Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-05-31
WORK OF THE RAINS.
The Two Cities Visited by a Thun-
der Storm That Did Damage.
SHOWERS SPRINKLE OTHER TOWNS
Electric Roads interrupted and Streets Get
a Needed Washing. =
NARROW ESCAPE ON THE PANHANDLE

j. Pluvius seemed to have had it in for
Pittsburg yesterday. Dark, black clouds
hung over the city all morning, and about
IL o'clock the rain commenced to fall in big
drops. Over in Allegheny, ON Observatory
Hill, the water came down in. sheets; along
Penn avenue it was steady plunk, but
nothing unusual. Out at Homewood there
was no rain at all, and a Ft. Wayne
conductor reports that at New Brighton
and Rock Point the ladies were
carrying parasols to keep off the hot rays Of
the sun. Picnickers at Rock Point say
the morning was perfect, but about noon
they had gentle shower when Allegheny
was getting the worst of it. The clouds
came from the west. u
But, to make life still more miserable for
local people, the attack was renewed about
6 o'clock, with heavy thunder and light
ming, and the water came down in torrents,
From all accounts, nearby towns escaped
with slight shower.
Streets Almost ImpassabIe.
The streets of Pittsburg were impossible
for awhile, and they received cleaning
which they have badly needed. Ali the
once more the natural color of the cobble-
stones e
The lightning struck new house of j:
D. Littell's, at North avenue and Poplar
street, and some of the terra Gotta tiles were
knocked off the roof. The corner of a frame
house occupied by James Maher, on Gala
fornia avenue, was another target, and the
eornice and a lot of shingles were knocked to
the street and some of the misunderstanding
was split. The heavy downfall of water
flooded many of the streets and washed the
mud from the surrounding hills. Perrys-
vile avenue was sheet of water
for a time, and many of the planks in
the roadbed were f1oated from their posi-
tions, and scattered over the street. The
mud flowed down Federal street from the
Perrysville road, and for an hour blocked;
travel on a part of the electric line Many
streets in the bottom lands were impossible
on account of the sewers being unable to
carry off the water. The sewer at Mcclure
and Fleming avenues was one of these, and
the water backed up into the house of Ben
jamin Caseman, where everything in his
cellar was ruined. His hencoop in the back
yard was also swamped, and all of his
chickens, some 30 in number, were
drowned, and now he is sorry he did not buy
DUCKS. line same cause, 100 much water Tor
the sewer, caused every house in Shanghai
Row to take the overflow in their Easements.
No material damage was done except the in
convenience to the residents.
Wreck of a Cheap Circus.
The 10-cent circus of Davy Markowitz,
which had been opened on Preble avenue,
yesterday came to grief. The wind and rain
were too heavy for it, and the entire appa,
ratus collapsed. Nobody was hurt, as no
performance was being given at the time,
but all the ropes, poles and guy wires formed
an indescribable tangle, and will cause con-
siderable loss.
At the foot of Sycamore and Carson streets
large amount of earth and rubbish was
washed down on the street. Along Carson
street the Birmingham street car line exper.
fenced considerable trouble.
The limited on the Panhandle Railroad
had marrow escape from what might have
proven serious disaster. As the train.
was, passing along the base of
Mt. Washington a large lot of earth
gave way and started down the hill.
Fortunately the major portion of it caught
upon some rocks, and only enough earth
went down over the hill to fill the trench at
the side of the track. Trains on the Pitts
burg, Virginia and Charleston Railroad were
delayed nearly three hours by big washout,
at South Twenty-seeond and Josephine
streets. A gang of 100 men was employed
nearly three hours in opening up one track,
so trains could pass.