The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-07-20
But the List Increased by the
Later Returns,
While the Damage to Goods and
Property
And the Growing Crops is Beyond
Estimate.
The Darkest Page in the Annals
of Wheeling.

Never before in the history OF Wheel
ingor the vicinity was there experience
cd a storm as terrific in its volume and
Jury and as appalling in its effects as
that which began within few minutes
Of six o'clock last evening and ragged
with seemingly ever increasing fury for
more than an hour. Considerable hail
accompanied the rain, and at times the
lightning was terrific. The volume Of 1.-THE
rain iaII was certainly three times us
great rs ever fell in the same length Of
time, and the loss OF life, while it is diff
cult to ascertain definitely how many
people pcrished, exceeded that result
ing from any casualty in the annals Of
the city. Streets were flooded in many
cases from house to house, cellars filled
or nearly filled, and in many cases the
ist stories OF buildings were invaded
by sccthing yellow tide which rolled
down from the hills in mad torrents.
The damage and destruction TO mer-
chants stocks cannot yet be definitely
estimated. Thousands of dollars will
not cover it, while in the suburbs the
crops are total loss.
The early and most hCart-rending re-
ports OF loss Of life came from Caldwell's
run, where not less than nine lives were
lost, four houses swept away, great gaps
washed in the natural gas mains, the
city bridges destroyed and the water
and gas supplies OF the Eighth ward cut
of, Shortly before 10 Oo'clock the Hemp
field trcStlC OF the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad Company over the creek at
Main street was swept away, with many
people on it, and how many lost their
lives cannot yet be reliably told.
The bridge OF the Elm Grove railroad
over Woods run at LeatherwOod was
washed away and that road badly dam
aged by washOuts The Pittsburgh,
Wheeling K Kentucky road at the foot
Of Ninth street was washed out badly,
aud at other points the road was rem
dercd impossible by mud and stones
washed upon it. The same roads trcstle
on the extension south OF the creek was
damaged just after m Ohio River freight
tnin had safely passed over.
APPEARANCE or TIE STREETS.
Shortly after the rain began to fall
most heavily-about G:l5-the water in
the streets got beyond the capacity OF
the cutters and sewers to carry it off,
aud the streets almost without excep-
ton were converted into raging rivers.
Twelfth street was one sheet OF water
iron Chaplinc street to the river and
above Chaplne was almost as bad. At
ChapIlne tributary stream of the
thick, yellow fluid Joined and swelled
the main flood, while n part of the
waters was diverted on Chapline south
warl. At Market another torrent OF
water and mud swept into Twelfth
street and even across Twelfth street
ana on down Market, which was one
saect OF water from Eleventh street to
tHe creek. Main street sent down from
hc hull another stream iiom curb to
curb, which joining the swollen tide at
twelfth, flooded the Western Union
once a foot deep, and debouched into
ihe river raging torrent.
Al Fourteenth street the scene was
Tue same, and all the streets in the main
part OF town, north and south OF the
creek, were like it.
lhe strength ofthe current wasawful.
Large stones and boulders were rolled
over aud over down the streets, the wa
Wr spIaShlng over them when theii
course was Obstructed. Where the wa
yer struck q post or a telegraph pole the
loTce Of its onward rush carried il
straight up in the air four or five feet
IONS OF earth and stone were WASHED
mo The river, the volume Of water being
slilllc'ent to swell the river three feet il
NV minutes, Boxes, barrels, cans anC
a!l sorts Of debris were in the flood. A
sixteenth street on Market the tempo
sHfy sea lloated large telegraph pol
clear across the street.
SOME oP THE EFFECTS.
When the water receded, the seen
was one the like Of which had neve
been seen before. Mud, stones and a
sorts Of debris were piled foot and i
some places two feet deep on street
AMI @ several inches deep on some side
Ta'ks' On Market street below Twelit
uig mud covered the street car track S
S 70 render 1t impossible and force {
Ing It OIL.
Az Reymann's brewery, in Manchel
~ ~ The hard pike road which had stoo
existence, and large beer wagon whic