St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-05-24
QUAKERDOM DELUCED
A Great Storm Passes Over a
Portion Of Western Penn
sylvania.
Several Lives Lost and I'M
mense Damage Done to
Property.
The Main Streets Of Many
Cities Turned Into Surg
ing Rivers.
Big WashoutS on the Rail-
ways Cause Serious Delay
to Traffic.

PITTsBURG. Pa, May 23.-The heavi-
est rain and electrical storm known in
years passed over a large section of
Western Pennsylvania this evening, do
ing great damage to property and re-
sulting in the loss of several lives. The
storm struck Pittsburg about o'clock,
but no serious damage was done in the
old city. In the East end, however, the
wind played havoc. Houses were blown
down, trees uprOoted and small build
ings demolished. On Winebiddle ave-
nue. five new frame houses were lifted
from their foundations and. completely
destroyed. Another house on Black
Horse hill, occupied by John
Miller, was lifted bodily from
the foundations and blown
considerable distance. The family were
in the Sitting-room at the time, but were
not injured. At least score of other
houses in the vicinity were unroofed.
A large number of persons received
slight injuries, but, as far as known at
this time, there we're no fatalities. The
loss is estimated at from $4,000 to $780,,
600. At McKeesport, hailstoneS as
large as walnuts fell, while the rain
poured down in sheets for a full half
hour. The heavy ice, striking horses,
caused number of runaways, but no
serious damage was done. The light
ming struck several buildings in this
vicinity, and considerable damage was
done. The greatest injury was done
by the water, which came down Whites
Hollow in stream.
Seventy-FfYe Feet Wide
The water was five feet deep on Fifth
avenue at point below Center street,
and number of houses which were be-
low grade were submerged. The water
reached the second story of the Berk-
folder residence, causing great damage
to that place, and also the places adj
joining. 1t was by far the heaviest and
most unexpected rain storm for this
year. At Greensburg William Fry, the
gardener at st. Joseph's academy, was
struck and instantly killed by
bolt of lightning. A COW stand
ing near him was also killed.
The heavy rains caused great damage
by the flood in the low lands in this
vicinity. Cellars and basement kitchens
are flooded. Lightning also struck
Col. Huff's palatiaI residence, the First
Reformed church and other buildings,
doing great damage IN every Instance.
Near Washington, Pa, lightning struck
a derrick in the course of erection on
the Col. Robert Miller farm, shattering
it and killing William Furman, single.
seriously iniuring William Gates and
stunning two others. In Fayette county
the rainfall was extensive and did much
damage to the railroad. In theT bird
ward swamps the Southwest Pennsyl-
vania railway tracks were flooded sew
eral feet deep and trains have been held
several hours. The Baltimore & Ohio
is heavy sufferer. At Broad Ford the
tracks are
Covered With Water.
A heavy landslide occurred at Oak
dale, and as it was being cleared away
a still heavier one came down. blocking
both tracks. The flood in Mounts creek
carried away many small buildings. At
Layton station an immense amount of
mud, rocks and trees came down on the
Baltimore q Ohio tracks about o'clock
this evening. The east-bound track was
cleared at o'clock. but later word says
it has again been covered for long
distance by more of the hill
coming down. The rain there
this afternoon amounted almost to
a cloud burst. Train men say the
streams from the hills flowed over the
track. The west-bound track will not
be cleared before tomorrow night. At
Scottdale the storm was particularly de-
structive. Cellars along all the princi-
pal streets are nearly filled with water,
and the goods that many of the mer-
chants had stored away are saturated
The creek is rising steadily, and the
safety of a couple of the railroad bridges
between Scottdale and Fair Chance is
endangered. The construction train
has been ordered to the scene. A dis
patch from Oil City, Pa, says: Heavy
rainfalls have occurred almost steadily
since last midnight, raising the water in
the river and creek to the highest point
since 1883. The rise in the river has
been at
It's Highest Average
in the last four hours, and stands now
at IA feet 8 inches, rise of feet since
10 a. m. Reports from all points up the
river gauge from to inches higher,
and it is expected that it will be at least
5 feet higher here before midnight. On
account of washouts, no railroad COM
munications can be had with Buffalo or
Warren. The ground floors Of the lower
portion of the town are flooded, incIud-
ing the basement of the Oil exchange
and the Derrick press room. At Wheel
ing, W. Va, about 219 inches of
rain fell in twenty minutes, del
uging the streets and flooding a num-
ber of business houses in cellars and
first floors Travel on the Elm Grove
railroad was stopped for several hours
by a heavy land slide. The newly
plowed farm land in the vicinity suf-
fered severely. There are apprehen-
sions of big river. In Pittsburg the
heavy rain is likely to swell the rivers
to flood proportions. At all points along
the Allegheny, Youghiogheny and Mo
nongaheIa rivers the rainfall was I'M
usual. The stage of water here this
evening was thirteen feet and rising. A
special from Erie, Pa, says: The long
continued rains have caused a great
deal Of trouble
On the Railroads
in this section of the state, on the Buf-