River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-07-25
SMEPT AWAY.

9WEFi await.
Terrible Result of a Cloud Burst in West
Virginia-The Village of Morrstown De-
stroyed-A Number of Persons Drowned
and Much Property Ruined-DisastrOus
storms in Other states.
PABKERsBURG, W. Va, July 20 Thursday
nights storm along the valley of the Little
Kanawha was one I terrible violence, and
the rush OF water down the channel of the
river and over the lowlands bordering it
was unprecedented in its suddenness and
about as large in volume as ever before
known IL is impossible at this writ
ing to speak definitely of the loss
of life, but it is feared drownings
have been numerous in the narrow valleys
up stream along the tributaries of the
river The storm extended across the Ohio,
and railroad washouts, wrecked bridges
and ruined crops are reported over a large
area in Ohio. The storm burst about mid
night and the rain came down as though
the bottom had been knocked out of
the clouds. by O'Clock in the morning
the river had jumped up twenty feet, and
at daylight the scene presented along the
channel in front of this city was an alarm
ing one. The entire surface of the stream
was covered with tangled mass of logs,
barns, fragments of houses and RATS of
valuable timber
Abbub = . CLOCK Mrs. Isaiah tucker went
to the door of her boat-house opposite this
city TO view the wreck covered river As
she stepped upon the deck a huge raft of
logs struck the boat and she was tossed
into the water and never rose to the sur
face. She LETT family of five children in
the boat, who were saved Another shanty-
boat passed the city about daylight said TO
contain thee women. short distance
below it was overturned and all were
drowned
The Ohio river railroad is broken at Har-
ris Ferry, the Baltimore & Ohio at Kama
wha station and the Cincinnati, Washing
ton Baltimore at Londonderry. Many
lumber firms have lost about all their sum
mer cut of logs. and thousands of acres of
crops are totally destroyed Details of
losses are constantly coming in and the
aggregate damage will exceed 100000
The worst story OF all comes from Morris
town, small village near the head of
Tucker creek, where the cloud-burst con-
centrated in all its fury, coming down on
the village and totally destroying it, to-
gether with many OF its people. The first
report gave the loss of life at
eleven, but later news seems to fix
the loss at greater number. Tho
houses of the citizens are said to have
been picked up and hurled against each
other in such short space of time that no
chance TO escape was given the people.
Among those lost at Morristown are Jake
Mger his brothers Joseph and Thomas, a
man named Bailey. Orville West, wife and
child. The body of man believed to be
another Morristown victim was found on
Richardson farm Friday morning
The worst OF the storm struck the lower
side of the Kanawha, filling small tribu-
taries from bank to bank and ending in the
gNI 10. IF
oldest inhabitants In three hours the
Kanawha rose six feet and ran out with
such velocity that it carried every thing
before it, At this point thousands of
logs and number of boats went
out or were sunk
Above the destruction was still greater.
Big Tygart valley is completely ruined.
The big mill near its mouth went out and
took the Tygart bridge with it. In the
valley all the fences crops and much live
stock were lost. At Chesterville a small
town about ten miles above, half the resi-
dences were carried of bodily and left in
corn-felds. In Clay district fine church
and three dwellings were wrecked
About noon information was received
that the steamer Oneida had been wrecked
and sunk at Enterprise, above. Still later
a report came that the steamer s G. Mar
tin was sunk at Burning Springs The Lit
tie TygarJ is also reported completely
ruined Heatheringtons store, Captain
Spencers residence, G P. CoOper's resi-
dence and that of J. W. Smith are com
pletely demolished, but no lives are report
cd lost as yet.
PEORIA, Ill, July 20. The storm here
Thursday night was one Of the worst known
for years. Great damage was done to
crops, and cellars were flooded in this city,
destroying much property The race track
mt the Lake View Driving Park was
washed away, causing termination
of the races which were in prog
ress there The trains OF the Chicago, Bur-
lingtOn & Quincy road have been aban-
donUd owing to the washout at Edwards
station Bridges and paving in the upper
end of the city have all been washed away.
IL is the worst storm in years.
CINCINNATI, July 20 About 5 o'clock
a. m heavy rain storm came
upon the city from the north, accom-
panied by very severe thunder and
lightning The rain fell in such torrents
that all the hillside streets were flowing
with angry streams. The bank of
the Ohio canal at York street
broke and the water poured
from the canal in great food.
The cellars and first floors of several dwell
ings at that point were filed with water,
and a stream of several feet deep ran down
York street and Central avenue. The oc-
cupants of first floors in some houses were
rescued with difficulty.
Advices from the other parts of the State
show that heavy rains fell in many places.
cloud burst is reported at Lancaster,
which caused big washout on the Column
bus, Hooking Valley & Toledo railway At
Logan, o., heavy rain caused much dam
age to crops. Lightning struck a
house in the little village of Georgesyille,
in Franklin County, and set it on fire and
burned hall the town. st Marysville, O.,
great damage was done. Lightning struck
the electric light works, ruined dynamo
and put out the lights of the town.
MILL WRECKED By LIGHTNING.
ALPESA, Mich. July 21-The large and
splendidly equipped mill of w. l. & W. II.
Churchill. corner of First and Wales streets,
was struck by lightning Yesterday morn
ing and burned to the ground, only the
boiler house being saved One hundred
and thirty-fiye men are thrown out of en-
ployment by the fire. 1t is expected the
mill will be rebuilt immediately The loss
is Piven at sl2j,OO0; insurance, $4,000
SWOLLEN STREAMS IN NEW YORK
NEW YORK, July 20 Dispatches from
several points in the Mohawk valley, this
State, indicate heavy rainfall and swollen
streams The West Shore tracks are
washed out in Herkimer County, and the
Delaware, Lackawanna & Western road
bed is carried away at points between Utica
and Norwich
Fatal Collision in Indiana.
GREENsBURG, Ind, July 20.-A collision
took place ten miles east OF here Thursday
IL IL