New-York tribune., 1896-07-29
DROWNED IN THE FLOOD.
TWENTY-FIVE LIVES LOST IN THE PENN
SYLVANIA STORM

storms and floods In this vicinity in past years
! that have caused greater fatalities II is doubt
full II the storm which struck Western Pennsyl-
vania last evening was not the greatest In its
history in its widespread destruction Of prop
erty.
Near Cecil. three miles southeast six bodies
/ have been recovered from the mass Of debris In
Cecil Valley. Oil wells and shanties occupied by
oil producers and wOrkurn are thickly located
along the banks Of Cecil Creek. The torrents
swept through them ike mad giving TO time for
escape. Samuel McKinney's house swept
away. carrying with it his wife and two chill
/ dren. Two oil mer sleeping in the shanty
! drowned.
The clOudburst which swept the Cecil Valley
also carried away miners clearinghouse near
Bridgeville resulting in the death Of sixteen Of
I the inmates by drowning. The valley at this
point was covered by eighteen feet Of water.
A correct list ofTatalities is as follows:
BEATTY. cyds aged twen;y-seven oil pumper. Of Sis
tersvllle. ". "a.
HAGAN. J. c. aged nifty. residence unknown.
HOLMES Miss Jane aged eighteen. daughter OF coal
MK1NNEY Ms. Samuel aged fifty.
MKINNEY Margaret, aged thirty.
MKINNEY James aged eight.
WILKINSON Charles. aged twenty-seven. oil pumper
% Clarion Penn.
All Of the bodies have been recovered save one
that Of Margaret Mckinney.
OF the sixteen miners swept away Ave bodies
have been recovered. One man was rescued yet
alive from the branches OF a tree in which he
had lodged. All Of the men were foreigners
mostly Italians. employed in the mines Of the w
P Rend Company and the Ridgeway Bishop
Coal Company. The damage to mine and oil
property will be heavy.
TWO lives were lost one man was fatally hurt
and number OF people seriously injured The
dead are John Fiegus. Of No II Pine-st. AL
legheny. and John Aufholder. Of Pittsburg.
George Miller Of No 22G Man-st this city, had
his back broken and will die The more seriously
injured Jacob Metz. of Easiest Frank OFT.
Of No. 13 Pine-st. Harry Haddell. of Chestnut
St: Charles Kosac Of No. 2s Perry-st; Thomas
COnnell Of East Erie-st. and Sadie Smith. OF
Centre-ave.
CAMPERS MEET WITH DISASTER
John Fiegus and George Miller, with several
companions. We're in camp on the banks OF the
Allegheny River near Aspinv all Their tents
were sheltered beneath large sycamore tree.
Either the lightning the wind tore a huge
limb from the tree, and it dropped directly upon
the tent in which the members Of the club had
sought shelter Fieguss skull was crushed.
Miller pinned to the earth and his back
broken. Five other members Of the party were
held to the ground under the heavy limb. all
, severely injured. Their more fortunate COM
panions to their relief and summoned
medical aid.
John Aufholder met his death while striving TO
reach place Of shelter from the hurricane on
Second-ave.. near Greenfeld-ave. Just as he
reached II with his team heavy sign was torn
from its fastenings and crushed him down into
his wagon. Death was instantaneous, his skull
having been crushed and his neck broken.
Throughout Pttsburg and Allegheny many
buildings were unroofed. hundreds of trees up
rooted. electric wires prostrated windows shat
tered outbuidngs and even some dwellings up
set and ruined.
The storm was cycon!c In its fury. the rain
fall extraordinary in volume. while the accom-
panying thunder and lightning were appalling
The afternoon was the hottest Of the season. and
just prior to the first storm the humidity was
extremely oppressive. During the brief period OF
the first rainfall the temperature dropped twen-
ty-two degrees For three minutes the wind
reached velocity Of thirty miles an hour. driv-
Ing the rain in sheets and drifts 1t was this
gust Of wind that wrecked so much property.
Estimates Of the total damage run anywhere
from 100000 to 81 900 900 in Allegheny County
The damage to the Fifth United Presbyterian
Church Websterave. and Westinghouse. is |
about 5000 The John Wesley African Metho-
dist Episcopal Church Arthur-st. was dam
aged about 5000; Fox & Co.'S machine shop |
westinghouse. damaged $1,000. The steeple /
of the Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church /
Kirkpatrick-st. was blown off and the bell car !
ried into an alley some distaace away The |
falling steeple crashed through the roof OF the !
dwelling Of John Tonne. wrecking il. The fall |
ing trnbers also damaged the houses Of Will |
lam Either and George Sutherland The dam
age to the church will reach $1,000 or more
DEVASTATED THE SECOND TIME
In Lawrencevllle Seventeenth WardD the |
damage is greater than on July - when the |
storm wrecked the stone wall surrounding Ale |
gheny Cemetery. The broken wall offered no |
resistance to the food last evening and a rag |
ing torrent not only devastated a large portion |
of the beautiful Allegheny cemetery. but |
flooded Butler-st and streets below to a depth |
Of nearly five feet. The cellars Of hundreds Of
houses flooded. and the first floors Of sew
eral score We're covered with water Every
street in that part OF the city blocked with |
broken trees. stones. rubbish and mud
All over both cities traffic was suspended. In
the mill districts along the Allegheny River
twenty-five large smokestacks toppled
over by the force Of the wind. and in num-
be- e instances wrecked the building on which
the- fell.
Scarcely had the thoroughfares been made
passable and delayed cars begun to move when
the night de.uge came on. This in point OF
downpour was even than the evening
flood The high wind was absent. however, but
the heavens were almost continuously light with
terrifying flashes Of lightning. and the roar OF
thunder Was continuous. The storm continued
with slowly diminishing energy until midnight
At noon to-day the body OF an unknown man,
evidently the victim Of last nights storm was
found in the Ohio River just below the city
TALES OF DESTRUCTION
Reports from the surrounding districts tell
OF the destruction Of buildings death OF farm
stock and much damage to crops and fruit
All the railroads entering the city suffered a