The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-07-28
A CLOUD-BURsT.
Death and Devastation Follow In
It's Wake.
Houses and Bridges Swept Away Almost
In u Twinkiing-Fuliy Twenty Lives
believed to Have Been Lost.

WHEELING, w. VA, July 19.--The most
appalling cloud burst ever witnessed in
this section of West Virginia was experi-
enced this evening about six O'Clock, and
TOR nearly two hours the rain and hail fell
until all the city and surrounding country
were flooded. Great damage to property
and loss Of life ensued. There Is reason TO
believe that more than twenty lives have
been sacrificed within the city limits.
The first loss of life was on Caldwell's
Kun, where four houses were swept away,
and 1t Is more than probable thatthe num-
Der beyond the city is much greater.
A dairyman named Hermann Stencil,
his mother and two small children were in
house when the water surrounded 1t.
John Holman, a neighbor, started to their
assistance on raft. His fyail craft cap
sized, and he was swept away and has not,
been seen since. Meantime the Stencil
house gave way and all the occupants per-
ished.
Thomas Howley, an aged man, managed
when his house was swept away to escape
and get ashore by clinging to piece OF
fence, but his wife and three children were
drowned. The house of family named
Springer was demolished, the family
~ Sc>sP'h5 "Ash choh iNoSb
At its normal stage Caldwell's Run is
not foot wide, but its Md is in ravine,
which became a raging torrent.
At half-past nine o'si0ck tonight the
wooden trestle on the Pittsburgh Division
of the B. & o. road at Main street, near
the passenger depot gave way with about
thirty people, among then, several promi-
nent business men, and at q late hour
tonight only three or four have been
heard from. It is thought that many of
them have been swept down with the tor
rent.
Mr.. Wilson, of the r. G. Dun CONNER.
cial Agency, was one OF those who es-
capped.
!. q. Dillicn, wholesale jeweler, was
badly injured about the head.
1t is feared all the others are lost.
The scenes in the vicinity were heart
rending. A vast crowd soon gathered
blocking up the street for a square, among
them weeping women and men with
blanched faces, anxiously inquiring aboat
friends whom they feared were among the
unfortunates. 1t is impossible to give the
names of those who were on the bridge
when it went down. Those who witnessed
the disaster give thrilling descriptions of it.
Heartrending shrieks for help were Heard
ascending from the water below, and out.
stretched arms were seen reaching up as il
pleading for succor, but the crowd was
powerless. No one dared risk his life in
that seething torrent.
The r., w. and X. road at Ninth street
was washed out, and at other places it is
washed with mud. Street-car tracks are
impossible for the mud and debris. Two
bridges within the city limits were washed
away and others badly damaged, so that
travel between the north and south
sides is almost entirely cut off. The bridge
on the Elm Grove railroad two miles east
OF town is washed away. The Ohio River
road was destroyed for several hundred
feet. Many houses and stores in the city
were flooded, and this, together with other
losses, will reach fully $500, 900.
The damage to crops, ETC., in the. sur
rounding country is inestimable. The
lightning did much damage, notably to
several churches in the vicinity. The
natural gas supply Of the city is entirely
cut off, and will be for at least two, days.
The southern portion Of the city ia with
out gas and water.
WHEELING, w. Va, July 19-Particu-
lars of the flood show that it is simply ap.
palling, and every thing is in such cha
otic condition that details must be late. At
half-past nine o'clock the B. & o. wooden
bridge at Main street was swept away,
with from twenty to thirty people on it.
OF these ten are known to be saved. The
names can not be given yet. Several of
the rescued are on tow-boat which could
not land at the wharf, owing to the cur
rent, and had to seek landing lower down.
The river rose three feet in fifty minutes.
Out the National road, the trains, coal
chutes, houses and all are gone. The
Wheeling and Elm Grove railroad was
swept away for miles, and the roads COW
cred six feet with water. Over the river
the ruin is even worse. The storm lasted
less than an hour, flooding the streets from
house to house.
The Western Union Telegraph office had
foot of water on the floor,J. w. Hunters
spice mills, two feet, and other buildings
on Main and Market streets as bad. On the
upper end of Golf street. high on the hill in
the Second Ward, the water was over the
tops of stoves and like objects, and when it
receded left sediment on the stoves.
Wagons in the valley of Wheeling creek
were buried beneath the mud and debris.
The Champlain street and GoR street
bridges are both gone, and Wood street
bridge impossible.
Nine persons living on Caldwell's Run
are known to be drowned, and six houses
on Caldwell's Run are gone. The list will
doubtless be increased.
The Pittsburgh, Wheeling and Kentucky
division of the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati and
st. Louis road is badly washed at places
and at others covered q foot deep. The
Ohio river trestle at the creek is gone.
Sewers burst in several places, and roads
were washed so as to be impossible.
A substantial bridge OH the Suburban
Elm Grove Motor Line at Leatherwood
WINS washed away. The loss Of the city
will reach $5O, 1000, and the damage to crops
in the country Is inestinable, The ruin
wrought by the eioud-burst cut Of town is
awful, and can only be ascertained 3oti-
nitely when the means Of Communication
are restored.
Every hour or so new fatalities are re-
ported. A man named Kekz was washed
away by Bogs's run, and be and his horses
drowned. FOur lives were lost ut Elm
Grove, five miles east.
Charles asks: "When . young
man calls upon a young lady to whom
he is warmly attached, how long should
he stays" That depends upon the
young lady, Charles. If she should
yawn and glance 1t the clock when it
is on the eve Of striking 10, and drows-
lily observe: "Isn't that clock awfully
slOwp" the young man has already
staid at least an hour too long. But
II she should say: MY! how fast the
time does ay!" he can stay two hours
nit l. n,., La.