Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-07-20

are lying colo In ueatn, SOME VI tnsin ~
the homes of relatives and friends, ard
others scattered along the valley of the
Ohio, to be found ultimately or not, as the
fases may hereafter decree.
At six o'clock last evening Caldwsll'f
run was babblipg brook, which aniDfan'
might have forded in safety at any point.
At seven it was raging torrent, two
hundred feet wide and twenty feet deep,
almost as black ss coal with the great vol
ume of mud held in solution, and bearing
ON its surface the wreck of homes, stables,
drowned stock, bridges, ont houses, AID
all the miscellaneous debris gathered up
by the mad food in charge through
populous and prosperous community.
In some minds, there was apprehension
~ to the result along the valley Of the run
before the deluge of the evening had con-
tinued twenty minutes, but the great ma
iority of those living in the lower part OF
the run, near the city limits, seem to have
had no suspicion of danger, and to have
felt no alarm.
Soon the waters of the run began to
rise, and almost before the occupants OF the
houses along the banks could realize their
position The full force of the flood was
upon them. The scenes Of the ensuing
hour, along the valley, were never before
experienced in this portion of the country,
and when the torrent had subsidized the
loss of life was found to be terrible, and
the damage to property away up in the
thousands.
At nine o'clock vague rumors began 70
find their way up town, to the effect that
three people had been drowned in the run
The next moment the number Increased to
five; then to eight; then to ten, and finally
the story found its way through the city
that whole families had been swept away,
and that fifteen lives had been lost, at the
very least
At the first opportunity. after the storm
ceased, a reporter for the REGISTER went
to the mouth of the run, at Wood street,
and there found large crowd Of excited
citizens, who were recounting the scenes
and incidents of the early evening, and
speculatipg as to the number of lives lost
and the damage to property along up the
valley. Leaving this point, after getting
a general idea OF the extent Of the cslsm-
ity, the reporter proceeded on up the run,
TO the eastward. Each step Of the way
was marked by devastation and ruin. APP
parently the whole population Of the
lower portion of the city, living along the
hillside, we're out on an exploring expe-
dition, and the narrow and muddy foot
walk out towards McCulloch street, and
beyond to the old flour mill was crowded
with men, women and children, mud
bedraggled, anxious, and excited, be-
moaning the loss of property or of friends,
and fearful lest the heavens might again
be opened, and the hor rors of the evening
hour not long past b repeated or ex-
ceeded.
The work of the storm began to be no
ticeable at Eoff and Twenty eighth streets.
There the one-story frame house Of MIR.
Springer was carried away, but the family
succeeded in making Its escape. The
brick house of MIR. Menge, near BY, was
badly undermined, and the Eotf street
bridge over the run was carried off. The
large two-story frame blacksmith shop
and wagon-shop of Dave Brooks, Mt Wood
and Twenty ninth streets, had the south
side carried away, and the banks OF the
run in this vicinity were badly torn and
washed.
Going on up the run, the house Of Henry
Weidebusch lost two rooms, and all along
up to McCulloch street the marks OF the
torrent were apparent on every hand. The
water had apparently come down with suf'
ficient volume and velocity to sweep
TWENTY-FIVE feet above its usual bed, and
|, spreading ont on the level or sloping land
on each side, occupied with scores Of dwell
ipgs, had rushed into and over everything
in it's path, sweeping of fences, building.
, of all kinds, stock, wagons, and property
, Of every description.
At the distance of about a square east
of where McCulloch street strikes the run
, stood the house Of Thomas Howley, the
uncle of the well-known Market street
saloonist. The family consisted of Mr..
and Mrs. Howley and four children, three
boys and q girl. Mr.. Howley succeeded
, in saving himself, hut the remainder OF
} the family was blotted out of existence.
, the house and all its contents being
carried off. A little further east, and sit
uate, like the Howley residence, on the
south side of the run, was the house Of the
widow Stencil. There was with her, her
son Herman, a daughter, two nieces, Misses
Anna and Alice Wangsrd, of williamsburg,
Ohio, and o hired girl. When the
flood began to swell up around
the house and to threaten its
existence, John Holman, a man who lived
close to the jeopsrdised home, set himself
to work to save the greatly alarmed in:
7 mates. As he entered the house the floods
wrenched it from its foundation, and the
structure melted to pieces as though made
of paper, and ell were lost. The water at
the moment il struck the house, seemed
to come in sudden rush, six or eight feet
high, and human aid was powerless to save
the structure, or any Of its inmates. The
family carried on the dairy business, and
had about thirty head of cows, and two
horses, and most of this live stock was
thought to be lost, last night.
Close by, the old flour mill was all
adrift inside, but the big structure stood
its ground bravely. Across on the north
side of the run Chris. Grumley lost three
wagons, and John Burman, near by, three
cows. The kitchen was swept away from
Geo. Pollets' house, and stonemason
named frankie lost two cows. This story
was repeated all along up the run, and the
aggregate loss in money will be very great
| At the wooden bridge near the -four mill,
the drift was piled up ten feet above the
level OF the road way, but still the struc-
ture stood, to toe wonder Of all who saw it
last night.
All along the lower valley of the
run, there was the greatest an-
xiety, late last night, as to the fate Of PED
pc living higher ur. 1t was known thst
at the old toll house, occupied by d
man named Guffey, with his wife and thrett
children, had been carried of, but whethf
4 ~ Il III ---.kA