The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-20
DISASTER IN THE KANAWHA
A Clcud-Burst in the Valley Causes Loss
OfLife and Much Damage to Property.
Many Millsand Houses Swept Away-Reported
Sinking of Two Steamers-Damage by
FlOodSand Lightning in Other Sections.

many lives. carrying Oft thousands of dol
lars in property and running the crops for
many miles. The deluge fell here about
dusk, and continued to fall in torrents, do
ing much damage in the city. The worst
of the storm struck the lower side
of the Kanawha, filling small tribu-
taries from bank to bank, and ending
in the worst flood within the recollection of
the oldest inhabitants In three hours the
Kanawha raised six feet and ran out with
such velocity that it carried everything be-
fore it. At this point thousands OF l0gsan
a number of boats went out OF were sunk.
The Little Kanawha Lumber Company lost
1000 logs; Vests mill, ten RATS; Barringer,
several fleets; w. z. Padden, five barges
with ties, several of which were caught be-
low; Keever 81 Co. lost four barges of coal;
Miller, three RATS and 1900 ties: Taylor,
one fleet of timber; Charles Wells, four
barges. In one hour 5000 logs went out.
Mrs Isaac II, Tucker, Martin Lawless and
an unknown man were drowned
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 val
stock was lost. At Chesterville, a small
town about ten miles above, half the resi-
dences were carried Off bodily and left in
corn fields. In Clay district q fine church
and three dwellings were wrecked.
About noon information was received
that the steamer Oneida was wrecked and
sunk at Enterprise, above. Still later a re-
port came that the steamer c. G. Martin
was sunk at Burning Springs. The Little
W TT ia a tod ,rl1a fol min
HeathertOn's store, Captain Spencer's resi-
dence, Z. +. COOpers residence, and that of
J. w. Smith are completely demolished.
but no lives are reported lost as yet.
town. small village near the head of
Tucker creek, where the cloud burst con-
centrated in all its fury, coming down in
the village about midnight and totally de-
strOying IT, together with many of its
people. The first report gave the loss at
eleven, but later news seems to fix the loss
at a greater number.
The 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
Kieger, his brothers, Joseph and Thomas, a
man named Bailey, Orville West wife and
child. The body of a man, believed to be
| another MOrristown victim, was found on
the Richardson farm this morning. At Phil
brush all bridges and culverts were washed
away, and it was impossible to reach or
communicate with that point or any other
on upper waters.
1t is impossible now to enumerate the
loss even here, as the river is still rising
and tearing everything loose. A family
boat containing three or four persons went
out during the night, and it is believed all
| are lost, as the last seen of them was when
| the woman held up child in her arms and
beckoned for assistance as the house disap-
| peared in the flood.
n E l. II
| River railroad broke through trestle at
Harriss Ferry, completely wrecking the
| train and fatally injuring William Nep-
tune, an employee. The wreck was caused
Ohio trains are delayed by washouts at
1t is just reported that lock No. /, above
the city, on Little Kanawha, has given way
before the flood
| Streets and Cellars Flooded at Chicago.
CHICAGO, July 19.-About 10 o'clock last
hight one of the heaviest thunder-st0rms
| of recent years visited Chicago. At
o'clock Thursday morning the thermometer
registered SO degrees. The weather did not
grow any cooler during the night. and all
day yesterday the heat was fr1ghtful
Moisture surcharged the atmosphere and
made the suns rays almost unbearable.
|
streets were flooded, and the cutters were
running over. The audiences at the
theaters were driven out of shelter just
at the time when the fall of rain
was fercest. In ten minutes after the
theaters closed not carriage or cab of any
description could be had. The street-cars
we're crowded to their full capacity. Tho
towns transportation facilities were ex-
hausted, and hundreds of people congre-
gated under awnings and dOOrways. The
electric display that accompanied the rain
was remarkable. Nothing like it is within
the memory of the oldest inhabitant. A
number of buildings and residences were
struck by lightning, and the fire depart
ment was kept on the go for nearly an hour.
The rains flooded all the cellars in the
| southwestern portion of the city and many
! Easements of downtown business houses,
doing great damage Many cheap basement
| lodging houses were flooded, and the lodg-
ers driven out on the streets.
AS far as learned, the individual losses
are small, but they will amount in the ag-
gregate to large sum. The flooding was
caused by the inability of the sewers to
carry off the water as fast as it fell, with
the result that it ran over the sidewalks
and into the cellars. The rapidity of the
rainfall was unprecedented in this locality.
In period of twenty minutes it aggre-
| SaUeQ Que lucIl, anu dltoSctncI TcdCHcu Luz
inches. In many of the basement Chinese
laundries, Cinnamon were found perched
on their tables this morning.
In the town of Lake residence was
fired by bolt of lightning, and il and two
other houses were consumed entailing q
loss of about $4,000. At the stockyards
the packing houses of Armour & Co. and OF
McNeill & Libby were damaged by light
ming to the amount of $4,000. In the
former case $50 men will be thrown out OF
employment for time. Many shade trees
were broken by the wind or damaged by
lightning.
Damage at Cincinnati and in the Vicinity.
CINCINNATI, July 19.-About 3 o'clock
this morning heavy rain-storm came upon
the city from the north, accompanied by
very severe thunder and lightning. The
rain fell in such torrents that all the hill
side streets were flowing with angry
streams. The bank of the Ohio canal al
York street broke, and the water poured
from tn g canal in great flood. The cellar,
and first floors of several dwellings at thai
point were filled with water and a stream
of several feet deep ran down York street
and Central avenue. The occupants of frs
floors in some of the houses were rescued
with difficulty. 1t appears that the rain
was in the nature of a cloud-burst alons
the canal. as it was overfowed in severa
places between Cincinnati and Lockland
and the surplus water in several instances
washed away railroad entertainments
causing temporary obstruction Il
travel. house on Walnut Hill
was struck by lightning, tn,