The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-07-08
DEATH In GREAT STORMS.
Wind and Rain Unite to Destroy
Life and Property.
The Little Town of Utica, Ill,
Almost Demolished.

A cloudburst at Leechburg. Armstrong
County, thirty miles from Pittsburg, Penn.
ON the West Penn Railway, destroyed much
property and fatally injured one man. At {
o'clock, p. NJ, the heavens grew black, the
flashes Of lightning fiercely sharp. and the
peals Of thunder shook tue houses
to their foundations. Just outside OF
Leechburg is deep ravine through which
Anderson's Run flows. Down Andelson's
Run the torrent poured, carrying every
thing before it. Fifteen dwellings and many
outbuildiugs, stables, fences, etc., were car
ried away and jammed against the
railroad bridge at the foot Of the
run, which, unable to stand the terrific
pressure, also gave way. The occupants OF
ths houses fed to the hills. John Frank fell
from the bridge as it went down and was
fatally injured. The damage to properly
will be very heavy. Ths tralc on the West
Penn Railway was temporarily suspended.
The marks on the hillside show that the
water in the ravine reached depth Of thir-
ty feet.
Nelich, Neb. The drains and ravines were
flooded and an immense amount OF damage
done. While crossing flooded ravine q
farmer named Loressen was swept from
his wagon and drowned. In limerick Town
shin, near Tilden, Neb., three children were
drowned They were crossing rav1ne
when it suddenly filed and they were swept
away.
A terrific storm struck the village Of Uti-
ca. Ill.,, about noon, and for four hoars q
solid sheet OF rain fell without ceasing. At
six o'clock the heavy rains all along the LII.
inois River and in the hills in the rear added
their waters to those already inundating the
village. The food at eight o'clock was still
rising, and at that hour communication both
by telegraph and telephone was cut on.
A courier who arrived from Utica shortly
after o'clock reported several children miss
ing AMI one drowned. The Rock Island
traces are washed away for mile or more
and all trafl:c was at q standstill. The water
reached q depth of five feet on the main
streets at o'clock, and the river was
still rising. The principal damage to prop
erty was done in the business portion of the
town. The losses were estimated at from
$50, 700 to &200, 900.
The damage done by the storm in the
neigaborhood Of Peoria, ILL.,, is almost incai-
culable. Thousands OF acres OF fine crops
were under water buildings were badly
damaged and the poor people lost nearly
all they had. For about four hours
such a rain as has never before visited
that section poured uoWH. IL "as
accompanied by terrific electrical display.
Telephone and Geographic connections were
almost entirely destroyed. At midnight the
operator at the Lake Erie and Western
Junction telegraphed to Peoria to start
out no trains; that his Office was
then full of half. clothed people WHO
had fed from their homes to avoid the rush
of the food, which had reached almost to
the second story of the building Many citi.
zens passed the night on the hil!sides dressed
only in their ght clothes
The roads most seriously damaged are thu
Toledo, Peoria and Western and Lake Erie
and Western. There are extensive wash
outs on both lines. Carcasses OF cattle,
sheep and hogs could be seen floating in
every direction.
At Breeds, H., sad triple drowning oc.
CURED. A family named Gray lived in
log house in the Copporas Creek Valley.
When the food swept down the valley drift.
wood battered against the house, and the
father, taking his three sons, aged twelve,
eight and five years, tried to reach a hill.
but was knocked down by a floating log and
che boys were drowned. He swan to the
hill an was saved. His wife, who got out
oa top OF the house and into tree, also es'
capel.