Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-07-16

I'm Ono Place-Sewers Give Way. Rail- |
way Lines Covered with Debris and
Other Damage wrought-Many Miles of
street Car Line Torn Up-Deiuge Of Rain
Falls at Cincinnati and Other Points.
PTTrsBUEG, July 16.-A heavy storm
last night, which was practically a cloud
burst, did great damage throughout this
city and Allegheny. Estimates made from
reports coming from outlying portions in
dicatc loss of nearly si,Oo0,0Oo. AL
street car lines have been stopped. At
Forty. eighth street water is in the second
stories of the houses, caused by the burst
ing Of large sewer. Part of Allegheny
cemetery wall has been washed away, and
nearly two miles Of the Citizens street
railway is torn mp. Tons of earth and
stones have been washed on the Fifth Av-
cnuc and Duqucsnc Traction companys
lines at soho. The sewers in Butcher
Run and Woods Run in Allegheny are
reported NJ having given away, flooding
those sections. No loss OF life rs yet is re-
ported. :
Inch of Rain in Twenty Minutes.
The weather bureau officials report LII
inches Of rainfall during the fifty minutes
which the storm lasted. one inch Of this
amount falling in the first twenty minutes
of the storm. The storm coming 50 Early
in tho evening doubtless saved many
lives, M very few people had retired to
bed. Many narrow escapes were reported,
but no lives are thought To have been lost.
The storm came up very suddenly and
gave little warming. The water came
down In shcrts and In few minutes the
streets wcrc like running rivers.
Where the Worst Damage Was Done.
At Iorty-cighth street, Lawrcnccyiilc,
probably the most destruction was
wrought. Every house on the north side
of Butler street from Forty.cghth street
east was flooded. many of them being en-
tircly ruined. Quite number of fam
lilies were rendered homeless in this dis
trict. Tho Immediate cause Of the trouble
ut this pointwas 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 n
largo scwcr which drains what is called
Cemetery Run.
street Turned into n Lake.
The sewer mouth soon clcggcd with
logs and rocks and the water poured over
its opening against the wall, soon under
mining It. Whcu.t the wall gave way the
food rushed down into the houses below,
filing them to n depth of four feet on the
first floor. For n time the street. which
forms sort of n valley. was u miniature
lake. The loss ut this point will bc many
thousands of dollars, but cannot he speci-
Fed at this writing.
seven Miles of Read Destroyed.
In Allegheny Pcrrysvillc avenue was
flooded from one end to the other. under.
mining the new street railway, rendering
It an almost total loss. Seven miles OF
Sawmill Run plank road is destroyed, the
blanks being carried away and the road
bed ruined. The water came rushing
down Madison avenue and East street
four feet deep when the sewer on Com
promise street gave way. IL plowcd it,
why right through houses in its track and
deposited bouldcrs and gravel in front of
the Twelfth ward school house eight feet
high.
House and Three Children Washed Away
The soap factory of George Harley y
Son on Madison avcnnc has three feet o
gravel ON the ground floor and $500
worth of soap wnss destroyed. The hous,
of John Mueller, on Spring xHill, ncal
Royal street. was washed down the hill
with three childrvn. All were rescued
however by the brave work of ncighbors
a landslide on Toboggan street carrie,
with IL into the streets below 1000 tons o
Garth. rock and gravel. All the cellars oil
Howard street are flooded.
Deiugc Of Rain mt Cincinnati.
CINCINNATI, July l6.-Between l and
o'clock yesterday afternoon this city AM
Covington and Newport had storm q
wind, rain and lightning Of unusual st
verify. The wind attained n speed @
forty.tivc miles an hour. The rain cam
In binding sheets that ovcrtaxcd tn
sewers in the lower part of the city an
flooded streets. Open electric cars, i
spite of curtains were washed out and tn
occunants were drcnchcd Business wa
practically suspended. In Covington th
roof Of the Ledger tobacco warehouse wa
blown off and $4,000 worth of tobacc
ruined. The West Covington Opera Hous
roof was taken of. ns also were. the root
Of several dwellings in Newport. III
mercury fell from 81 to 66
Houses Destroyed mt Macarthur.
McAErHuR. u. July i6.-A cloudbur,
struck this place last night accompanic
by lightning. some houses were dcfiige
six inches over the floor. The reserve
broke. two bridges were washed away, u
roof of -issons' drug store was blown oi
the Elko cnmpany's store and three dwel
inc houses wcrc struck by lightning. III
Columbus, hooking Valley and Tolct
railroad was badly damaged. IL was u
scycrcst storm ever known In this scctiol
Roods leading to town are impossible
places.