The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1896-08-01
WATERS IN A FURY
Ruin AND DEsoLATION IN WEST
ERN PENNSYLVANIA.
houses swept Away by Cioudbursts
aud People Crushed to Death
and Drowned.

Pittsburg. July 2S-Eight persons were
drowned in the flood last night. Seven Of
these met death at Cecil, a mining and oil
hamlet in Washington county, the eighth
victim going down at Carnegie. The dead
are:
Mrs Samuel Mckinney.
Margaret Mckinney.
James Mckinney.
Clyde Beatty.
G.. G. Higgins
Vincent Wilkinson.
Jennie Holmes.
John Wright (colored).
Samuel Mckinney kept a boarding house
at Cecil for the accommodation of min
ers. The house was situated on the banks
of Miller run, tributary of Charters
creek. Ordinarily the run, which flows
through "A valley banked by high and
steep hills, would scarcely float chip
but last night a cloudburst filed IN lit
closely confined quarters to such OK
tent that everything on its banks was en-
quilted
There were IS people in the Mckinney
house when the water commenced to rise
al o'clock. but no serious danger was
apprehended until the men busted them
selves carrying household goods to the
second floor and the female population
of the house continued dressing for the
dance that ives being held in a neighbor-
ing hall Suddenly the house, "a two
story frame affair, was washed from its
foundation into the seething waters and
rapidly carried down stream. 1t was !hen
too late for any one in the house to es-
cape. Below the site of the house about
200 yards stands an old-fashioned country
bridge which spans the stream. The
house crashed against this. the roof was
torn off, and the rest of the building was
crushed like an eggshell in being forced
under the bridge. Higgins and william
Whitner were caught between the FIRST
and second floor. Higgins died there, but
Whitner made a most miraculous escape
Those on the second floor were badly
squeezed. Just below the bridge the
wreckage of the house struck a sand bar
Thomas Hayes, Vincent Wilkinson and
others formed a rescuing party. Whit
mer was rescued while fast in the wreck
age by Wilkinson, who also dragged the
dead body of Higgins from its Judgment.
Samuel Mckinney was also saved by
Wilkinson.
After assisting in other rescues Will
kinson heard a cry for help up ,he
stream, and Notwithstanding the extreme
hazard attached to 1t, the brave fellow
made the attempt to swim across with
rope. When about half way over IA
log struck him on the head and broke his
neck. His body was found several hun
dred yards below the place in tree.
Clyde Beatty was another hero who
lost his life He made strenuous eff
forts to save Margaret Mckinney and
Jennie Holmes and had been lodged in a
tree when wave came along and swept
all three TO death. Beatty had several
opportunities to save himself. but refused
to leave his companions. Those of the
unfortunate party who were rescued
We're taken from branches of trees and
parts of wreckage. Those who lost their
lives were knocked insensible by rap
idly floating logs. which made them an
easy prey for the torrent. The bodies
have all been recovered.
Wright, the colored nveryman, while
attempting to drive across bridge at
Murray was caught by the high waters
of Charters creek, near Carnegie and
drowned