Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1888-07-26
A WONDERFUL STORM
Immense Destruction Of Property.
OUR RAILROADS BLOTTED OUT.
Thrilling Experiences in the Flood.
TIE OPENING OF TIE STORM.

/ " ltlln twenty minutes ram began Idll
/ ing, and few minutes after it was pour,
| ing down in torrents. In not exceeding
five minutes the cutters were overflowing
and the streets filled with water, rushing
and roaring toward the valleys. The
down-pOur was so heavy that objects
across the street could scarcely be seen at
times. And thus it continued for nearly
an hour, accompanied by high wind and
severe lightning and thunder that fairly
rocked the solid earth. The rainfall was
unprecedented, the streets presenting the
appearance of creeks-the water several
inches deep where wholly unObstructed.
Culverts were entirely inadequate to carry
off the torrents that poured into them,
and as result miniature lakes were form
ed about their mouths, in places covering
about an acre, and several feet deep.
ITS WORK IN TOWN.
Before the storm was ended its danger
Gus character was realized, and much
anxiety was felt to get out and learn the
point of interest was the vicinity of the
Baltimore and Ohio r. r. station. Here
it was found culvert over the street had
overfiowed, and the water spread over the
street and into the dwellings of J. w.
Clark and Thomas Davis. The turn-table
pit was filled with water, the yard cover
ed, and the scales pit filled. Beyond wash
ing the streets, we believe, no further dam
age resulted in town.
THE FISH PONDS
OF James McMillen and David Darrah
both Overflowed, and it is supposed fish
were swept out of both of them. The
embankments held, and looking at them
after the storm was over it was thought a
marvel that they did. Neither suffered a
great amount of damage.
THE BELLAIRE AND ST. GAINESVILLE R. r.
Before the rain had fairly stopped fall
ing Messrs. John T. Troll and John J. Pat
tersOn started down the track, to see what
damage the railroad had suffered. Al
though neither had prepared to wade
creeks nor landslideS, they became so in
terested and excited as they proceeded
down the track that they walked to the
train, about five miles below. Mr.. Troll
remained on the train over night, but Mr..
Patterson returned to town with Mr.. j..
b. Butler, a passenger on the train, leav-
ing about 10 o'clock and getting home at
2-wading water waist deep on the way.
But little damage, comparatively, was
done the road at this end. The first two
miles can be repaired in few hours; but
on the third mile serious damage resulted,
especially from immense landslides on the
farms of Mrs. LOchary and Samuel Fin
ney, where great hillsides slid down, car
rying trees, and covering the track with
eight or ten feet of dirt for quite dis
tance. The stream broke over the track
on Banfeld's place, lifting ties and iron
and throwing all bodily into the ditch.
and ripping up the road-bed to some ex-
tent.
At Crymble's place, about three miles
down the road, a fine bridge was carried
away. A curve in the stream piled the
bridge up in front of Mr.. Crymble's dwell
ing, unquestiOnably saving it from de-
struction. From this point to the juno
ton the damage to the railroad track was
very great, at places utterly destroying it.
A tenant house and new barn belonging
to Chris Neff were carried away by the
flood, and great destruction of fences and
crops resulted all along the creek.
A FEARFUL SITUATION.
Mr. Crymble's dwelling is situated at
the junction of Aults Run end Little
McMechen's Creek Directly in front of
it is the run, beyond that the railroad
track, and to the right of the house the
creek. When the first rush of water was
seen coming little girl living with him
became panic stricken and fled across the
run toward the hill in front of them. Mr.
Crymble started after her, but was struck
by the first wave of the flood and thrown
and covered with water. Scrambling out
quickly he escaped the full fury of
the flood, which would inevitably have
drowned him, and succeeded in reaching
safe ground on the side opposite his
dwelling. In the house remained Phoebe
Kent, his hOusekeeper. Soon an i'm
mense wall of water, which rushed down
the steep stream with terrific speed, bear
ing. in front of it trees and logs and brush,
struck the railroad bridge, few yards
above his house, and hurled bridge tim
bers and iron and ties around the house,
and within two feet of it, and cutting a
new channel in the rear of the house. Mrs.
Kent's situation was one of extreme peril
for few moments, but fortunately the
debris from the bridge saved the house.
From a point half mile or more above
where the train lays to the Junction the
scene
LITERALLY BEGGARS DESCRIPTION.
The roaring water rushed down the creek
with the speed of an express train a wall
of water, it is said-and swept everything
before it. Except seven pairs of trucks
buried in great holes at Echo, no one
would even suspect a railroad had ever
been there; and standing where one can
see around the curve and up the creek q
person would not be more surprised to see
a line-of-battle ship than the train stand
ing solitary sentinel over the ruin around
it, did he not know how it got there. Iron,
ties, bridge, and all semblance of road bed
are gone, and instead the valley is filled
with stone and the other debris of great
flood Where the train lays the water
spread from hill to hill, and fence posts
along the track, the tops of which were
about on a level with the second steps of
the cars, were covered with water.
At Echo the tipple and scales of J. B.
Buffers coal works and three side tracks
were carried aWay. Mr., Buffers loss il