Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-29
DEATH IN AMBUSH
He Hides in the Cloud and
creeps on His Prey.
SEVEN VICTIMS ARE HIS THIS TINE



burE-rurthcr Returns Of Damage from
Mondays Disastrous Tempest.
PfTTsBURG. July 81 - Eight persons
worc drowned in the food Monday night.
Seven of these NETS death Mt Cecil a min
ing and oil hamlet in Washington county.
'hc 81 ghth victim going down at Carnegie.
The dead are: Mrs. samuel Mckinney,
81 years old: Margaret Mckinney. 20 years
'old, her daughter; James Mckinney, 8
years old. her son; Clyde Beatty, 81 years
old, oll-wcll rumpcr, of Sistcrsvillc. W.
Va; q. q. Higgins, - years old, oil-well
pumpcr. of Bradford, Pa; Vincent VIII
kinson, - years old, oil.wcll cmployc Of
Nowinklr, Forest county, Pa; Jennie
Holmc~, ls years old, daughter Cecil
coal miner; John Wright &c Ilored), IL,
cmployc Of livcryman at Carnegie.
Fatal Thirteen in the House.
Samuel Mckinney kept q boarding
house at Cecil for the accommodation of oil
. men and miners. The house was situat-
sd on the banks of Millcr's Rum a tribu-
tary 10 CHARTERS creek. Ordinarily the
run, which flows through n valley banked
10y high and steep hills, would scarcely
iluat n chip, but Monday nigh; n cloud
burst filled il in its closely confined quar-
tcrs to such an extent that everything
along its banks was endangered. There
were thirteen people in the Mckinney
house when the water commenced to rise
Mt $3.50 Monday night. but no serious dan
grr was apprchcndcd. The men busted
themselves carrying the household goods
to the second floor and the female portion
of the household continued their dressing
for the dance which was being held in q
ncighburing hall.
SWEPT Away All Of q Sudden.
suddenly the house, u twO-story frame,
was washed from its foundation into the
scothing waters and rapidly carried down
stream. IL was then too late for any one
In the house to escape. Below the site of
the house about a0 yards stands an old
fashioned country bridge which spans tho
stream. The house crashed against this
structure, the roof was torn off, and the
rest Of the building was crushed like an
egg. she'll in being forced under the bridge
Higgins and W. B. Whitncr were caught
between the first and second floors. Hig-
gins died thcrc but whitney made most
miraculous escape. Those on the second
flpur were badly squeezed. just below the
bridge the wrrckagr of the house stuck on
stnd blr with those Of the party who
were still alive clinging to the pieces with
scarcely u hope Of being rescued.
Death ot the Hero of the Event.
Thomas Hayes, Vincent wilkinson and
others formed n rcscuing party. Whitnci
was rescued while fast in the wrrrkar, by
Wilkinson, who also dragged the dead
body of Higgins from its lcdgmcnt. sam
ucl Mckinney was also saved 10y Wilkin
som AftcrasSi sting In other rv~cucs Wilk
iuson heard a cry for help from the oppo
site side of tn str,um. and nutwi,hStaud
Ing the extreme hazard attached 10 the at
tempt the brave fellow made the effort {,
swim across with ropc. Whom about
half way over u log struck him on tn,
head and broke his neck. His body wa.
found several hundred yapls below, lpJg,v
In "a tres.
Another Hero Loses His I.ifs.
Clyde Beatty was another hero cf III
disaster who lost his life. lIr made siren
unus efforts To- save Mirgurrt NcEiurc-
aud Jennie Holmes. and had them lp.ie,,
In tree when wave came along ani
swept all three to death. Beatty had s,v
crnl opportunities To save himself. but r.
fused to leave his weaker companions
Those of the unfortunate party who wcr
rescued wcrc taken from the branches q
trcvs and portions of the wrecked huu>,
Those who lost their lives were cithc
crushed in the wrcckng,c or knocked in
sensible by rapidly tluating log maxim
them an easy prey for the ra;n- torrent
The bodies have all been recovered
Wright. the colorcd livcrymnn, while at
tempting To- drive across n bridge ut Mu'
ray Hnl wns caught Ivy the high water q
CHARTERS creek, near CarnC gic, an