Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-08-04
RATHER WET.
Big Rains Over the Country Satur-
day and Sunday.
WESTERN TELEGRAPH WIRES DOWN.
Over Five and 0ne-Half Inches of Rain
In Twelve Hours at
Chicago.
AND FLOODS REPORTED.

CHICAGO, August 3.-The great rain
storm stopped at midnight. The total rain
fall in the preceding twelve hours was 5.58
inches, an inch more than the entire rain
fall during the month of August in either Of
the last three years, and the greatest fall
within the time specified on record. The
fail was 80 great and rapid that the sewers
were unable to carry off the vol
ume Of water. The 42O miles Of
sewer pipe are contracted on the basis Of
allowing an inch of rainfall an hour, while
yesterday it exceeded two inches. The
opinion that the flushing of the sewers will
prove beneficial, thoroughly purging them,
and thus proving beneficial to the public
health. The paved streets throughout the
city this morning, particularly the stone
paved ones, have the appearance of having
been scrubbed clean with brooms. Many of
the Grant decorations on the public and pri-
vate buildings are bedragged and torn. The
damage by the flooding Of Easements was
heavy.
Early in the afternoon Easements and eel
lars that were more than ten feet in depth
soon contained between two and three feet
Of water. Thousands OF rats poured from
the sewers and the Easements as the water
began to fill up the conduits. The rats ran
ound the streets, scurying hither and
th!ther in their searches for places Of SAFETY.
Not unlike them were the Cinnamon, all
of whom occupy deep Easements. Nearly
every Celestial in the city found him.
self without place to lay his head, and
ate into the night they were seen hunting
cheap lodging houses Numberless fam
lies were forced TO leave the easements in
which they resided and seek for temporary
lodging in apartments above tbs level ofthe
streets. Of the residence streets, Huron
was conspicuous in this respect, the tenants
Of many basement dwellings being COM
pelied to leave their homes. Easements and
cellars through the portion of the South
ed were filed with water to depth Of sew
eral feet, the loss through this district being
very heavy, though no estimate of the dam-
age could be made even by those who are
experienced in such matters.
The first business firm to ask for assis
tsnce from the city was Lyon i Healy,
dealers in musical instruments, at the cor
nsr OF State and Monroe streets. Fire en-
CINE No. 32 was compelled to abandon q
Job of pumping out the water after two
hours fruitless labor, as the water poured in
IS rapidly as it was pumped out. Number
less other places were visited, but no better
81 ccess wa. met with, and the many engines
which had been detailed on the work re-
turned to their respective houses.
Water from the sewers and overfowiug
cutters flooded the Palmer House basement
last evening, putting out the fires in the
boiler of the engine by which the electric
lights were run. Three of the lights had to
be dispensed with. The management Of
the house is remodeling the rear Office Of the
aotel, and rad entirely removed the skyhght
which rooted the roam, aud the rains de-
4cendsd uninterruptedly into that portion Of
the basement throughout the day and night
In the New Opera House block, the same
agency ex,inguished the fires in the eleva-
or pgine boilers and compelled the stop
os ge OF the elevator.
al newly improved streets are reported
o be in q bad condition. Where sewers
aaye been put in the ground has sunk sbou
three feet, rendering the streets dangerous
Fall street, near Lake but recently paved,
sank several feet The Randolph street
railway track was badly washed out near
Ann street All that portion of the city
vest of Ashland avenue and south of
Twelfth street was covered with water to
The depth of over two feet. This is due to
he fact that this portion of the city is about
four feet lower than the more improved
portions.