The evening times., 1898-07-09
WRECKED AcLOUDBuRsT
Steeleyille, No., Nearly Wiped
Out by a Sudden Food.
THIRTEEN LIVES ARE LOST
A Wall Of Water Rushed Down Upon
Death and Destruction I'm Its
Path-List of Those Who Were
Drowned.

ST. Louis, April 9-All but obliterated
ford county. Mo-. by a watersoout at
3 o'clock yesterday evening.
As it was. thirty-five buildings were
destroyed and the pecuniary loss will be
500, 900. while it is known that thirteen
lives were lost.
The dead are: Mrs. Lou Tucker and
child. ST. Louis: a daughter of Charles
Abrams. of st. Louis: Mrs. John Woods
and two children; Mrs. James Tam and
three children; Mrs. William Slough and
Luther Slough. of Steelevilie. and an un-
known negro of Midland.
1t Is believed. however, that the list
of fatalities will be much higher. as there
are many missing and the majority of
the houses destroyed were residences.
There are no names at present obtain
able of the missing. Steeleville had a
population of nearly one thousand, and
was built In narrow valley. the average
Of which was but 800 yards.
Through the center of the valley runs
Yadkin Creek. 1t Is a small stream. be-
ing tributary of the Merrimac River.
but at times it has threatened TO swamp
the town, and for this reason houses
on the side of the hill back and in front
of the town itself.
Main Street, the business ,thoroughfare
OF the village, occupies about all the
room in the bottom of the valley not
covered by the stream
FOR several days a furious storm has
ragged in that section of the State. The
Merrimac River and its tributaries have
been filled TO h'ore than bankful and
he.
ley had been transformed into a raging
river that extended over its banks and
Hooded dozens of the business houses and
residence cellars
Yesterday the rain increased in vigor.
The water fell in torrents and the stream
rose rapidly until IT was almost level with
the streets of the town. Beciuse of this
many people IN the vii.asc did not re.
tire at night, but sat up hearing the re-
ports that the watchers brought in of
the rise of the creek. For this reason the
loss of life was not as heavy as II other
wise would have BEEN.
As the night wore on the storm con-
tinued to increase. The heavens were
lighted by dazzling flashes of lightning
while the thunder crashed. In the glare
OF the lighting those who had been dele
gated to watch the stream and give the
alarm. IL threatened saw shortly before
3 O'Clock what appeared TO be huge
coiling cloud that reached down and lick
ed the stream above the town and where
1t rounded the hill and came down the
little valley into the town.
While they loooken and remarked about
the strange cloud there was a burst of
lightning that turned the Egyptian night
into MONDAY. while 1t was instantly fol-
lowed by a deafening crash of thunder.
The watchers saw the strange cloud rent
asunder with a terrific roar. Then was
darkness but only for an instnat Above
the crash of the thunder they heard an
awful roar and in the flashes of light
saw a huge wave of water rushing down
the little creek and into the town
The wall of water came on with the
speed of an express train. 1t swept ev-
eryThing before 1t; residences crumbled
like eggshells and business houses were
raked into the maelstrom and crashed
to pieces. Several people were caught by
the food but managed to cling to tree
or part of the wreckase and thus saved
their lives.
The thirteen unfortunates were caught
some of them rushing from their homes
and the others in their homes. 1t was
all over In a few minutes.
The storm ceased at daylight, and when
II was light the people saw that stacked
up against the court house which stands
in the center of the city. was the wreck
age of the buildings, its top falling into
the structure through the second-story
windows.
4 courier was sent to Cuba. miles
away. for help. and, with the arrival of
the party from that town. began the
search for the bodies. The thirteen bod
les We're located.
The pecuniary loss to the town will
amount to about $4,000. Several of the
business houses built of wood were OBJ
liberated and their stocks destroyed. while
many of the other business concerns will
suffer from water. The majority of the
houses washed away, however, were resi-
dences.
After sweeping through the town the
wall of water spread out at the mouth
of the valley over the Merrimac bottoms
overflowing hundreds of acres of fertile
land and drowning hundreds of cattle
horses, sheep and hogs and almost count
LEES poultry.
The loss to the farmers cannot be in any
way accurately stated, but conservative
men place il al s50.o00 The destroyed sec
tion of the town will he rehuiIt