of the elerlents, and mum
Der of cases where pessons have been
stricken has been reported, though no fata
cases in this dlateneighborhoo
Advices from New Brighton says that
a very heavy landslide las occurred on the
P. & L. E. r. R. A slide at Fallston ex
tends distance of about 200 feet along
the track, and covers itfrom ten to fifty
to sixty feet, and reaches from point al
least $50 feet up the side of the bluff in
to Water Power Conpany's race some
fifty or seventy feet selow the railway
track and filling the rtce to the depths
of ten to fifteen feet. It will require 9
hundred hands, working day and night
for not less than thres days to clear the
track, and it is doubtful whether it can be
so soon cleared. AL she hands are now
at work on the two lesser, but neverthe
less large, slides, oneabove and one be
low the one above described.
| On tho Ditto h1Irfr clio IF tbo 1lacrb
River, above the b. Wayne Railroad
bridge, the bank wB lined, from early
morning, by large crbwds Of people, who
at safe distance wstched the resistless
flow of the muddy waters. Many of them
crawled upon the robfs of the buildings
as the streets were under water for 6
square up into the city.
Houses adjacent to the river bank
were minus their tenants and chattels
the latter having been gotten out in an
ticipation of destruction. Hundreds ,ol
cellars were full to the windows with
water, it having soaked through the soft
cinder bank from, the river, and thus
found its level. Away up to the Sharps
burg bridge. and to points as far as the
eye could reach beyond, the banks pre-
sented scenes of animation seldom, If ever
before witnessed. Business in clost
proximity to the river was partially o.
lntirely suspended, as everybody Lac
gone thi ther to observe the exciting fea
lures of the freshet.
Several miraculous escapes from drown
ing have occurred. Among them was
that of James Omslaer, a wealthy lum
Der dealer of Allegheny City. Thi.
morning twenty-seven RATS of his, valued
at 81 900, broke from their noorings
| and started down the river. Omslael
jumped on one OF the rafts. for the pur
pose 0fsaving his property. When Me
cbanic street bridge was reached he en-
countered pier. and the raft was smash
ed to pieces, and he only escaped from
drowning by jumping from log to log
and this he kept up for two miles amic
great excitment from people living on the
banks. He finally got on another raft
and after floating sixteen miles down the
Ohio to Economy, he managed TO save
two RATS out of ftweuty-seven.
The loss of lumber in this vicinity is
about 5000, 900 feet, while the loss on the
entire river is estimated at $1,500, 900.
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