Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-07-11


Towns Inundated and Millions of Prop
erty Destroyed.
RoUNDoUT, July 10h-The biggest storm
of the summer visited Hudson valley last
evening. The rain fell in torrents, and
huge volumes of water rushed through the
streets and choked the sewers. The rain
was accompanied by thunder and light
ming. Hailstones as large as hazelnuts fell
In large quantities, crashing through the
glass like bullets. Reports from the fruit
growing belt state that much damage was
done to small fruits, especially plums and
grapes.
SARATOGA On. -, July 10th.-The tele-
phone people at Amsterdam state that
washout at Aiken, n. Y, three miles west
of there, has torn up 400 feet of the track,
and cut of communication with the West.
AMSTERDAM On. ", July 1Oth-The to-
tai damage to crops, railroads and build
ings in this vicinity will probably each
100000
Troy IN. ", July 10th-Reports have
reached here that three big dams have
been washed away near Johnstown, n. Y.
Crowds of people were on a bridge watch
ing the flood, when 1t was carried away
and several people were drowned. The
town is in darkness, nine bridges and the
electric light plant having been washed
away, and so were three skin mills at GLOW
ersville. One body has been recovered.
The water was three feet deep in the town
of Fonda at midnight.
The rain is falling in torrents, and mills
and sheds are being swept away. The
down-pouF caused the Cayandutta creek to
become raging torrent. which burst its
bounds. Two dams gave way, being un-
IA m 10 ho
torrent swept on, taking along several fac
tories On the banks, valued at many thou
sands of dollars. A number of buildings
were also swept away. The Fonda, Johns
town and Gloversville Railroad loses eight
bridges. At Fonda, the New York Central
Railroad bridge was carried away almost
bodily taking along the telegraph wires,
so that it is almost impossible TO hold COM
munication between Fonda and the sur
rounding towns.
ANOTHER SUFFERING JoHNSTowE.
JoHYsTowN IN. Y. }. July 10tb.-It is re-
ported that the waterspout which struck
the northeast part of the town preceded
the food, which increased the depth of the
already swollen streams fifteen feet in
few minutes. No one definitely knows
how many persons were drowned. The
flood was so great and the current so swift
WlIDOut
great danger. Several persons who went
down with the Ferry-street bridge, who
were supposed to be drowned, are alive and
relate thrilling experiences. Chas. Abbott
was carried down from the Ferry-street
bridge to the dam, where ne went over.
going down a distance of sixteen feet He
succeeded in swimming ashore. Peter
Evin went down with fifteen others and
was carried under the Ferry-street bridge.
Purdy Case rescued two men named Neilis
and Vosburg by means of ropes. 1t is be-
Iieved the two men who went down on the
plank lost their lives at the dam and the
bodies were carried down the Mohawk
river.
1t is now thought that fifteen lives were
lost last night in the floods. Four bodies
were recovered this morning. At4A NJ.
the body of Burt Speedwell, fifteen years of
age, was recovered from the debris at this
place. An hour later the body of Albert
Cokely was pulled out from under drift
wood back of Evans Mills. Soon after the
body of man named Treadwell was found
in the same place. At "A. NJ. the body of
Charles Frear, fifty-tive years of age, car
penter, was uncovered from under the wreck
at Evans Mills. All the bodies were badly
bruised and were removed to the police
headquarters, where they will be held
pending the Coroner's inquest. The pecu-
MARY loss will probably not be great. The
loss on Sehrimer's Mill, the largest indi-
vidual loss, is about $4,000.
The persons missing who may have been
drowned, although there is no certainty
that they were, are as follows: R. D. Sim
MONS of the firm of r. d. Simmons & Co,
painters; Willie Myers, nine years old, and
Miss Ada Miller an employee in the glass
factory. The reports of the number lost
rNnSV, 10 {.
fifteen to sixty. The latter is probably
much too large.
AN EYEWITNESS.
An eyewitness gives the following ac-
count of the disaster: Rain began falling
at Johnstown at = o'clock yesterday after
noon Ii rSined hard and steadily until 6
o'clock. Between 6 and o'clock reports
came that the Fonda, Johnsown and
Gloversville Railroad bridge was washed
away and the large stone bridge at State
street had also gone out. These reports
caused the most intense excitement and
proved true. TIE food had started east of
the village and had washed away the new
addition TO Servers leather-dressing mill
and had also taken Servers dam. Then
1t turned TO the south, on Cayadutta creek,
and took away the iron railroad bridge and
the State.street bridge. A stone dam at
LtlDtIlHcEld IedlD6E-uIeSSlUS IlllI IN6n
went down with the food and the sawmill
was taken with II. 1t was now o'clock
in the evening, and the town was in fer
ment of alarm. Thousands of people
lined the shore of Cayadutta creek and
watched the boiling flood. Many were on
the FerTy-street bridge. Suddenly the
bride gave way and the people on the
structure were thrown into the current
Some escaped and others were carried
down stream"
The following persons it is ascertained
have been rescued after the Ferry-street
bridge went down: Benjamin Nellis, John
Nosburgh, \. Putnam, - Davis and one
man name not given.
BODIES RECOVERED.
ALBANY, July 10th-The latest news of
the flood at Johnstown is that the number
of lives lost will not exceed fifteen. Nine
bodies have been recovered. Six persons
are missing who are certainly drowned
The loss 10 the New York Central Railroad
is estimated at 100000. There was great
destruction to bridges throughout the
flooded section. Trees two feet in diameter
were snapped off by the rushing waters.
DROPPED INTO THE WATER
SCHENECTADY On. ", July l0th.-There
is as yet no certainty of more than -four
lives los; al Johnstown, and these victims
were on bridge viewing the flood after
the storm. The bridge dropped into the
water, but was not carried away. This
afternoon the tracks and bridge at Fonda
and Athens were sufficiently repaired to
permit the passage of trains. The total
damage in the valley of the Cayadutta tC
bridges and crops will reach $500, 900.
THE DAKoTAS.