The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-07-23

Youngstown. O.. July 22.-At o'o,oc.z
tonight terrific cloudburst struck this
town, flooding the entire valley and
causing great damage TO property bota
in the city and along the railroad lines.
Many people are supposed 10 he
drowned. The entire country east and
west for 20 miles was foodeI ana tie
damage viii be enormous. the railroads
being The heaviest losers.
The Erie railroad west of Warren, ia
miles and north of il for some distance
was entirely flooded. and orders were
issued to discontinue all rains. Many
residences were Hooded. and the Oc~L-
pants were taken away by tie police
and fire department Ine e-ecJric lines
" ere flooded cut and all the BRACES
washed away. The Catnolic churcn ar
Niles was s.rUck by i.satning al the
same hour and nearly destroyed by
IRE, while business houses aEd nanu-
featuring concerns were flooded Gus.
Henry Meyers, 4 tailor Whine sanding
at mis- residence On Mui street, was
struck by iIghtn.ng and K II ID last 3ntly.
on every railroad leading into yne
city comes reports OF extensive wash
outs and bridges swept away. ana lAil-
road officials say the loss VIII be the
heaviest they have ever known.
TANGIBLE EVIDENCES.
At 1880 tonight came the first tan
gible evidence of the damage done by
the storm. Along crab creek running
into the city from the east along the
Lake shore & Erie road, and emptyiug
into The MahOnilg near the Lake ol0re
depot clOudbursL occurred about ten
miies out, and the water did rot begin
10 rise much in the city until alSer :
O'Clock.
Al about 10 O'Clock. the water came
down the valley irtO the city and
formed into a flood sweeping every
thing thaI was not fastened before II
The Crab creek was not % feet wide,
and the flood spread il out To a bout 1.0J0
feet 1t rose quickly and in less than
ten minutes the wa. er was u TO the
second story OF all the dwelling houses
in the flood district and was sill ris-
ing. 1t is a certainty that al II O'Clock.
none of the people esca ped from the
houses. The whole distgicg was covered
with darkness except on small places
where a lone electric light slone. Fire
men, police and others were gotten out
quickly but were pOWerless to rescue
anybody as not a boat of any kind
vas 10 &c had in that portion Of the
city. Tle cries of the people in the
houses were heartrendins, those who
stood at tie waters edge, and were
forced to retreat slowly on account of
the gradually rising water. II is al
most a certainty tnat many people
were drowned one " hole family was
heard crying FOL help from upstairs
windows, when suddenly there was a
grinding noise as If the house was be-
ing moved from is foundation and soon
the cries from the place ceased
The intense darkness made it i'm
-rr.fa
ii is supposed the house and lis Occu-
paEks went down in the flood
HEARD a CRY FOR HELP.
People at the waters edge heard a
man crying fer help, who was sppar-
emily being carried down il the fl-cd.
The voice grew fainter and it is SUD
posed the unfortunate man psTished.
Cries for help were heard continually,
but the crowd On the shore could 10
nothing in the way of giving AID. The
police and firsTnen went at once 20 an
other part of the city after boats
1t was mfdlieht before boats were
gotten TO the flooded Grab creek dis
trict and the Work CT rescue could De
started.
The boats were manned by dremen,
who could not make much progress On
account of the swift ard dangerous
current
Nine families were taken cut Of the
second story windows within j half
hour and many people were Dici.Sd %
clinging to debris.
Nothing dednfte viii be known as -
the loss Of life until tcTorrc~ II r.
ing, or even the names Of the victims
Of the flood. and perhaps Eot then, as
there were several thcFOughf2res
through the flooded district on whach
~sla al oil
of the. night. At miGcigl,t the wCter
commenced 10 recede rapidly and the
creek viii likely be back 70 its natural
course bv morning