Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1892-06-08
A DAY OF STORMS.
WARNING ELEMENTS MAKE THINGS LIVELY
HEREAB0UTS
Fear Last Night for the Safety Of the Main Street
Temporary Bridge-FlOod Up the Greek.
ClOud-Burs. at Mingo Junction
Yesterday was a day Of warning ele-

succession of storms, and when it was
not raining it was threatening to do so,
with q violence which bid fair to sur
pass the actual downpours.
Several times, so angry looking was
the sky, that the population throughout
the city and vicinity, mindful OF the
frequent disasters by aood in this i'm
mediate vicinity, and with the recollec-
ton of the calamities at Titusville and
Oil City fresh in mind, grew apprehen-
sive that something terrible was in
store for this section and there were
many glances at the boiling clouds as
they went skurrying hither and thither.
while upon two or three occasions, once
about three o'clock and again about
half-past five, everyone sought shelter,
as terrific dOwnpour seemed imminent.
Fortunately for this city, nothing oc-
Cured of more serious nature than
heavy shower, q moderate wind and a
few hailstones, but out Of town, in sew
eral directions, they were not so fortu-
nate, and as a result we this morning
have TO record cloud-burst up in the
vicinity of Mingo Junction, and a terri
BILE storm OF rain and hail, thunder and
lightning, up the valley Of Wheeling
creek.
The first rain Of the day fell about
half-past one, when drops noticeable
for their size, intermixed with moder-
ate quantity of small hail, fell in the
city. The storm seemed TO be more Sc
rious I'D the river, but it blew over in
the course of half an hour, and there
was comparative peace until three
o'clock, when the clouds again gathered
and threatened terrible storm. This
seemed to come up from the east and
west simultaneously, and there was a
general expectation that it would meet
over the city, but it "went'round," and
broke in all its fury somewhere in the
eastern portion OF the county, there be-
ing good deal OF rain and some hail at
Elm Grove and further up the creek.
At five O'Clock terrible storm seemed
10 be raging in the south and southeast,
covering the country back of Benwood
and Moundsville, and before this was
over another storm came up from the
west, and at half-past five the air was
dark and the general aspect OF things
very threatening. About six o'clock it
began TO rain, and the dOwnpOur lasted
for nearly an hour, when it slackeDed
up TO a moderate shower. This storm,
as well as the ones threatened during
the afternoon at various times, was &C
companied by vivid lightning and
crashing thunder, which interfere1
greatly with Geographic and telephone
work, and added materially to the I'M
condition of affairs.
While the five-thirty storm was at its
height in this city, the appearance OF the
sky indicated that we were getting but
a moderate portion Of it, and that was
raging with much more intensity east
OF town. Later developments confirmed
this surIniSe. As soon as Communica-
tion was had with Elm Grove and that
general neighbOrhOod, it was found
that they had been visited with q
freshet which recalled with consider
able vividness the deluges Of three
years ago, aud that the whole OF the
upper creek valley was pretty well
afoat. At Elm Grove the storm broke
in all its fury, and two houses in the
town were struck by lightning, for
tunately none of their occupants being
hurt. The first bolt struck the residence
OF Frank Hicks, on Little Greek, just at
the upper cod OF town, shock
ing the inmates severely. About
seven o'clock q bolt struck the
home of Charles Schrader, at
the first fording on the big creek, tear
ing off section OF the weather-board-
ing, but hurting no one. A number OF
flashes struck on the surrounding hills.
About seven o'clock the creek. at the
Grove began to rise rapidly, and it kept
coming up until after ten o'clock last
night, flooding the low land in the
vicinity of the Grove and all along the
creek, carrying off fences and doing
amount OF damage. Most
of the water came out OF the big creek,
and telephone reports at ten o'clock
said the water was still rising slowly.
No reports had been received at the
Grove from up the valley of the main
creek, but residents out there united in
saying that the rain was very heavy to
the east and south, and that an immense
body of water must nave fallen.
AT eight o'clock the creek in this city,
which had been dead water all during
the day, owing to the high river, began
TO take on gentle current, which grad
ually grew stronger until, at nine, 1t
was running a four-mile-an-hour cur
rent, and at ten nearly twice as fast, its
surface being covered with mass OF
logs, boards, fragments OF fences, tree
trunks, and all the miscellaneous drift
gathered up by such torrent. This
stuff early began to accumulate against
the tramway and spiles at the Main
street stone bridge, and by eleven o'clock
there was half an acre of stuff at that
point, apparently many feet thick, and
as it was added TO every moment,
the mass soon threatened to sweep
away the whole outfit, includ-
ing the temporary wooden bridge. At
eleven o'clock the danger seemed so i'm
stopped travel, and soon there was a
long line Of street cars on Main street,
extending north from Sixteenth street
almost to Fourteenth. The approach
to the wooden bridge from the north
was roped off and force of officers un-
der the personal charge of Chief Nc
NichOl, allowed no one TO cross. A few
minutes after eleven one of the big der
ricks on the vacant ground just east OF
the bridge went over with a crash, TAX
ing with it an engine and boiler, and as
everything else seemed about to go the
officers pushed the crowd back to the
line OF Sixteenth street, and kept the
stone bridge clear-not because there
was any fear as to its stability, but be-
cause the towering derricks, with their