The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-08-14
DOWNPOUR OF RAIN
IN AND NEAR PlTTSBURC
Torrent OF 10 Feet Of Water Strikes
a House and Three Women Per-
Ish-Many Narrow Escapes
Damage to Railroads.

Pittsburg. Aug. 13.-rhis morning ai
o'clock this city and vicinity was Wis
tied by one Of the heaviest and most
persistent downpours Of rain that has
been seen here for years. II carried
death and destruction with II and as q
result six lives were sacrificed and
thousands Of dollars worth Of property
laid waste.
The dead are: Mrs. Susan Aud,
Mrs. Ellen Poppleton, Mrs. Florencs
Robinson; her daughter, aged "a; Mar
tin Cochran. infant; O'Neill Schaeffer
10 years: unknown man.
The storm was preceded by dark and
threatening clouds which obscured the
sun and enveIoped the city in almost
Egyptian darkness. As the gloom be-
gan to dlspeL the rain came In tor.
rents. and for an hour the downpous
was terrific. II then let up slightiy
but for three hours longer II rained
without ceasing. Up to noon "a inches
had fallen, 1.S0 Of this being precipi.
tated during the first hour In the I'm
but the suburbs and small towns neal
DeHaven. q small oil town on the
Pittsburg q Western railway, about
ten miles from here. had to bear the
brunt Of the storms fury and II was
there that most Of the lives were lost
The little town Of 900 inhabitants u
situated In q valley, just at the juno
ton OF the two creeks and every heavy
storm fills these creeks and floods DOT.
tions OF the place. When the storm
burst the house OF James Robinson was
made the place Of refuge by ten people
or this number three women were
drowned. The storm partook OF the
nature OF q cloudburst and filled the
streams to overfiowing with wonderful
rapidity. A torrent OF Is feet came
rushing down and struck the Robinsor
residence with terrible force. carrying
IL from Its foundation and topping u
over into the swirling flood. The houss
,collapsing as II was carried along was
lodged against some willows along the
bank and the occupants who had clune
with desperation to the ruins were en-
abled. by superhuman efforts. to make
their escape to land, all except the
three women mentioned above. who
were drowned and their bodies washed
down the stream.
sick with scarlet fever when the 1ood
entered his fathers house. The shock
-AnA--axpoosare--heeNS his life to an
end within an hour or two. O'NeilI
Schaeffer was standing on the Pitts
burg q Western bridge at Sharpsburu
with thousands Of others watching the
high waters. He attempted to catch Q
piece Of driftwood. lost his balance and
was caught by me torrent and whirled
into eternity In an instant Tha othe@
victim was an unknown. whose body
was seen floating down 0oarhead oresh
past DeHaven.
Along Pine creek. from it, mouth q
Sharpsburv TO Delhaven. every foot oe
level ground waa under water Tor esv-
eral hours and miles OF gardens aud
httle truck faams were washed out. Tho
west end OF Sharpsburg and Aefno
were flooded and tho water was four
feet desp IN shang q Chalfant's mill.
putting out the nres and compellinB
the workmen to abandon the building.
soma having almost to swim out. The
firms loss will be about $4,000. rhs
Pittsburg q Western railroad has besn
blonkaded practically all day. The los
at Aetna will amount 20 between $7A-
900 and 100000.
lTWth u toW1l OIl ulc E-efxl~
sylvania road. about 20 miles east Of
here. suffered much property loss. At
noon word was received that the Fort
Pitt dam ax Jeannette had burst and
the water was rushing toward Irwin.
Warning was immediately given people
living In the Rowland and on the weet
Of the railroad. but before they could
ret away the flood came rushing down
Brush creek. The car shops Of the
westmoreiand Coal company was frst
to suffer. the employees being compelled
to fee for their lives, many having to
wade through water TO their shoulders.
The women and children living In the
houses near the car shops were forced
10 the upper stories and roofs. Rescu-
Ing parties were 70 med and the impr.s-
oned ones were taken down In boats
and, where the water was lower. on
the backs OF men. When the waters
OF Brush creek bad reached its heighk.
the Pennsylvanta Plate Glass COM
panys dam. which had been partially
repaired since the other flood, burst
again and It's waters came washing
through Tinker Run, flooding on Ns
way the Parr Wagon Works. the
Hockensmith foundry and machine
shops and planning min and the lumber
yards OF the Irwin Lumber company.
The damage at the machine shops Will
run into thousands OF dolliarsI
The mining village of Ciaridge. On ths
Manor Valley railroad. near Green's
burg. was almost wiped out by ~
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