Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-05-24
THE BIG STORM
WHICH STRUCK WHEELING AND VICINITY
YESTERDAY.
A Large Amount Of Water Falls IN a Few MINUTES,
Flooding the Sreets--The Damage Wrought
b. the Heavy Rainfall.
The River

The RvER-At TWO O'Clock this morning th'
river 40 the landing showed 81 feet inches
aud rising
Not since the big storm of July, lsss,
which tore out the old Main street
bridge. has Wheeling been treated to a
storm like the one which deluged this
yesterday afternoon.
From quarter before five o'clock to ten
afterwards, about two and one
half inches Of water fell, and in five
after the storm struck the city
he streets were raging torrents, which
pedestrians were powerleSs to ford.
The big rain was expected, and there
were many expressions Of thankfulneSS
that it was no worse. For three hours
previous 10 five o'clock thunder
was very frequent in the west and
southwest, a heavy storm having evf
IDENTIFY crossed the river south Of the city
about two o'clock. Between three and
four o'clock the western sky grew very
ominOuS and the clouds gradually took
ON that leaden-gray color which for
bodies hail, wind, thunder, lightning,
aud all the other essentials of first
class disturbance. but the storm held OIL
until a quarter OF five. During its pre-
yalence the lightning was very vivid,
aud 10 Is wonder some of the high
steeplcS Of the city were net struck by
the many flashes. The wind al times
was violent but no damage was report
ed on that score.
When the storm was at its height,
the streets, especially those paved with
brick i'm the business portion of
the city. were filled from
curb to curb with a torrent
Of water. heavily ladened with the wash
from Wheeling hill. and thickly dotted
with old cans. boxes, barrels, boards,
etc. Sewers We're stopped up in 4
and aS often aS this occurred
the sidewalks were flooded clear TO the
line of the houses. and in good many
Instances cellars and even first floors
suffered. A ease in point was AT Mar
act and Fourteenth streets, where the
sewer on the southeast corner was
stopped up. the water covering the side
walk.and running in two streams into the
cellar Of VI. Il J. Pollock'S -four mill.
The same thing happened at intervals
al over the city.
The worst sufferers by the storm were
he business men on Main street, ut the
Of South street and at Six
zenith street. The track of the Il. * o.
abroad where il crosses Main street. on
sixteenth. constituted a dam, and as
he sewer openings promptly filled up,
he streets in the vicinity were speedily
into lake. which extend
a from the south side of Sixteenth up
Main for square, up Sixteenth 10 the
Hey and up South street nearly to the
3. Il o. depot. The water was soon
earring into the cellars, and kept on
Using until it invaded the first floors of
Cribs livery stable, SCOTS saloon, Il. +.
Higgins store. FoOSe'S, Deku'S, the Ar
AIDE. WiSshack'S restaurant, Hunters
md Giflin'S, In SCOTS saloon it tore
through and out the back way six or
light inches deep. The amount of
profanity evoked in that vicinity
rom residents and stranded pedestrians
vas something horrifying- Ladies and
,therS trying to get to the y. & O. depot
we're taken through the water in wag-
ms. For a time il was impossible to
get to the temporary bridge, and impOS-
iblc to cross 1t when one got tOit,
AS is usual with such heavy storms, a
treat deal of earth, &c, from .hc hill
vas left on the streets, there being
arge deposits at Tenth and
Market. Eleventh and Chapline.
twelfth and Chapline. Twelfth and
Market. Fourteenth and Market, Four
zenith and EofT, Sixteenth and Main,
,nd in many other localities north and
south Of the creek. At Alley ID and
Fifteenth street the water filled up the
big hole caused by eXcavating sand
rom the Jail site, and then cut its way
through the sidewalk TO the curbStOne.
Had the storm continued little longer,
here might have been serious wash
put at that point, President DobbnS,
u the Board OF Commissioners, took
prompt action, and this morning the
hole will be filed up.
The Elm Grove Railroad was block
ldod for time, by slip of earth from
he hillside, about half way between
he west end of Fulton and Els.
People building on top OF the
hin. where the ercmatory road
caves the pike, threw large
luantlty OF earth over the hill, and this
stuff. loosencd by the water, came down
with a rush. burying the track TO a
iepth Of three or four feet for distance
IF twenty feet or SO. The track will be
clear this morning.
The water came down Eighth street,
from alley c. with terrible force, wash
ing out the cobbled gutter badly.
Out the pike the low-landS along the
creek were flooded badly, Woods run
diSchargfng an immense volume OF
water. There was no damage at Elm
Grove. the storm being, apparently. not
so heavy as in the city
4 great deal of hail foil back OF
bridgeport and cut things quite badly.
A heavy wind storm also did great
deal Of damage out the Il. Il O. near
Cameron.
TlrT nTNEIt