The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1890-06-11
A FATAL HURRICANE.
Death and Destruction in the
Wake of q Western Storm.
Several Persons Killed by Light
ming in Pennsylvania.

The heaviest rain and electrical storm
known in years passed over large section
of Western Pennsylvania during the even
ing, doing great damage to property. and
resulting in the loss of several lives.
The storm struck Pittsburg about 4
o'clock, but no serious damage was done
in the old city. In the East End, how.
ever, the wind played havoc. Houses
were blown down, trees uprooted ana
small buildings demolished. On Winebid.
die avenue five new frame houses were lifted
from their foundations and destroyed. An.
other house, on Black Horse Hill, occupied
by John Miller, was lifted from the founda-
tions and blown a considerable distances.
The family were in the sitting room at the
time, but were not injured. At least a score
of other houses in the vicinity were unrooted
A large number of persons received slight
injuries The loss is estimated at from So
600 to $4,000.
At McKeesport, Penn, hailstones as large
as walnuts fell while the rain poured down
in sheets for full half hour The heavy ice
striking horses caused a number OF run
aYays The lightning struck several build
ings in that vicinity, and considerable dam
age was done.
The greatest injury was done by the water
which came down Whites Hollow IN stream
seyanty-five feet wide. The water was five
feet deeu on Fifth avenue of point below
Centre street, and number of houses which
were below grade were submerged. The
water reached the second story-of the Berk-
folder residence, causing great damage TO
that place and also the places adjoining. lt
was by far the heaviest and most unexpected
rain storm for the year.
At Greensburg, Penn. William Fry, the
gardener at st. Jose2h's Academy, was
Struck and instantly killed by bolt of light
ming. A cow standing near him was also
killed. The heavy rains caused great dam
cinity. Cellars and Easements were Hooded:
lightning also struck Colonel Huff's palatlal
residence, the First Reformed Church and
other buildings, doing great damage in every
instance
Near Washington, Penn, lightning struck
derrick in course of erection on the Colonsl
Robert Miller farm. shattering it AMI killing
William Furman, single; seriously inJurlns
William Gates and stunning two others.
In Fayette County, Penn, the rain fall
was extensive, and did much damage to
the railroad. In the Third Ward swamps
the Southwest Pennsylvania Railroad tracks
were flooded several feet deep, and trains
were held several hours. The Bal
timore and Ohio is a heavy sufferer.
At Bradford the tracks were covered Win
water A heavy landslide occurred at YAK.
dale and as it was being cleared away a still
heavier one came down, blocking both
tracks. The food in Mountz Creek carried
away many small buildings.
At Layton Station. Penn. an immense
amount of mud, rocks and trees came down
ON the Baltimore and Ohio tracks about five
o'clock in the evening. The east bound track
was cleared at nine clock, but it was again
covered for long distance By more OF the
hill coming down. The rain There amounted
almost to a cloudburst. Trainmen say the
streams for the hills flowed over the track.
At Scottdale, Penn. the storm was par
iicularly destructive. Cellars all along the
principal streets are nearly filled with water,
and the goods that many OF the merchants
had stowed away are saturated.
A despatch from Oil City, Penn. says:
Heavy rain falling almost steadily since las;
midnight raised the water in the river and
creek to the highest point since 1888. me
river stands now at fourteen feet nine lnchesr
rise of six feet since ten A. N.
The Ground floors Of the lower portion OF
the town were flooded, including the base
ment of the Oil Exchange AMI the Derrtcs
press room.
At Wheeling, W. Va. about two and
half inches of rain fell In twenty mlnaees,
deluglnS Ine StrcoIo anu uootS 49,
OF business houses i'll cellars and hrSt nooTs.
Travel on the Elm Railroad was stopped for
several hours by heavy landslide. The
newly plowed farm land in the vicinity
suffered severely
At all points along the Allegheny, ,Yough-
iougheny and Monongahela Rivers the rom
fall was unusual.
At Alliance, Ohio, George Patterson. his
wife and two children were killed by iight-
ning. Many houses are reported as having
been demolished and their inhabitants IN
A westbound freight train on the nickel
Plate" went through bridge at Crayton'
near the Ohio State line. Engineer Eills'
Fireman Nicholson and Head brakeman
Johnston. went down IN the irasS Oh ENGINE
and tventy-iye cars. All three came out
alive. but the engineer will die. The bridge
was a wooden structure and was $50 feet in
length