The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-23
CALAMITY IN A CLoUDBURsT.
HEAVY LOSS OF LIFE PROBABLE AT
YOUNGSTOWN.

Storm strikes the City just at Night
fall and Envelopes Everything in
a Pail of ImpenetrabIe Darkness.
cries of Whole Families Caught
In Houses Swept Away by the
EIood Heard by Persons in Places
of safety but Rescue Impossible.
YOUNGSTOWN O.. July 22-At o'clock
terrific cloudburst struck this town,
flooding the entire valley and causing
great damage to property both in the city
and along the railway lines. Many people
arr supposed to be drowned.
The entire country east and west for
twenty miles was flooded and the dam
age will be enormous, the railroads being
the heaviest losers.
The Erie railroad west of Warren, four
teen miles and north of Sharon for the
same distance, was entirely flooded out,
and orders were issued to discontinue all
trains.
Many residences here were flooded out.
and the occupants were taken away by the
police and fire departments.
The Mahoning valley electric lines were
flooded out, and all the bridges washed
away.
The Catholic church at Niles was struck
BY lightning at the same hour, and nearly
destroyed by fire, while business houses
and manufacturing concerns were flooded
out.
Henry Myers a tailor, while standing at
his residence on Mil street, was struck
by lightning and killed instantly. He
leaves a family.
The excursion trains which left here this
morning for Lake Erie, are all side-track-
ed thirty miles out and will probably not
reach the city to- night.
On every railroad Leading into the city
comes reports Of extensive washouts and
bridges swept away. and railroad officials
say the loss will be the heaviest they have
ever known.
At 10:3O clock o-nlght came the first
tangible information of the damage done
Ply the storm along Crab creek, running
into the city from the northeast along
the Erie and Lake Shore railroads, and
emptying into the Mahoning river near
the Lake Shore depot. A cloudburst oc-
cured about ten miles out, but the wa
ter did not begin to rise much in the city
until after o'clock. At about 10 O'Clock
The city and formed into flood,
sweeping everything that was not fas-
tened down fast The bed Of the creek was
not more than twenty-feet wide and the
Hood spread out to a width of about 1000
leet II rose quickly, and in less than
'hlrty minutes the water was up to the
second story of all the dwelling houses in
the hooded districts and was still rising.
IL Is a certainty at II o'clock that none of
lle people escaped from the houses. The
NHole district was in darkness. except one
smaH place where a lonely light shone
Ineineh, police and others were on hand
H"chly' but were pOwerlesS to rescue any
1o1y, as not boat of any kind was to be
had in that portion Of the CITY.
i"e cries OF the people in the houses
were heart rendinS to those who stood at
tne waters edge and were forced to re-
ueat slowly on account of the gradually
Islng water. 1t is almost certain that
many people were drowned.
Une whole family was heard crying for
gep from upstairs windows, when sud
SI,uy Ihere was a grinding noise as If the
olSs ,' was being moved from its founda-
o, "on, ana soon the cries from that place
lne intense darkness made it impossible
'ee What was going on but II Is sup
Iosgd that the house and it's OCCUPANTS
went down in the flood
teuple at the waters edge heard a man
c... cyuls ior help, who was apparently being
.-el down in the food The voice
INV INV Ialh'er and II is supposed the unfor-
ulate man perished.
ran,u n14ul cries for help were heard contin-
,ba ,b,1 out the crowd could no nothing in
w.. way OF giving aid. Police and hremen
eiter boats part oi the city
ter as midnight before boats were oot-
tbe ~ ne ..e Hooded Crab creek district and
Us,s OF rescue started. The boats
wo.,. manned by fremen who Wont
IA ren WIN viii. but could not make ran
d,rgarI.ss on account Of the swift and
taks- "S current. Nine families vvere
a bais 4l, OF second story windows within
up a',ur' "our' and many people were nicked
N,t'-lns 20 debris.
loss ~ uennite will be known as m tho
then. ga morning, and perhaps not
recele ',aI'snt r..,nt the water commenced n
be ba.t, 'ilniy and the creek will IIlseiv
ing. ~ IT'S natural course by morn.
hg s"s ,.l.1 i-rie and Lake Shore trains iro,ra
stopnoI user and excursion trains ycoro
not me-" t""Sfe they were caught. ana u,ni
LoadeJ ne moved before davbreaL
with "a, ats have been placed on byiS,n,
i The Ms6oan.ope OF keeping them nm es
rapidly. "s river is high and rising