Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-07-03
LAST NIGHTS STORM
ONE OF TIE HEAVIEST RAINS IN THIS VICIN-
ITY FOR YEARS,
Accompanied BY Thunder and Lightulng-COnsid
cradle Damage Done in DiHsrsn, Sec
tons BY Water and Lightning.

About half.past eight o'clock last
night the city was visited by heavy
rain storm accompanied by vivid flashes
OF lightning and thunder. For ten
minutes the rain fell in torrents, and
was accompanied by an electrical dis
play which was very brilliant. -Four
hundred telephones were burned out.
and the service after the storm was
badly crippled. A force Of men was put
to work last night, and this damage
will be repaired by eight o'clock this
morning.
The storm did considerable damage
in and about the city. It's extent Will
not be known unlil to-day, owing 10 the
difficulty in securing telephone connec-
ton with suburban points. The water
flooded the streets In the business dis
tricts, and also found its way 10 many
cellars. Many sewers were stopped up,
and the water overlooked the cutters
and pavements. On Market, from
Tenth TO Sixteenth and intersectiug
streets, the water reached from curb to
curb. When the rain ceased, Mr..
Christian Schnepf, the Opera House
druggist, found that the waterfall was
.s5 of an inch, practically all OF which
fell in the space OF ten minutes.
When the storm was at its height the
lightning struck the tower on the City
Building, but did little or no damage.
At the same time fame came from the
telephone la the Office OF Chief Nc
Nichol, and badly frightened every per-
son in the office at the time. The cleo
trio lights went out all over the city.
A large tree In the yard OF Mr.. Pollack,
on Chapline street, below Twelfth, was
either struck by lightning or blown
down by the wind, and Is lying across
the pavement. Trees were blown down
in other sections Of the city, and IL was
reported that one or more barns In the
rear OF Martins Ferry were burned.
The storm did considerable damage
on the South Side. What the wind did
not do the subsequent high water &C
complshed. In the locality OF Forty
fifth street a num- Der of large and valu-
able shade trees were blown down. In
the sycamore grove, below Forty-third
street. some Of the old landmarks were
blown down. The high water did con-
siderable damage on Wood street, be-
Thirty-ffth and Thirty-ninth streets.
In that part OF the city the level OF the
ground is lower than In any part OF the
city south of the creek. The currents
OF water flowed along the streets In
torrents, com pletely hindering the
passage of pedestrians. The water
flowed into the cellars there, and did
damage the amount Of which could not
be estimated. At Forty-frst and Jacob
streets there Is sewer which Is too
small to carry the water away. A pool
OF water accumulated there covering
both pavements, and also flooding some
some of the cellars In that vicinity. At
one time during the storm there were
three feet Of water extending clear
across the street. Caldwel's run was
on a rampage. When the worst OF the
storm had blown over, the water at
Twenty-ninth street, near the mouth OF
the stream, was nearly TO tho banks.
Had the rain kept up little longer,
the stream must have overflown Its
banks and caused damage.
Passenger train No. los, on the
Plttsburg and Wheeling division OF the
b. & O.. due In this city at 1928 o'clock,
did not arrive until o'clock this morn
ing. Along that division of the line,
the storm was severe, and two large
trees fell on the track, causing the de-
lay. Luckily one Of the trees was near
FinIeyville and the other near Wash
ington, and forces Of men were easily
secured to have them removed.