New-York tribune., 1891-08-29
WORK OF A CLOUDBURST.
A DELUGE IN RENSSELAER, COUNTY.
SEVERAL LIVES LOST AND MUCH DAMAGE DONE
TO PRoPERTY-wAsHoUT on THE CENTRALr5
SCENES AND INCIDENTS OF THE FLOOD.

Berlin, n. Y Aug. 2s.-i. cloudburst over this
town and the town of Petersburg adjoining last
night, was followed by flood that did damage
unparalleled in this vicinity. The rain fell steadily
all day. but at O'Clock in the afternoon the water
came down in torrents lasting about an hour and
alarming the community. Those who were In dan
gerous localities sought places Of safety. Had the
cloudburst occurred after the people had gone TO
bed the loss of life would have been awful As
it was the wife of James Taylor was drowned In
her home in sight of her husband, who was out
sde but could not get through the current to save
her. His two children were saved. James Smith
was found dead, standing in mud up to his neck,
badly mangled, about half mile from barn In
which he was last seen alive.
The Lebanon Springs Railroad between here
and Petersburg, distance Of about five miles, Is
washed away into the meadows for many rods
in half dozen places. A large railroad bridge
is also gone, besides o score moro
of highway bridges. The houses and outbuildings
of F. NJ Cowee, near here, narrowly escaped
total destruction The mountain stream running
into Little Hoosic River became a cataract, and
changing its course, ploughed deep gorges on both
sides of the buildings. Stones weighing tons are
frequently seen that were washed rods from their
former resting-places. The valuable outbuildings
of Mr.. lilly are wrecked, and several acres sur
rounding are covered to depth Of four feet with
large stones. The house Of Charles Park was
turned upside down. The entire family was
absent at q camp-meeting. All the mountain
streams were so much swollen that seemingly ire
parable damage has been done. Meadows are
ruined and crops in the line of the flood are de-
stroyed
Part of the village of Petersburg, lying near
the Little Hoosic is completely wrecked. A
score Of dwellings and workshops are washed from
their foundations, and large quantity Of per-
sonal property has been destroyed. The loss to
property in that village will reach not less than
S25 900. No lives were lost there, but there
were several narrow escapes from death. Several
women were rescued from an upper window by
driving horse and wagon under the window.
When all were in the wagon a trace broke and the
driver cut the horse loose. The wagon was upset.
throwing the occupants into the current. They
cambered ont OIL ledge and were saved. The
horse and carriage were lost.
The southbound mail train on the Lebanon
Springs Railroad left Petersburg about o'clock
After running about o mile it came upon the
flooded tracks, and was promptly run back to
the station Scarcely had it backed to a place
of safety before the entire rOadbed in front Of
it. with the track for several rods, was washed
away.
The loss in crops will be a serious matter to
the farmers along the line of the flood through
this valley 1t is thought here that railroad
communication to points north will not he re-
sumed for several weeks, as facilities for repair
ing the damage promptly are not at hand Trains
between here and and Chatham will soon be
running The Little Hoosick River at Peters
burg rose to about tea feet above its normal
running The Little Hoosic River at Peters
burg are badly undermined and narrowly escaped
being carried away.
Troy, n. Y. Aug. 2S.-The whole eastern part
of Rensselaer, County was deluged by a cloudburst
last evening which made raging torrents of the
mountain streams and caused them to leave de-
struction in their path Glass Lake and Sand
Lake overfowed and sent torrent through the
valley of the Wynants<ill. Three dams were
washed out at Sand Lake, damage of 100000
was done to mills, and several houses were washed
away. At Smart's paper mill in this city one
end of the mill was torn out, bridge was car
ried away, and damage of about $4,000 was
done Bridges all along the stream were torn from
their fastenings and it is believed the damage
will surely reach $500, 900. In the valley of the
Lebanon Springs Railroad the storm was equally
extensive.
Albany, Aug. % (Special.-The New-York
Centrals train service on its Hudson River
division has been nearly paralyzed to-day, because
of the serious washout at a culvert just north
of Castleton. The culvert became choked with
ties. logs and debris carried by the flood, result
ing from yesterdays heavy rainfall, and the
water rising worked its way through the rail-
road embanment and carried away about sixty
feet of it. The masonry work of the culvert
was uniniured The construction gangs worked
all night and day on the break, and tonight the
officials promise to have the roadbed restored
By tomorrow morning. Few trains reached here
from New-York over the Hudson River road to-
day. That bearing the morning newspapers came
in TO the station after o'clock this afternoon,
and the express out of New-York at Z 80 o'clock
last night did not reach here until go this
evening. All trains have to come from Hudson
over the Boston and Albany road by way OF
Chatham. At Schodack only one track on this
road can be operated, because of a washout.
Then, too, small locomotives have TO be used
because of the low bridges, which makes the
running time from two to five hours slower
dispatch from North Chatham says Five
inches of rain fell last night. The crssk here
is higher than ever before known. The bridges
are all gone, and the mail stages are all stalled.
The water washed away everything in the way
of pigs and fowls, and several families were
compelled to move out in the night.
Another dispatch from Poestenkill says that the
storm of yesterday was terribly destructive. The
Poestenkill rose suddenly last evening and swept
everything before it between East and West Sand
Lake Five or six bridges were carried away
between this place and East Poestenkill and one
at East Sand Lake On the bridge near here
several persons were standing, looking at the
swirng tide and the wreckage swept down the
stream. They were warned to leave the bridge
and some did so, but four remained-Mrs Allie
Ives. Mrs Robert Morrison. William Castle and
William McChesney. Suddenly the bridge rose
from it's foundation and was swept down the
stream. The people jumped for the shore and the
three first named reaching it safely and were helped
by those standing the brink of the torrent
Young McChesney, age nineteen remained behind to
give the women the first chance to escape and he