Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1889-07-25
A CLOuD-BURST.
It Sweeps All Before It with It's
Resistless Force.
The Little Kanawha Valley in West yir-
ginia Flooded Sc seral Lives Lost and
Valuable Property Destroyed
storms IN other Places.
RtIrN CAUSED ny rI.oon.

RUIN CAUSED ny TLoop
PARKERsBuRG, W. Va, July 20 The
greatest disaster which ever befell the
Little Kanawha valley came Thursday
night in the shape OF terrible cloud burst
which has completely flooded the county,
destroying many lives, carrying of thou
sands of dollars iii property, and running
the crops for many miles. The deluge fell
here about dusk and continued to fall in
torrents. doing 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 recollection of the old
esq inhabitants. In thrt hours the Kan
awha rose six feet and Ian out with such
velocity that it carried sry thing before
it. At this point thousands of logs and
number of boats went out or were sunk.
Mrs Isaiah Tucker, Martin Iawless 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
ley all the fences crops and much 1--we
stock were lost At Cheaterville. a small
town about ten miles above, half the resi-
dences were carried of bodily and left In
and three dwellings were wrecked
The worst story of all comes from Nor
ristown, small village near the head of
Tucker creek, where the cloud-burst con-
centrated in all its fury, coming down on
the village and totally destroying it, to-
gether with many OF its people. The first
report gave the loss of lite 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
At Pill Brush all bridges and culverts are
washed away and it is impossible to reach
or communicate with that point or any 9TH
en- ON upper waters
PARKERsBURe, W. Va, July %. The news
from the flooded district shows that but
faint outline of the story was told in the
first dispatches and as remote dis
tricts are heard from it is feared the loss of
life and property will reach terrible
proportions News comes from Ravens
wood, Jackson County, which indi-
Gates that at least dozen lives
were lost in that locality alone. What is
described as cloud-burst descended upon
the head waters of Pond creek and two or
three other small tributaries to the Ohio,
and the whole surrounding country was
swept bare. The list of dead is very in
complete, but at present it is known that
Edward Blaneo Richard Black and wife,
Mrs. Thomas Hughes and four children
and John Lockhart were drowned. Thomas
Hughes house was swept away. Hughes
managed to save himself but his wife and
children were drowned before his eyes
He says the water came down the valley Of
inn
mense reservoir had burst and his house
and his earthly possessions, including his
family, We're blotted out in twinkling.
IN ILLINOIS
CHICAGO, July 20-The storm Of Thurs
day night was the most severe OF its kind
ever experienced in this region The cleo
trical display was remarkable. great
streak OF chain lightning would run from
horizon to horizon in a zigzag course, and
then the thunder would crack as if bat
terry of cannon were being fired. Several
times the lightning struck houses and
barns, but the rain put ont the fires that
resulted.
PEORIA, Ill, July 20. = The storm here
Thursday night was one OF the worst known
Tor years Great damage was done to crops,
and cellars were flooded in this city de
stroying much property. The race track at
away, causing termination OF the races
which were in progress there.
AURORA, Ill, July ga strip of country
about five miles in width lying few miles
northeast of this city was visited Thursday
night by terrific wind and rain-storm,
which did great damage to crops, laying
low the corn and wheat for miles
IN ONO.
CINCINNATI, July 20.--ln this city the loss
by Thursday nights storm is $4,000 Adj
vices from other parts OF the State show
that heavy rains fell in many places. \
cloudburst at Lancaster caused a big wash
out on the Columbus Hooking Valley i
Toledo railway. At Logan heavy rain
caused much damage to crops. Lightning
struck house in the little village of
Georgesville, In Franklin County, and set it
on fire and burned half the town At
Marysville great damage was done Light
ming struck the electric light works, ruined
dynamo and put ont the lights of the
town.
LANcAsT 1R, o., July 22-One Of tn most
disastrous storms ever known in the Hook
ing valley eliminated Saturday in the
breaking of Sharp's dam at Sugar grove, on
the Hooking canal The dam held in store
a large body of water that supplied the
lower levels of the cana The heavy rains
had filled the reservoir to the banks when
suddenly the dam gave way, ana with
mighty roar the sea of water went ont
through the valley taking with it every
movable object.
GALLON, o., July q. One of the heaviest
losses Crawford County has sustained for
long time was caused Friday, when a cloud
hurst entirely destroyed Lake Gray.
pleasure resort, six miles from this place.
Loss S21 600
IN MONTANA.
BELKNAP, NJ T., July 20. The heavy rains
of the past ten days eliminated Thursday
night in Il tremendous thunder-shower,
which flooded the entire Milk river valley
from Assnibon to point twenty five
miles east of Chinook.
IN TEXAS.
COLUMBUS, Tex, July lS.-The Colorado
river at this point is thirty-one feet high
and rising The lowlands are inundated
and crops are entirely destroyed The
damage to the cotton crop in this county is
estimated at $30o,000. People are moving
to the highlands. Melons, fences and ferry
boats are coming down the stream too
numerous to count 1t has been raining
here for three weeks One foot more will
cut off al! railroad communication
IN WISCONSIN
MILWAUKEE, July ia special from Pesh-
tgo says a severe wind and rain-storm
there Thursday afternoon caused great
CONSERVATION, it's onset being so fierce that
it was feared that the place would
be swept OF house and troe. The
Odd Fellows hall was unroofed and
the spire of the Catholic church
greatly damaged All that was fnse-
cure about buildings was carried away by
the whirling wind; trees were uprooted
and fences laid low. Many Of the farmers
fields in tho line of the storm were swept
clean of such crops as were about to be
housed Altogether it was the most threat
ening storm that the place has experienced
In years.