The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-05-18

CLEVELAND, O., May 1.-THE storm of
rain and wind which began at noon on
Monday and continued almost without
cessation TIL this evening produced flood
unprecedented in the history of northeast
ern Ohio and northwestern Pennsylvania.
Thus far fourteen lives have been lost,
great damage done to shipping, while the
TOSS of other property viii amount 10
hundreds of thousands or dollars. The
sky for fiftv-six hours has been of dull
leaden color, and the low hanging and
bcurring clouds, which were hurried along
by northwest gale, seemed TO have every
drop of water shaken out Of them. The
wind, which at times reached velocity of
more than fifty miles an hour, drove the
rain in sheets. making it almost impos-
sible for pedestrians to get along the
streets. By Tuesday evening more than
Il inches of rain had fallen, and it was
still coming down in torrents. Every
sewer III the city was pouring d torrent Iu-
TO the sluggish Cuyahoga, which came
down from the hills of Summit county
swollen to more than twice its normal
size. The river runs through the manu-
featuring and lumber district, The channel
being about i've miles in length. Along
its banks are the Valley and the Cieve-
tdnC, bdulOn anu FoOuIDtIIl TdiAhdSS. i i!c
water this morning was away over the
river banks. The torrent was seeking the
nearest way to the lake, and half dozen
lumber yards in its course could not bar
the way. Millions of feet of building
material are now on the way TO Canada,
and more of it is still coming down the
river.
This afternoon, while great crowds were
watching the food, the first disaster hap
pened here. Captain Stanley Flanagan
and Michael IeBlonde were going down
the river in a row boat used to peddle milk
along the docks. When near the mouth
o. the raging stream one of LeBlonde's oars
broke, and the two men were left at the
mercy of the waters They were quickly
carried out ia the lake by the rushing
stream. Preparations were quickly be-
gun for their rescue. Seven men manned
lifeboat and pulled away. When the
life-SaVerS were well out of the mouth of
the river the oars broke, and in an instant
the cork like vessel swung about, to toss
upon the angry waves. The men in the
Gfeboat were totally helpless, aud before
assistancecould be rendered the boat was
overturned and all the men Were thrown
into the water Four succeeded in catch
ing hold of the overturned boat, where
they hung on until rescued, in a
terribly exhausted condition. Their four
fellow lie-saYerS were tossed about so
mercilessly by the wild waves that they
were una bic 20 swim back to the lifeboat |
and, after vainly battling for few mo-
menIs with the elements, they were over
come and the battle Iur life had to be
given up. The names of he drowned are
Chester SimouS, John johnson, Nicholas |
Zervas and Albert Currier
Flanagan and LeBlOnde were drowned
Reports from all sections of northeast !
ern Ohio tell of swollen streams and over
flowed farm lands, but 1t Is impossible to
make an estimate OF the damage. Neither /
IS It possible to tell what the property loss /
in Cleveland will be. The damage to |
property along the flats will be very heavy, !
as also Will that caused by washad-out |
streets and broken sewers throughout the /
city.
- bad washout is reported on the /
Cleveland, Canton aDdESouthern road, lust |
east of this city. At noon railroad traffic |
was completely suspended From the ef- /
fects OF the food. The water had inun-
dated the tracks OF every east-bound road |
SO that business was at standStiu The |
Lake Shore, the NIckle Plate and the Erie
are blockaded. Passenger and freight /
trains are sidetracked where they were
caught and are unable to move.
YOUNGSTOWN, O., Nav IA steady
rain for forty-eighU hours has caused the
Mahohing river TO reach the highest stage
ever known, and it is still rising three
inches an hour. All the lower portion of
the city is inundated. and the fire depart
ment was busy all night rescung families
from their homes The pittshurC and
Lake Erie is the only line running trains.
The entire Mahoning valley j. flooded
PoRT HURON, Mich, May 16-Steamers
are coming IN today minus rigging, masts.
etc. Two uad lost rows OF lumber during
last nights gale, which still continues,
AT Port Austin schooner is ashore.
IN PENNSYLVANIA
TITUsvuLE, Pa. May L. Titusville
has been again visited by destructive
flood, causing great distress TO poor fami-
lies here and entailing great loss of prop
erty.
Al Meaiville the greatest flood ever
known in the French creek valley is now
NJ its height. The water Is two feet
higher than ever known, and the railway
lrAck Lar aLnNa ltl fnr t.,-