Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1897-07-29

Thursday night a terrific cloudburst
struck Youngstown, O., flooding the entire
valley and causing great damage TO prop
erty, both in the city and along the rail-
way lines. Many people are supposed 10
be drowned. The entire country east and
west for twenty miles was flooded and
the damage will be enormous, the rail
roads being the heaviest losers. The
Erie Railroad west of Warren fourteen
miles, and horth of sharon for the same
distance, was entirely washed out, and
orders were issued to discontinue all
trains.
Many residences in Youngstown were
flooded out and the occupants were taken
away by the police and fire departments.
The Mahoning Valley electric lines were
flooded cut and all the bridges washed
away. The Catholic church ut Niles was
struck by lightning at the same hour
and nearly destroyed by fire, while bust
ness houses and manufacturing concerns
were flooded.
Henry Myers, a tailor, while standing
ut his residence on Mill street, was struck
by lightning and killed instantly. Every
railroad leading into the city reports ex-
tensive wGs bouts and bridges swept away,
and the officials say the loss will be the
heaviest they have ever known.
About 10 o'clock the water came down
the Crab creek valley into the city and
formed into a food, sweeping everything
that was not fastened down before 1t.
The bed of the creek was not more than
twenty feet wide, and the flood spread
out TO q width of about 1000 feet 1t
rose quickly, and in less than thirty min
utes the water was up to the second story
of all the dwelling houses in the Hooded
districts and was still rising. The whole
district was covered with darkness ex-
cept one small place where lonely light
shonc.
Firemen police and others were on
hand quickly, bat were powerless to res
cue anybody. as not boat OF any kind
was to be had in that portion of the city.
The cries of the people in the houses were
heartrenjing to those who stood at the
waters edge and were forced to retreat
slowly on account of the gradually rising
water.
Many People Drowned.
1t is almost certainty that many peo-
pie were drowned One whole family was
heard crying for help from an upstairs
window, when suddenly there was
grinding noise, as if the house was being
moved from its foundation, and soon the
cries from that place ceased. The in
tense darkness made it impossible to see
what was going on, but it is supposed that
the house and its occupants went down in
the food.
People at the waters edge heard man
crying for help who was apparently being
carried down in the food. The voice
grew fainter and it is supposed the I'M
fortunate man persisted. Pitiful cries for
help were heard continually, but the
crowd on the shore could do nothing in
the way of giving aid.
Police and firemen went at once to an
other part of the city after boats. 1t was
midnight before boats were gotten to the
flooded Grail creek district, and the work
of rescue could be started. The boats
were manned by fremen, who went to
work with a will. but could not make
rapid progress on account of the swift
and dangerous current. Nine families
were taKee out OF second story windows
within half hour. and many people were
picked up clinging to debris.