The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-07-29
FLOODS and DEATH
Cl0udbursts Swell Pittsburg Streams
to Sweeping, Raging Torrents.
BRAVE HEROES DROWNED
Serious Danger Was Not Appre-
hended TN Too Late-Thirteen
People In One House That Col
lapsed-An Awful Disaster.

Pittsburg. July 2s.-The full extent of
the damage wrought in last nights hur-
ricane was not known until daylight,
when wreck and ruin was apparent on
all sides. Steeples were blown from
churches, adjoining buildings crushed,
houses unroofed, trees broken off or
torn up by the roots and great havoc
caused by the heavy rainfall. Summed
up at o'clck this morning, with many
outlying districts to hear from. the re-
suit vas two lives lost. 36 injured, some
fatally, and property damaged to the
extent OF 100000. The list of killed
and injured as far as reported, Is as
follows:
Dead-Jacob Affelter, aged 35, killed
by a falling fence; John Figus, skull
crushed by a falling tree at Summer
Camp grove.
In1ured-Abner Hayes, freight re-
ceiver Of the p, Ft. w. & c., struck by
lightning, may recover; August Zen
detz, Allegheny. and family Of six.
shocked by lightning, all in q critical
condition; A. NJ. Bennett and two child
rem. struck by lightning. condition crit
ical; George Miller. Allegheny. fatally
injured; Thomas OConnell; Jacob
Metz; Charles Kosaick; Frank OFT and
Harry Haddel, seriously injured by
falling trees: Henderson Ritchie, struck
by lightning, will not recover; Sidney
Gebhart. struck by lightning. will re-
cover: William Parenitt. postal mes
senger. struck by lightning; James
Brady. janitor of the Railston public
school, struck by a falling bough; Po-
liceman A. b. Smith, struck in the back
by a board. badly hurt; Motorman
Shaw. shocked by lightning.
Three meteorological records were
broken yesterday. 1t was the hottest
day Of the year, the thermometer reach
ing 90 degrees and the rainfall for six
minutes beat all previous records, be-
ing third Of an inch. The registering
thermometer in the weather bureau
showed that in As minutes the temper
ature fell from 80 degrees to II, then
went back to &. This sudden change
caused a terrible electric display that
continued without intermission until
midnight.
At Braddock hail caused great dam
age, and when the storm reached Tur-
tie creek II assumed the awful propor-
tions of a cyclone, doing untold dam
age. In the oil fields derricks were
blown down. Sowickley. Coraopolis,
Bellevue and McKee's Rocks suffered
severely. In Mill Vale and Sharpsburg
hail caused havoc.
Col. Frank Ridgeway. local forecast
official, said he had never seen more
terrific cyclone appearance In the
clouds. and that the city was not vis-
tied with q cyclone worse than that
which visited st. Louis Is due to the
surrounding hills. The total rainfall
in the city was 1.42 inches.
Eight persons were drowned In the
flood last night. Seven Of these met
death at Cecil. a mining and oil ham
let in Washington county, the eighth
victim going down at Carnegie
The dead: Mrs. Samuel Mckinney,
Margaret Mckinney. James Mckinney,
Clyde Beatty, @. c. Higgins. Vincent
wilkinson. Jennie Holmes. John
Wright, colored.
Injured: Samuel Mckinney, who
kept a boarding house at Cecil for
the accommodation Of miners. The
house was situated on the banks OF
Millers' Run, a tributary 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 a cloudburst filled In Its
closely confined quarters to such an
extent that everything on its banks are
engulfed.
There were 10 people in the McKin-
ney house when the water COM
menced to rise at o'clock. but no
serious danger was apprehended until
the men busied themselves carrying
household goods to the second floor,
| and the female population OF the house
continued their dressing for the dance
which was held in q neighboring hall.
Suddenly the house, a two-story frame,
was washed from its foundation into
the seething waters and rapidly car
ried down stream. II was then too late
for any one in the house to escape. Be-
low 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 build
ing was crushed like an eggshell in
being forced under the bridge. Hig-
gins and william Whitney were
caught between the first and second
floor. Higgins died there. but Whitney
made a most miraculous escape. Those
on the second floor were badly
squeezed.
Just below the bridge. the wreckage
of the house struck a sandbar. Thomas
formed q rescuing party. Whitney
was rescued while fast in the wreck
age by wilkinson. who also dragged
the dead body of Higgins from Its
Judgement Samuel Mckinney was also
saved by Wilkinson. After assisting IN
other rescues Wilkinson heard ciy
| for help from up the stream. sDd nrt-
withstanding the extreme hazard at
| tached to them. the brave fellow made
| the attempt to swim across with a
rope. When about half way over 4
| log struck him on the head and broke
his neck. His body was found several
hundred yards below the place IN a
tree.
Clyde Beatty was another hero of
the disaster who lost his life. He made
strenuous efforts to save Margaret
Mckinney and Jennie Holmes and
| had them lodged in a tree when a wave
came along and swept all three TO
death. Beatty had several opportuni-
ties TO save himself, but refused to
leave his companions. Those Of the
unfortunate party who were rescued
were taken from branches Of trees and
parts Of wrecked houses. Those who
lost their lives were knocked insen-
sible by rapidly floating logs which
made them an easy prey for the rag
| ing torrent The bodies have all been
recovered.
! Wright. the colored llveryman. while