The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-07-22
WORK OF THE ELEMENTS.
Buildings Destroyed by Another
Storm In the Mohawk Valley.
Buildings and Bridges Washed
Away-Damage to Crops in All Di-
rectIons-The Trouble In West vIr-
ginia-A MASSACHUSETTS MankIIIed
by Lightning.

ALBANY, N. Y, July 20.-Another disas-
trous storm ragged along the Mohawk valley
last night.
Reports from all through that section show
that cloudbursts occurred in several locali-
ties, swelling creeks into rivers, drowning
thousands of head of live stock, carrying
away buildings, imperilling number of
lives, and doing great damage to farm lands.
At Little Falls the storm was very severe.
Rain fell in torrents, accompanied by high
wind, which caused considerable destruction
of property. Three bridges were carried
away on the Furnace street creek, and peo-
pie living on Furnace street were so alarmed
that they fled from their homes for safety.
On the West Shore road the embankments
were badly washed, and two bridges were
carried away. The damage to streets at Lit
tie Falls is estimated at $4,000:
Hamilton Jones, the stage driver between
Newville and Little Falls, lost his dwelling,
barn and three horses.
Charles Ellis lost his home, and his family
escaped with their lives after perilous ex-
perience.
Luther Schuylers house was swept away
with its contents, and also the dwelling of
Daniel Lighthouse.
Three bridges have been carried away be
tween Indian Castle and Newville.
Mohawk, damage was done to several build
ings, including the West Shore depot.
At Hinckes Basin and several miles east
of there, much damage has been done to
buildings and crops of farmers. The new
bridge near the Henry Petrie farm is gone..
No news can yet be obtained from Paine's
Hollow, but is thought that heavy losses
have occurred there. The storm was more
severe south of the village and along the
Indian Castle Creek.
20 ontl tlr n
of animals that have been drowned by creeks
overfowing their banks and buildings swept
away.
At Fort Hunter the Mohawk river rose five
feet last night, flooding the low lands and
washing away many crops.
The tracks of the West Shore were washed
out at Indian Castle, Herkimer county, near
Indian Falls, and the wires are down. West
Shore trains are running east on the
Central
The rain fell in torrents at Fort Plain,
and two gates and one pier of the canal aque-
duct were washed out. Navigation has been
suspended. By midnight the West Shore
tracks at Indian Castle were covered with
water to the depts of three feet in conse-
quence of the sudden rise of the creek.
AT Amsterdam the storm was the heaviest
known in 10 years. Along that part of the
Mohawk valley it ragged with great violence
from to 10 o'clock, assuming the form OF a
cl0udburst in several places.
The storm covered that section of country
along and south of the Mohawk river, from
Little Falls following the Otsquago creek
through Vanhornville, Fort Plain, CanaJo
harie, taking in Indsan Castle and coming
as far east as Amsterdam. General destruc-
tion resulted along the Otsquago.
The Mohawk is higher than it has been
before this season.
A portion of building, baby's cradle, a
clothes basket and chairs, were seen floating
down the river past Amsterdam this morn
ing.
WHEELING, w. Va, July 2O.-No estimate
is yet formed of the great calamity that swept
over Little Kanawha valley. Enough is
known to make it the most destructive in
life and property ever in West Virginia. The
scene of the greatest disaster was in Pond
Creek and Tucker Creek. Pond Creek rose
q foot In In one hour. me Vta water spread from
Four men took refuge in the Thames mill.
The mill was crushed and one man was
drowned.
Thomas Black and wife were washed from
their home and perished Thomas Hughes,
wife and four children fled from home, but
the water overlook them and all perished.
There was another sudden rise in the Elk
and P0ca rivers las night. A great quantity
of logs, ties. lumber, hay, wheat and oil were
destroyed. The loss will reach 100000.
Struck by Lightning.
EAST BRooKFIELD, July 20.-During a
heavy thunderstorm this afternoon while
James Ii. Kilmer. provision dealer, was
sitting on the veranda of his store smoking,
he was struck by an electric bolt and in
stantly killed. Louis Harper, who kept a
restaurant under the store, was struck and
knocked across the room, his ear being near
ly severed. James Corc0ran, baggage mas
ter at the Boston & Albany railroad station,