The Bourbon news., 1897-07-27

Large WsshOuts ON Railroads.
YOUNGSTOWN, o., July %. AT seven
o'clock Thursday night terrific cloud
burst struck this town, flooding the
entire valley and causing great dam
age to property, both in the city and
along the railway lines. Many people
are supposed to be drowned. The en-
tire county east aud west for 20 miles
was flooded and the damage will be
enormous, the railroads being the
heaviest losers The Erie railroad,
Sharon 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 de-
partments- The Mahoning Valley
electric lines were flooded out and all
the bridges washed away The Catho-
lie church at Niles was struck by
lightning at the same hour and nearly
destroyed by fire, while business
houses and man ufacturing concerns
were Hooded out. Henry Myers
tailor, while standing at his resi-.
dence on Mill street, was struck
by lightning and killed instantly. He
leaves family. The excursion trains
which left here Thursday morning for
lake Erie are all side-tracked 80 miles
out and will probably not reach the
city Thursday night On every rail-
road leading into the city comes re-
ports of extensive waShouts and
bridges swept away aud railroad off,
cials say the loss will be the heaviest
they have ever known
At 1890 Thursday night came the
first tangible information of the dam
age done by the storm. Along Crab
creek, running into the city in the
northwest along the Erie and Lake
Shore railroads, and emptying into the
Mahoning river near the Lake Shore
depot. a cloud burst occurred about ten
miles out, and the water did not be-
gin To rise much in the city until
after nine o'clock. At about ten
O'Clock the water came down the val
ley into the city and formed into a
food, sweeping everything that was
not fastened down before it. The bed
of the creek was not more than than
20 feet wide and the food spread out
to a width of about 2, 600 feet. 1t rose
quickly and in less than 30 minutes
the water was up to the second
story of all the dwelling houses in
the flooded districts and was still
rising 1t is a certainty at IL
o'clock that some of the people
escaped from the houses. The whole
district was covered with darkness ex-
cept one small place where lone elec-
trio light shone. Firemen, police and
others were on hand quickly, but were
powerless to rescue any body, as not a
boat of any kind was to be had in that
portion of the city. The cries of the
people in the houses were heart
rending to those who stood at
the waters edge and were forced
to retreat slowly on account of the
gradually rising water. 1t is almost a
certainty that many people were
drowned. one whole family was heard
crying for help from upstairs windows
when suddenly there was a grinding
noise as if the house was being moved
from its foundation and soon the cries
from that place ceased. The intense
what was going on, but it supposed
the house and it's occupants
went down in the flood. People
at the waters heard a man crying for
help who was apparently being car
ried down in the flood The voice grew
fainter, and it is supposed the unfortu-
nate perished. Pitiful cries for help
were heard continually, but the crowd
on the shore could do nothing in the
way of giving aid. Police and fremen
went at once to another part of the
city after boats.
1t was midnight before boats were
gotten to the flooded Crab creek dis
trict and the work of rescue could be
started. The boats were manned by
fremcn, who went to work with a will,
but could not make rapid progress on
account of the swift and dangerous
current. Nine families were taken out
of Sccond-Story windows within a half
hour and many people were picked
up clinging to debris. Nothing
definite will be known as to the loss of
life till morning or even the names of
people that are in the flood, and per-
haps not then, as there were several
thoroughfares through the flooded
district on which there are usually
people at all hours of the
night. At midnight the water COM
menced to recede rapidly, and the
creek will likely be back in it's
natural course by morning. The
Erie and Lake Shore trains, includ-
ing passenger and excursion trains,
were stopped where they were caught
and will not likely be moved before
daybreak, as the officials refuse to
take chances of loss of life Loaded cars
have been placed on bridges with the
hope of keeping them up, as the Ma.
honing river is high and rising rapid.
ly.
Sheep for the Gold Miners.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash, July IA
company has been formed here which
will at once send buyer to the sheep
ranges of eastern Washington and