The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-05-15
WRECKED BY THE STORM.
WIND AND RAIN DO GREAT DAMAGE.
Farms Washed Out and Rouses, Fences
and Trees Swept Away-Five Persons
Drowned-Many Others Narrowly Es-
cape-Lightning Plays Havoc.


fact from nearly every place in eastern Ohio
and western Pennsylvania. Farms were
washed out. houses, fences and trees along the
banks of streams were swept away and land
slides occurred on nearly every road lead
ing out of Pittsburg. Two children of Conrad
Schaefer, aged three and eight years. respect
lively, of Spring Gardenborough, north of
Allegheny, were swept away by the
flood, and Mr.. and Mrs. Schaeffer narrowly
escaped from meeting the same fate. Their
house stood near Butchers run, the scene
OF the frightful disaster Of fifteen years ago.
when 200 persons were swept to death by the
angry waters. When the banks overfOwed
last night, the Schaefer house was moved from
its foundation, and the family left the house
and took shelter under some trees. In run
ming out of the house the children, both girls,
were caught by the current and carried away.
Mrs. Schaeffer became so frantic on seeing her
children in the run that she got in the water,
too and was almost drowned The bodies of
the children were recovered. A physician was
called to see Mrs Schaeffer, who was removed
to a neighbor's house, but it is not thought she
will recover. Two other children in the family
were saved. One boy of seventeen years Of
age, who had his leg broken two weeks ago in
Walkers soap factory, was compelled to re-
main in the house. Another boy escaped from
the house. and was saved by holding TO a
fence.
This morning East-st. and Madison-ave. in
the Butchers run district. complete wrecks,
while the numberless cross streets are CON-
pletely fled with debris. Cars are lying on
the tracks unable to be moved and completely
hemmed in by banking and rubbish. The
water IN the run ran so last that the residents
feared a repetition of the disaster of 1874, and
as soon as the first shock passed away and the
terrified inhabitants caught their breath they
Immediately made preparations TO vacate the
premises. Every effort made TO save the
furniture on the first floors while
the water washed and splashed in the
cellar below. Rivulets, brown cOlOred
and dirty, dashed into the cellar windows in
miniature torrents large number of butchers
were heavily damaged their slaughter houses
were ruined while their stocks OF meat were
destroyed. The same tale OF terror and de-
struetiOn comes from Saw Mill run, Woods run,
Charters valley, the west and south sides,
Pleasant valley and Lawreneeville district.
The lightning played havoc all night long. A
stable belonging to Fred Hampke, on Mt
Oliver, was struck and consumed. Fourteen
horses and two cows were cremated. The loss
IS $4,000. A south-Side street-car caught
a bolt The passengers were electrified
but not seriously hurt. Telegraph and
telephone wires were deranged throughout
large section of country. This mornings
trains were late on all the roads. The rainfall
was nearly three inches in three hours and the
The bodies of two men, victims of last nights
food, were found this morning. The remains
of John DOugherty were discovered at the
mouth OF a culveTt at Woods Run, wedged in
between some logs. He LETT his home shortly
after midnight to see how high the water was
and had gone but a short distance along the
banks of the swollen stream when he was
struck and carried away by bridge which had
been swept away from its foundations. He
was hfty-two years of age and married. The
second fatality occurred in the Butchers run
district John Koeher went down in the eel
lar OF his house during the storm and did not
return. When the waters had subsideC his
body was found lying in the coal vault.
Intelligence of the thrilling escape of two
women and four children about II o'clock last
night comes from Nine-mile run, near Salts
burg, up the Baltimore Ohio road. Joseph
Blume his wife, niece and four children lived
in a large shanty-boat, mOOred about a quarter
of a mile from the Monongahela river. At this
point a Baltimore & Ohio bridge crosses the
run. Last night Mr.. Blume went to a meeting
at Port Perry and at an early hour the women
and children retired TO sleep. The rising water
tore the boat from its moorings and carried it
down stream. A big Newfoundland dog awOke
Mrs. Blume by its barking. Discovering her
position, she undertook TO catch projections
with line, but failed. neither could people on
shore to whom she called for help, render any
assistance. With death staring her and her
young children in the face, the brave woman
calmly waited until the boat neared the bridge,
hoping 1t would clear the piers. Suddenly there
was shock. The boat struck and was shattered
almost 10 atoms. Before il went down, how
ever. she threw two children ashore and taking
the two youngest in her arms followed. Miss
Travers Mrs. Blume's niece also escaped.
moment afterward the boat disappeared. The
dog which had saved their lives by giving the
alarm was killed in the wreck.
A great deal of damage was done in Pleasant
Valley Allegheny county, as the rain poured
down over the hillsides converting the streets
N Or from
few inches to several feet in depth and reach
ing from wall TO wall Wrecks and debris
were on the streets by the wagon load. A num-
ber of street cars were unable to get to the
stables, but were stopped on Taggart-st. by the
immense amount of earth dumped on the
tracks. number of passengers returning
from the theaters and elsewhere. in order to
keep out OF drenching ram, had gone beyond
their accustomed stopping places expecting to
return in the cars. They had a strange
experience. Where the cars were blOckaded
the water nearly two feet deep and it
poured in through the dOOr-ways and over the
floors. The unfortunate passengers took refuge
from the invading waters by standing on the
seats The ladies were in a state of great alarm.
The drivers and other employees of the road
were wading about in water above their knees
while they were being soaked above by the
drenching rain. The cars were delayed for two
hours.
At McKeesport the storm did thousands Of
dollars worth of damage in the Crooked Run
district Fifty houses were moved from their
foundations and several toppled over and were
demolished. People had 10 seek the hilsides
10 escape drowning, while large numbers of
horses and cattle were drowned and many
children were taken out Of beds floating in
the second story Of houses and their
lives saved. Twenty-Five cars-loads of debris
are lodged at the iron bridge, blockading Fifth
ave. IL consists of lumber-wagons and house
hold goods. No lives were lost, but there were
many narrow escapes. On the Pittsburg, Nc
KeespOrt & YOUghiougheney road a freight
train was wrecked by running into a land
slide, and Patrick MiskeIl, brakeman, was
killed. This makes five deaths directly at
tributable to the food. The names are:
JOHN DOUGHERTY, Woods run, carried
of from his home.
JOHN KOCHER, drowned in cellar on
Butchers run.
GERTRUDE sCHAEFFER, three years old.
Spring Garden.
LOUISA sCHAEFFER, aged eight years,
Spring Garden
PATRICK MIsKELL. a brakeman, killed
10 wreck.
At Ridgeway in Elk county, Mrs w. N
McNeill and her children were killed by light
ming. Mrs. Mcneil lived with her husband
and children in the suburbs of the borough
and when the storm arose she took her children
into the cellar for safety. The deadly fluid
struck the house and passed into the basement
instantly killing the mother and her three
babies.
While no definite figures can be given on the
loss at this time il is safe 10 saw that it will