Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-08-01
I FATAL FLOOD.
Eight Persons Drowned in a Penn
sylvania Storm
A BOARDING HOUSE SWEPT AWAY
The Building Crushed Like an Egg Shell
Much Herofsm Displayed-Heavy
Damage Done in the OH
Fields by Hail.

PITTSBURGH, Pa, July 29.-Eis hit per-
sons We're drowned in the flood Monday
night. Seven of these met death at
Cecil, mining and oil hamlet in Wash
ington county, the eighth victim going
down at Carnegie Samuel Mckinney
kept a boarding house at Cecil for the
accommodation of oil men and miners
The house was situated on the bank of
Miller's run. a tri butary of CHARTERS
creek. Ordinarily the run, which flows
through a valley banked by high and
steep hills. would scarcely float a chip,
but last night cloudburst filled in its
closely confined quarters to such an ex-
tent that everything along its banks
was endangered
There were 10 people in the Mckln-
ney home when the water commenced
to rise at $50 p M, but no serious
danger was apprehended and the men
busted themselves carrying the house
hold goods to the second floor and the
female portion of the household con-
tinued their dressing for the dance
which was being held in neighboring
hall Suddenly the house, a two
story frame, was washed from its
foundation into the seething waters
and rapidly carried down stream.
1t was then too late for anyone
in the house to escape. Below the
site of the house a bout 200 yards stands
an old-fa shioncd country bridge,
which spans the stream. The house
crashed against this structure. the roof
was torn off and the rest of the build
ing was crushed like an egg shell in
being forced under the bridge. Hig-
gins and William Whitner were caught
between the first and second floors.
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 stuck on a Sand-bar, with
| those of the party who were still alive
clinging to the pieces with scarcely
hope of being rescued.
Thomas Hayes, Vincent Wilkinson
and others formed rescuing party.
| Whitner was rescued while fast in the
| wreckage 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 Wilkinson
heard cry for help from up stream,
| and notwithstanding the extreme haz-
| ard attached to the attempt the brave
| fellow made the effort to swim across
| with a rope When about half way
| over log struck him on the head and
broke his neck. His body was found
SCNCI oil y oil SiS DCAON ehO pAdCO
| in a tree.
Clyde Beatty was another hero of the
disaster who lost his life. He made
strenuous efforts to save Margaret Nc
| Kinney and Jennie Holmes, and had
| them lodged in a tree, when wave
came along and swept all three to
death. Beatty had several opportuni-
ties to save himself but refused to leave
his weaker companions. Those of the
unfortunate party who were rescued
were taken from the branches of trees
and parts of the wrecked house. Those
| who lost their lives were either crushed
in the wreckage or knocked insensi bic
by rapidly floating logs, making them
an easy prey for the raging torrent.
The bodies have been recovered
At Braddock hail added to the dam
age and when the hurricane reached
Turtle creek it assumed the awful pro-
portions Of a cyclone, doing untold
damage. In the oil fields, derricl1s
were blown down, particularly in
O'Hara township Sewickley, Coraop
oils, Bellvue and McKees Rock suff cred
severely. In Millsyale and Sharps-
burg it played havoc and GLACIERS will
be busy for several days.
| Dispatches from all points report
heavy damage from the storm. and
many narrow escapes, but fortunately
no more fatalities.