Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-29

An Electrical Storm Does Much Dam.
age in the East.
Lives Lost and Buildings Demolished
in Few Moments.
Rain and Hail Fill In all the GAPS
Left Vacant.

PITTsBUnG, May 23.-A severe rain and
electrical storm passed over a large sec
ton of western Pennsylvania this even
ing, doing great damage to property and
resulting in the loss of several lives. In
the east end of this city houses were blow
down, trees uprooted and small buildings
demolished. A house on Black Horse hill,
occupied by John Miller, was lifted bodily
from its foundation and blown consider
able distance. The family escaped with
slight bruises. At least a score of other
houses in the vicinity were unroofed. A
large number of persons received slight
injuries but, as far as known, there were
no fatalities.
At McKeesport hailstones as large as
walnuts fell, while rain poured down in
sheets for half an hour Lightning struck
feveral buildings and considerable damage
was done. The greatest damage was done
by water, which came down Whites Hol-
low in stream seventy-fve feet wide
The water was five feet deep ON Fifth av-
enue and number of houses below grade
we're submerged.
At Greensburg, VIM. Fry, gardner at
st. Joseph's academy was killed by light
ming. The heavy rains caused great
damage in the low lands in the vicinity.
Lightning struck a number of fine build
ings, doing great damage in every in
stance. Near Washington, Pa, lightning
struck a derrick on the Miller farm shat
tering it, killing VIM Furman, seriously
injuring VIM. Gates and stunning two
others.
In Fayette county the rain fall was ex-
tensive and did much damage to the rail-
road. A heavy land slide occurred at Oak
dale, and as it was being cleared away, a
still heavier one came down, blocking
both tracks. The flood carried away many
buildings. At Layton Station an i'm
mense amount of mud, rocks and trees
came down on the Baltimore & Ohio
tracks. The rain there amounted almost
to cloud burst.
At Scottdale the storm was particularly
destructive. The cellars along all the
principal streets were near filled with
water and the goods in the stores were
saturated. The creek is rising steadily
and the safety of the bridges between
Scottdale and Fairchance is endangered.
A dispatch from Oil City, Pa, says:
Heavy rain fell almost steadily since mid
night, raising the water in the river and
creek to the highest point since 1883. On
account of the washouts there is no rail
road communication with Buffalo or War
rem. Ground floors in the lower portion
of town are flooded.
At Wheeling, West Virginia two and
one-half inches of rain fell IN twenty min
utes deluging the streets and flooding a
number of business houses. There are
apprehensions of big rise in the river.
In Pittsburg the heavy rain is likely to
swell the rivers to flood proportions.
ALLIANCE, O., May 23.-George Pater-
son, wife and two children, of SaIineville,
were killed by lighting while standing
under tree during the storm this after
noon.
ERIE, Pa, May 23.-The long con-
tinued rains have caused great deal of
trouble ON the railroads in this section of
the state, and today there were many wash
outs The west bound freight on the
Nickle Plate went through bridge near
Crayton. Thee train men were severely
injured. Twenty-Five cars went down into
the flood.
CLEVELAND, Ohio, May 23.-A rain
storm, much in the nature of a cloud
burst, swept over northwestern Pennsyl-
vania this morning, doing great damage.
At Cory the streets were converted into
rivers, in some places two feet feet, tear
ing up sewers and washing out roads. The
railroad yards are completely inundated
The merchants also sustained heavy losses.
The valley from Cory to Irvington, dis
lance of twenty miles, is complete lake
OF water from one to three miles in width.
The loss will probably reach 100000 or
more. The public highways in the sur
rounding country are nearly impossible.
At Meadvllle, the lightning struck several
buildings, but none were severely
damaged. Several streets are flooded and
extensive damage resulted in the lower
portion of the city from the rapid rising
French creek. Three bridges, a slaugh-
ter house and numerous small buildings
and sidewalks were swept away. Reports
all directions indicate that the damage in
this vicinity was very heavy. The rail
roads also suffered from washouts.
JOLIET, Ill.,, May 23.-A Terri fc thun-
der and rain storm visited this section
last night. The rain fell in torrents and
reports from outlying suburbs are that
there was cyclone on the west side and
that a couple of residences were blown
down with no serious injury to the in.
mates. The storm took a course directly
toward the massive building of the
Joliet penitentiary, but no damage was
done.
OTTAWA, ILL.,, May ga terrific wind
storm accompanied by sheets eff lightning
and rain, swept up the Illinois valley
last evening at about o'clock Great
trees were twisted and blown down and
considerable damage was done to property
in the city.
HAMMOND, Ind, May pa cyclone
swept through here last evening at 6:15
doing much damage. The east wing Of
the safe and lock works was demolished
and the building of the steam brick yard
unrooted.
LoGANsPoRT, Ind, May 23.-A tele-
phone message received from Marion, Ind,
says the flint glass works at that place
were struck by lightning last night and de-
stroyed by the fire that followed The
loss is about $4,000.
BAPTIST CONVENTION