The weekly tribune., 1893-05-19
UNPRECEDENTED.
The FlOOd-Gates of Heaven Let Loose
Upon NOrthw, stern Ohio and
Northwest Pennsylvania.
Fourteen Lives Have Been Lost Thus
Far and Great Damage Done
to Property.

CLEVELAND, May 1.-The storm OF
rain and wind which began at noon or
Monday and has continued almost with
out cessation until this evening has pro
duced flood Unprecedented in the his.
tory of northwestern Ohio and north.
west Pennsylvania. Thus far fourteen
lives have been lost. Great damage has
been done to shipping and the loss to
other property will amount to hundreds
Of thousands of dollars. 1t rained Sat
urday and Sunday and there were light
showers late Sunday night. There was
a heavy rainfall accompanied by thun-
der and lightning at noon Monday and
the wind veered around into the north
west and a steady down pour began.
The sky for fifty. six hours has been of
dull leaden color and low hanging aud
scurrying clouds which were hurled
along by the northwest ga seemed to
have every drop of water shaken out of
them. The wind which at times reach
ed velocity of more than fifty miles an
hour drove the rain horizontally and in
sheets making it impcssible for pedes-
that never leaked before let water
through like sieyes and the rain was
driven between window sashes until
people despaired of being able to keep it
out.
The storm was bad enough on Mon
day night and Tuesday forenoon, but by
Tuesday evening there came warnings
of trouble and everybody began to Won
der when it would stop. BY Tuesday
evening moro than 2l5 inches of water
had fallen and it was still coming down
in torrents. Then it was that fears of ID
food began to be realized. la this city
e,'ery sewer was pouring torrents into
the usually sluggish Cuyahoga river
which "ame down from the hills of Sum
mt equity swollen to more than twice
us normal 5ze. The river runs through
tne manufacturing and lumber district
OF the city by a tortuous channel about
hve miles IN length Along its banks
are the Valley and tie Cleveland, Can
ton y Southern railway. This morn
ing the water was away ever the river
banks. The torrent was Seeking the
nearest way to the lake and ha.f a dozen
lumber yards in its course could not bar
the way.
Whole piles Of lumber were carried
along in the streets and swept out into
the lake or lodged against the abrt-
ments of the bridges further down. |
The tracks Of the Valley and the Cleve-
land, Canton & Southern railroad were
submerged to depth of ten feet and all
traffic was suspended, as was work in a
score of factories.
Owing to the shaky bridges traffic was
suspended on railroads running east.
lhls afternoon two men were carried in
boat down the river into the lake. To
rescue them seven men manned the life
boat and pulled toward the east pier
or the breakwater, whittier the boat con-
tanning the two men had drifted One of
the oars of the lfe-savers broke when
out of the mouth of the river, and their
vessel tossed upon the angry waves.
Before assistance could be rendered the
boat was overturned, but four of the
men clung to the life boat until rescued.
Their three companions were drowed.
The names Of the heroes who lost their
ives in attempting to save others were
Jhester Simons, and johnson.