Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-19
SWEPT INTO A SEWER.

Awful Death of q Contractor at Cork's
Run-Four Others Caught Under an
observation-disclosures Done by the
Storm in the Two Cities.
About three hours of the most terrific
rainfall ever known in the State occurred
yesterday morning There were 12S inches
of rainfall The damage to property was
not so very great, but one man lost his life.
His name was Thomas Coleman. He was 80
years old and a contractor working
for the Panhandle Railroad at
Cork's Run. During the hardest part of the
rain he, with two others, sat in the upper
end of the sewer which they we're construct
ing. The water commenced to raise, but
they did not think there was any cause for
alarm until perfect wall of water rushed
down upon them. The men hurried
out, but in the soft mud they could
not make much progress Two, how
ever, gained the bank, but Coleman
was caught by the current and before
the very eyes of the men he was drawn
down with the current into the cul-
vert and washed away to the river The
men below did not know he had been
drowned until they saw his hat floating on
the water. The run was at once dragged
and his body recovered. A large crowd had
collected by this time, but they withdrew
when the body was recovered. The Coroner
was notified and will hold an inquest on
Monday.
Considerable Damage at Woods Run.
In lower Allegheny Woods Run would
mot hold the great volume of water, and
nearly all the cellars in that district were
flooded. In fact. some of the Mcclure ave-
nue. residents had TO move their household
goods.
Lewis CARRIER, a grocer doing business at
Prehle avenue and Hanover street, had his
cellar half filled with water and about 5000
worth of produce and other provisions were
ruined. Mrs. Dolan, another storekeeper
on Benton street, lost some $50 in
the same way. Jacob Douch, a saloon
keeper of Woods Run avenue,
lost rather heavily by the water
undermining the cellar wall, which fell and
destroyed part of a stock of liquors. A
partition wall in the house of John Cavey,
on the same street. was also washed down
and his kitchen flooded, leaving a deposit
of mud and stones on the floor. Several
other houses were more or less affected by
the heavy shower and flood and nearly
every cellar in the vicinity was filled by the
debris of the Woods Run Valley. Wooden
doorsteps, buckets and other materials
ioatable were carried away and dumped
into the Ohio river just beyound the mouth
of the alleged sewer.
On Federal street the sewers also proved
too small and as result many cellars on
Federal street and Montgomery avenue
were filled with water In some of the
stores there were large quantities of goods
damaged Streets were also flooded in the
West End.
Washout on the TT. Wayne Road.
A washout occurred on the Ft. Wayne
road at Werner station because the culvert
was not big enough to carry off the water.
However, it was repaired at once and the
trains were not stopped There were also
several washouts on the Citizens traction
extension on Butler street.
The rain also caused landslide Just be- |
low Cork's Run. 1t struck one of the Char |
tier cars and crushed in the roof The half |
dozen passengers inside were badly fright |
ened but none of them were hurt.
The water also weakened the embank- |
ment of sewer at Sixteenth street so much |
that it caved in yesterday afternoon. Four
men were working there at the time Mike |
Mutt, one of them, suffered internal in
uries that may prove fatal. Mutt lives at
near Pike. He is married and |
mas four young children. The contractors
Tor the laying Of the sewer were Hays &
Freese.