The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-06-17
A Mighty Storm Makes Many
Mourn.
The Waters of POgue's Run
Bursts Over it's Banks and Sub
merges Large Portion of the
City.
Sweeping Away Thousands of
Dollars worth of PrOperty-A
TreacherOus Bridge Gives
Away, and
Drops its Load of Living Humanity
Into the Roaring Torrent Below.
Seven Dead Bodies Recovered and
Three More Known to Have Gone
Down in the Disaster.

1t is very rarely that the newspapers are
called upon to chronicle such horrible
disaster as that of last Wednesday morning
1t is not yet and may never be known how
many beings were hurled to their death in
few short moments. No one can realize how
much grief has been caused, how many
homes broken up, how many happy hearts
made sad by the food of last Tuesday mig ht
We clip the following vivid description from
the indianapolis Sentinel of Thursday:
Not since the fall OF lS66 has the city
of Indianapolis known how terribly destructive
are the rsvages of a flood Then much property
was swept away, but not single PERSONS life was
lost. The rain of Tuesday afternoon continued
throughout the night. and at midnight it seemed
to gain new strength, and the water fell, as
IL were, in sheets Shortly after o'clock
yesterday merning huge black cloud was seen
in the northwestern heavens, which swooped
down upon the city with terrible rapidity. The
wind blew, the lightning flashed, the thunder
rolled and the rain fell, if such was possible,
faster than at any time during the night The
cutters. which were already greatly swollen. now
burst over their banks The sewers
could not carry the water off,
aud the streets were soon turned
into miniature lakes Foot bridges and every
movable article on the streets were swept away,
and it was plain to see the damage would be great.
At daybreak the scene in the northeastern portion
of the city was simply
TERRIBLE TO LOOK AT.
Pogues Rum which was slready even with its
banks, had overfiowed aid that portion of the
city lying tetween the Peru Railroad and Home
avenue was under three feet OF water, while the
frightened inhabitants were padding about In
every conceivable description of water crafts,
trying to save their household goods. New York,
~. wl~af Me- N.~l<1<
flooded, and many families residing on these
streets. who were awakend by the noise of
the food, were compelled to fee to higher
ground, leaving their household goods to
bdg the % just east j Ohio sSee
was the i.. first object to show signs Of weak,
Then the fence around Cobb & Bra hams coal
was swept down. stream. By this
time the water was into the mill and lumber
pile of lumber was carried away. As the stream
continued to rise the space under the Washing
ton street bridge began TO diminish and in snort
time the lumber had entirely closed uD this out.
let for the water and the maddened current rushed
into the middle of the streets, carrying destruc-
ton Tith,. With it. The Union tracks from
Virginia avenue crossing were under
water, and all that portion of the city between
Georgia street "a and the n, run /, was Hooded The
which in dry weather are none too safe, were at
early hour yesterday morning in tottering con-
dition, and in several instances gave away. About
the Union Lepot everything was excitement and
confusion; the news of the terrible food had
marched up town, and by O'Clock
run between Delaware and Meridian streets. Just
east of the depot on the south side of the run is
an old frame building, which belongs to the
Union Railway Company. but which is occupied
by the Western Union Telegraph Company for
storage purposes: There is a door on the north
side of the building opening out on the run,
through which all the goods for storage taken.
The run opposite this door was spanned by a
bridge about twenty feet wide, upon which goods
are removed from cars into the house. Upon this
FRAIL STRUCTURE
there congregated a large crowd of the sight
seekers. who were anxious to get glimpse of the
waters in their 1 the yef
comb noticed the crowd upon the bridge, and,
fearing 1t would not bear the weight, warned
gerous for them to be there There were few
who accepted his timely warning, but the ma
jority Of & those upon It paid. paid no . atten-
the Secretary of the Union Company,
who was looking after the property of the Com
pany passed - by the building T. ana not noticed the
warned them of the great risk they were running
in standing upon it. AS was the warning of Mr..
Whitcomb treated SO was that OF Mr: Jackson and
numbers of others crowded upon the rickety old
passageway across the waters. 1t is estimated that
ut this time not less than thirty We people, men,
women and children, were on this platform or
bridge who were in high spirits, watching the
b H s
themselves or their dangerous surroundings Just
| twenty minutes after 9 O'Clock the structure
gave way with terrible cru n, sending all upon 1t
INTO THE sURGING WATERS.
Then ensued a scene that beggars description.
| The screams Of the women, the cries OF the chill
| dren and the pitiful moaning of those in the
waters were terrible to hear Wien the structure
| gave away those on the bank seemed be awe
stricken; for moment they stood like statues
not moving hand or foot, but as soon as the ter
iible situation was realized there was break for
the Meridian street BRIDGE while one brave fellow,
| named Cyrus Bartlett, threw off his coat and
LEAPED INTO THE STREAM,
and in the twinkle of an eye had rescued two
| young women from watery graves Others who
had arrived at the Meridian street bridge were
able to drag from the muddy water several others,
and In less than five minutes not less than fifteen
| persons had been rescued from the remorseless
| stream. At the McNabb street bridge a dozen or
fifteen men had stationed themselves to await the
coming Of those unf0rtunates who had had
| strength enough to keep their heads above the
There were several who came from under MoNabb
street, and these were eagerly grabbed by their
clothing and pulled to the banks. but the rescu-
and with cries of horror they saw
= FIVE wRETcHED BEINGS,
| two ladies' and three men, sweep by them and dis
appear under the South street bridge,
never to appear again above the waters alive.
and it was with much difficulty that several OF
them were brought back TO life. Two of the
| gentlemen who were at the South street bridge
| assert most positively that they saw four women
| swept under the upper end OF the bridge, and
| that they did not come out at the south side of
| the bridge, andare confident they sank under the
| bridge.
THOSE RESCUED.
1t is certainly known that the following persons
| were rekcEed:
| Mrs. l.. G. Hook. Canton, o,
| Miss Minnie Balser, Canton, o.
James Conlin, city.
Stanton Grible city.
| Frank Oakley. city.
Patrick Daugherty, city.
Annie Sensenbrenner, city.
Ruth Hendrickson. city.
Florence Lynn city.
Henry Sendo, city.
| John Eakers who keeps store at No. Madison
| avenue, and his brother Frank, went down with
the bridge but we're rescued at the McNabb street
| bridge.
WHAT THE RESCUED SAY.
The two hrstnamed ladies were on their way
! from Canton, o., to Hot Springs, Ark Mrs.