The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-07-11
DEAqH AND DISASTER.
The Effects Of the cIoud-Burst
at Johustown, N, Y,
A STONE BRIDGE GIVES AWAY
And Many People Go Down in the
Torrent - Many Other Bridges
Washed Away-Much Proper
" destroyed Loss Of Life.


JouSsrowS, N, W July lO,-The wa
for which came up over this village last
nipht has snbsided greatly this morning,
Int Inns left scents Of dysolation In every
direction. The water rose fifteen feet
and oycraowpd everything, 1t has now
fallen about eight feet below its highest
poipt. Ten people are thus far reported
mjs.iny, the bodies OF four having been
recovered. These four are all Johns
town people. Those whose bodies are
recovered are Charles Frear and two
otbermrn named Coakley and Yost, and
n iourtccn.year old boy named Stead
we'll. The drowned and missing people
we're among crowd Of from thirty to
rotty persons, who stood on the stone
bridge crossing, the river at Ferry street
watching the rising water, They seemed
r",arjrSs Of danger until the bridge
gave way, and they were precipltated
fmlo thG Hood, The bridge was about
twenty lret high and fifteen or twenty
ieet wide. II wasa single arch structure
and was crossed bya street car track,
Tie stone bridge was swept away at
about seven o'clock In the evening.
OTHER nRIDGEs GoER.
Two iron bridges Of the Johnstown,
Fonda 4 Gloucester railroad were
wrecked andse or reightother bridges
were carried away. Two tannerles
owned by Simon Schriber were swept
away and the schriber < Anderson
dams were broken down, The water in
the Cayadutta creek began to rise at
d:3O and the stream was soon conVer-
ted into raging torrent OF the men,
women mud children who were thrown |
into the water by tho breaking OF the
stone bridge, the larger number was
saved BY means Of ropes thrown to them
from the shore. This morning the fire
department, under the direction Of Chief
II, A, Thompson, is engaged in the
search for more bodies. The water Is
still very rough and dangerous for boats.
The final and fatal rise In the Cayadutta
WIS very sudden aud Is attributed to
the effect Of cloud burst. Besides the
sweeping away Of the bridges, there Is
much damage 10 buildings which are left
standing The electric light plant was
washed out and the town was left in to-
tai darkness for the night. All Commu.
nicatiOn by wire Is cut OF save through
the long distance telephone, over which
this message is sent.
THE LOSS OF LIFR.
A later message says; Fifteen persons
were carried down the Cayudatta creek
last night. Four bodies were recovered
this morning. Heavy rains last night
Choked streams and flooded districts.
Schrieber'S large mill in this place was
carried away, Twenty persons were on
tue Ferry street bridge when the arch
fol! into the rushing torrent, which was
filed with wreCkage and humanity.
Cries for help alarmed the residents.
Chief Mcdonald with President North
up, OF the village, Police Justice Ander-
son and others organized searching ex-
petition. Lanterns were procured and
parties went along the stream with
ropes to assist In the rescue.
REscuING THE PERIsHISd.
One person was seen splashing and
plunSinv in the water near the Johns
town, Fonda & Glovefsville Railroad
bridge, one quarter OF mile down the
stream. As he lloated past those on
shore ho cried "For Gods sake help
me-" lie was swept by in the current
so close to the shore that q man who
wasin boat secured to pile Of wreck
age got hold Of him, hut owing to the
swift current was unable TO hold him
and he was swept under the floating
driitwOOd. Two other persons came
down moment later Clinging to a plank
and shouting for help. They were
swept out OF sight below the railroad
bridge, Az 4 a, III. the body OF Burt
Speedwell, Is years Of age, was recover.
cd from the debris at this place. An
hour later Albert Cokely was pulled
ont frOm under the DRIFT wood that had
lodged back Of Evans mills. Soon after
the body Ofa man named Treadwell was
found IN the same place.
AtOa. M. the body Of Charles Freer,
% years Ofage, u carpenter, was recovered
from the wreck at Evans Mill, The bod.
ies arc badly bruised. They were re.
moved to police headquarters, where
they will remain pending Coroner's in.
quest. Chas. Abbott was carried down
from the Ferry street bridge TO the dam,
which le went over, going down a dis.
hnCe Of lG feet, but he miraCulously sue.
cGeded In swimming ashore and escaping
without injury. Peter Evans, a stone
mason, went down with fifteen Others
and was carried under the Ferry street
bridge, but succeeded in getting out be.
low. lilo was bruised about the face.
rnrdy Case rescued two men named
Nol!is and Vosburgh by means Of ropes,
Citizens arc engaged this morning In |
removing the .wreCkage Of schrieber's
mil near tho depot, where they think
Other bodies have been lodged. It 10
believed tho three men who went down
on q plank lost their lives at the dam,
and that their bodies we're carried down
t9e stream and arc now floating In tho
Mohawk river No one knows how
many people were drowned, or who 10 |
missing, The flood was 60 great and
She current 30 swift that no help could |
Se rendered without great danger. The
SI9is street iron bridge and the railroad
IGr.aSO In were swept away. They were
large structures,
THE DAMAGE AT GLovEEsviLLH.
Yesterday afternoon during tho hcay.
lest part oithe storm, Main and Blocker
streets In GlovcBvllC, were filed with
water The new pavement In BleOker
street was torn up Tor several blocks, A
nn'aOcF OF residences In tho upper part
Ol Town are entirely surrounded by
water The foundation walls Of q new
stone building being constructed on
Norlh Main street were partly carried
away The two Iron bridges on the
Sfhtral and tho Florida, Johnstown (
mS,iIoNe'SvIllo railroad al Fonda arc gone,
me peCnninry loss will not be very
tg9h The railroad and State street
bridges In Johhstown were Largo, ilpl.
VlltS structures, Tho EnFPV alhnSI hsil1n