The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1896-07-16
DAMAGE BY CL0UDBURS7
Pittsburgand Allegheny Swept by
a Sudden Storm.
THE LOSS A MILLION DOLLARS
In Pittsburg Alone Through Damage to
Houses, Bursting of a Sewer and DemoIi-
tion of Railway Tracks-The Cloudburst
Also Visits Ohio.

Houses, bursting of Sewer and Demoli-
tion of Railway Tracks-The Cloudburst
Also Visits Ohio.
PITTsBURa. July 16-A heavy rain
storm, which was practically cloudburst
at about o'clock last night, did great
damage throughout this city and ALE.
gheny. 1t Is estimated that the loss will
reach 100000. The weather bureau
officials report LII inches of rainfall dur
ing the fifty minutes which the storm
lasted, one inch of this amount falling in
tho first twenty minutes Of the storm. The
storm coming SO early in the evening
doubtless saved many lives, as very few
people had retired to bed Many narrow
escapes nrc reported. but no lives are
thought to have been lost.
The storm came up very suddenly and
gave little warning Tho water came down
In sheets and in few minutes the streets
were like running rivers Every street car
line in the two cities except the Blrning-
ham traction was blocked and for hours
no travel was attempted.
At Forty eighth street, Lawrenceville,
probably tho most destruction was done.
Every house on the north side Of Butler
street, from Forty eighth street east, was
flooded, many of them being entirely
ruined. Quite number of families were
rendered homeless in this district. The
immediate cause of the trouble at this
point was the giving way Of the Allegheny
cemetery stone wall, which abuts the
street. Just inside the wall, which Is ten
feet high, is the opening of large sewer
u RI hat Ial nt
The sewers mouth soon clogged with logs
and rocks, and the water poured over its
opening against the wall, soon undermin-
Ing it. When the wall gave way tho food
rushed down into the houses below, filling
them to II depth Of four feet on the first
floor. For time tho street, which forms
II sort of valley, was II miniature lake. The
loss at this point will be many thousands
of dollars. The Citizens Traction line for
nearly two miles was under water for a
long time, and much of it is ruined.
In Allegheny, Pcrrysville avenue WAS
flooded from ono end to the other, under
mining the new street railway and rem
dcring it an almost total loss. Seven miles
of Sawmill Run plank road is destroyed,
the planks being carried away and tie
r0adbed ruined. The water came rushing
down Madison avenue and East street four
feet deep when tho sewer on Compromise
street gave way. 1t plowad It's WHY right
through houses in its track and deposited
bouldcrS md gravel in front of the Twelfth
ward school house eight feet high The
soap factory of George Harley e. son, on
Madison avenue. has three feet of gravel
on the ground floor, and 5000 worth of
soap was destroyed. The house of John
Mueller, on Spring Hill near Royal street,
was washed down the hill with three chill
dron in 1t. All were rescued, however, by
framework of neiGhbors.
A landslide on Toboggan street carried
with it into tho streets below 900 tons of
earth, rock and gravel. All the cellars on
Howard street We're flooded. This section
is in the famous Butchers Run district,
which was so disastrously flooded on July
26 1874