The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1896-07-31

PITTsBURG. July 29.-The cloudbursr
and storm In this section caused more
loss of life than was at first supposed
At Cecil in Washington county. l3
people laughing and singing IN Samuel
McKinney's house. found themselves in
the twinkling of an eye. in seething
mad swirl of water Seven of the
merrymakers were drowned.
The dead are:
Mrs. Grace Mckinney. aged so.
Miss Maggie Mckinney, aged 80.
James Mckinney, aged s
+. Clyde Beatty, aged 20.
j c Higgins, aged 90.
Miss Jennie Holmes, aged IS
Vince nj Wilkinson of Oil City. aged
26.
In the Mckinney household on the
fateful night, l3 merry people were con
gregated. The girls were dressed m
flowing white robes. They were going
to a dance at the French han. but the
hour for starting had not yet come
Ii is said that the cloud burst some
where about Vienna and swept toward
Reissing and Cecil. the water came
down in torrents.
The country between Vienna and
Cecil is sloping, and McKinney's eight
roomed hotel stood just in that position
where il would catch the full force of
the~storm
The race OF the -four mill nearby
broke and struck the house with fear
ful blow. The force and momentum
lifted the house from its foundations
twisted IL around and sent it into the
middle of the furious creek
The house flew down the stream and
passed the railroad station and struck
the bridge. 200 yards away One loud
crack and the lower floor was turned
into a raft. on which the people stood
the lights on the table still burned.
Before the bridge was passed two of
the former happy throng, Maggie Nc
Kinney and Jennie Holmes, had been
hurled into the angry current 10 death.
1t was just before the Standard block
was reached that Mrs Mckinney and
her boy We're washed from the raft and
drowned before the eyes of those vel
awaiting death or rescue
Just previous to this moment CLYDE
Beatty clasped Rachel Mckinney and
Jennie Holmes in his arms and said
Girls. will save you or die with you.
And he did die. but Rachel was saved,
though Jennie was drowned
IT was at Gladdon that Samuel Nc
Kinney, Rachel Mckinney and J. c.
Higgins were tumbled into the stream.
The last drifted into deep water and
was drowned. Rachel Mckinney, how.
ever. felt her feet touching the ground,
and as the lightning flashed, saw some
weeds, grasped them and held on with
superhuman grip until rescued Her
father was but little distance off. He
had, TOO, found ground il the shallow
water 10 stand upon, and like his
daughter. had discovered the saving
weed and clutched them until rescued
Rescuers hshed ont James Pierce,
Charles Reddick. Lizzie Holmes who
was chnglng to a tree Sam and Robert
Mckinney
Jim Wilkinson escaped from the
house As soon as he reached terra
hrma he ran toward the bridge, anC
while descending some steps near the
bridge was caught by a passing wave
and swiftly carried TO his death
The body of little James Mckinney
was found near Gladden's coal mine
one and half miles from where the
hotel stood About mile further down
the stream. near the village of Trey
veskan, the body of his mother. Mrs
Grace Mckinney, was found. Tht
body of F Clyde Beatty was found
about a quarter Of a mile below where
Mrs. Mckinney was found. The body
Of ]. c. Higgins was discovered in q
small ravine thar lead into the stream
near the GLADDEN. mine.
The lfeless form of Miss Jennie
Holmes was found hanging IN the
branches of a tree near Treyveskan
The last body 10 be found was thar ot
Miss Maggie Mckinney. Ii was found
on the banks of the stream below
Bridgevi1le, about five miles from where
she was last seen alive. The tcdy oi
Vincent Wilkinson was found nea.
the bridge, where the building Wa:
wrecked.