The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1883-02-21


ence." Wednesday morning the
citizens at work on the Lake Shore
embankment were startled l,y the
whistle of an approaching ireigh
train. Signal was given that Tn 4
bridge was unsafe bnt the .iowI
grade and proximity of TIC brids'
rendered any effort to stop the train
futile. The engineer and all the
trainmen jumped from the doomed
train except the fireman, who was
busily throwing coal into the fire.
box. He comprehended the situa-
ton at a glance. 1t Ia too late to
jump, the train was almost on the
swagging bridge, and, with a quick
jerk, he threw the throttle wide open.
The engine bounded forward, and, in
an instant, was making its perilous
crossing of the rocking bridge.
A cheer went up from the anxious
spectators as the engine broke coup
lings and with six cars swept safely
across the bridge. 1t had scarcely
crossed the East span. which was
swaying and cracking, when it gave
way, precipitating the remainder OF
the train, t~hirty-six cars, into the
raging flood below. AS the wreck
was swept down the river a man
was seen on one of the cars holding
out his arms toward the shore. The
cars rolled over and he disappeared.
1t is presumed that the lost man
was a tramp, who had been stealing
a ride.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 15.-To say the
city of Lawrenceburg is submerged
and almost drowned out, is not tell
ing the tale of misery and suffering.
There never was, in all this history
of the floods in the Ohio Valley. a
city, town or hamlet so completely
at the mercy OF the angry element
as is Lawrenceburg. For three days
the citizens were almost without .
morsel to eat. In the lower portion
of the city, everything is destroyed
save the dwellings, and they, OF
course, must be badly damaged.
Hundreds of the houses are from ten
to fifty feet under water. In the
lower districts was where the poorer
classes lived. Driven from their
homes, they fled to the public build
ings for safety. All they possessed
Is destroyed, and what is not totally
destroyed is rendered worthless by
the continued water. The Reporter
steamed alongside the court house,
wooden mills, churches, furniture
factories and public school buildings.
All of these buildings were crowded
and damned with people rescued
from watery graves. In the larger
and more secure residence the fami-
lies have been driven to the second
and third stories. Those ofthe more
wealthy classes extend to their less
fortunate neighbors the hand of as
sistance and gives them places be-
meath their roofs.
On the principle streets the water
ranges from sever to Twenty-Five
feet deep. Although rscaution had,
in a measure, been taken, and prop
erty removed from the lower stories.
but little in fact has been saved. But
few of the merchants were able to
move their goods. The county rec
ords have all been saved, they hav-
ing been carried to the top stories of
the Court House.
CINCINNATI, February 15.-At l
O'Clock this morning people in the
vicinity OF Nc. so, Wilstach street,
on the border of the inundated dis
trict, in the western part Of the city,
were startled by a loud explosion
which broke the glass in the win
dows of a three story brick building,
!, occupied by four families, number
r ing seventeen persons. The build
ing was in ruins from an explosion
of fire damp or sewer gas in the Gel
lar, and all the occupants were bur-
r led in the debris. A scene of terror
t followed. The people, thinking that
/ the explosion was caused by the
pressure of water in the sewer, and
i. that other explosions would follow,
fed, thinly clad, to places Of safety.
, The fire alarm was sounded, and
|, the fire department responded
promptly, adding to the general con-
sternation. Finding no fire, the men
began the work of rescuing the un-
fortunate victims. The house was
owned by Jacob Brown, who, with
his wife, two sons and two daught-
: ers, occupied the first floor. Officer
Macke, a special policeman at 4th
and Vine streets, known as king
William" occupied a front room on
the second floor with his wife. The
|, back part of the same story was &C.
cupied by William Miller, his wife
and two children. The third hoor
was occupied by William Harmon,
his wife and two twin daughters, two
years old.
By 5 o'clock all the occupants had
been taken out. Officer Macke and
wife and a daughter of Mr.. Miller,
aged two years, were dead. John and
Henry Brown and Rockan.ann, a
neighbor, who was in the house at
the time, were SO badly injured that
they can hardly recover. Jacob
Brown and his wife were rescued af-
ter several hours labor, severely but
not fatally hurt. Their daughters
were taken out comparatively I'M
hurt. Mr.. Miller was badly injured.
His wife and remaining child es-
capped with small injury. Harmon
and his family were slightly hurt.
The Brown brothers and Rockamann
were building a raft and had gone
into the cellar to get some lumber,
carrying a candle with them, when
the explosion occurred. The ad-
Joining house vas damaged.
TORRENTS ON THE ALLEGHENY.
PITrsBURG, February ID The
heavy rains of the last twenty-four
hours have resulted in again swell
ing the rivers to immense proper
tons, besides causing great dely by
landslides to trains OIL nearly all of
the railroads entering the city. Since
the first food of last week the rivers