The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-09-02
Life-saving Crews Called from Sta
tion. To Take Panic-strIcken Peo-
pie from PeriIous Places.
STREET RAILWAYS SUFFERED
STEAM ROADS ALSO DAMAGED By
wAsHoUTs NEAR THE CITY.
several Remarkable Features OF
Most Remarkable storm-COrpses
washed Out of a Cemetery.

CLEVELAND, o., sept Twin 'n0
breaking OF dawn this morning the citizens
of Cleveland awoke to look on a scene of
UNPARALLELED devastation and destruction
caused by a raging flood. While the entire
city was more or less affected, the great
volume OF raging water vented its anger
over miles of the eastern portion of the
city and caused an amount of damage
approximated at 100000.
The appalling overflow was caused by a
terrific rain that commenced to fall shortly
after o'clock turned into perfect
cloudburst between the hours Of and 5.
and then continued with great force until
nearly 10 o'clock The storm, according
TO the weather officials. was the heaviest
that ever swept over Cleveland since the
establishment of the government bureau
IN this city over forty years ago. That no
lives were lost is marvellous, as the stories
of thrilling escapes from the water on sew
eral OF the principal residence streets OF
the city are told. 1t is believed that but
for heroic work the casualty list would
have been large. as many houses keeled
over in the flood
The surging waters spread over an area
IN the east nearly eight miles long and a
mile and half wide. This extended from
Woodland Hills avenue to East Cleveland
and back to East Madison avenue. Great
volumes Of water poured over from Doan
and Giddings brooks down Quincy street,
swamped Vienna street, rushed over Cedar
avenue back over on East Prospect street,
rushed like a mill race down Lincoln ave-
nue. to Euclid avenue. and then on to Glen
Park place, where houses were undermined
as though built OF straw and almost
incredible damage done to streets and
property. Over a large share OF the exclu-
sive residence territory the water rushed
with terrific force. varying in depth from
one TO six feet. Culverts, trestles and
bridges were torn down and for hours
nothing seemed capable of stemming the
tide.
LIKE STRANDED ISLANDERS.
Hundreds Of residents who were i'm
prisOned in their beautiful homes like
stranded islanders were almost panic
stricken. expecting TO be called on to wade
out into the swirling waters at almost
every minute. Danger signals were flashed
about the city as speedily as the disabled
telephone system would allow and the work
of rescue commenced. Row boats piled
back and forth assisting whole families
from perilous positions. but these proved
pitifully inadequate, and it was soon found
necessary 10 go to the extraordinary pre-
caution of calling the life saving crew
from the river. distance of seven miles
The life boats were quickly loaded on
wagons and hurried to the scene of destruc-
tion.
The torrent surged with awful force for
hours in Deering street, from Fairr,ont to
the boulevard and over a dozen families
were penned in like rats in a trap with
water five and six feet deep surrounding
their homes. At this point the life saving
crew worked valiantly and assisted by
squads of firemen and policemen finally sue
cseded in landing the terror-stricken people
In places of safety. The fear was greatly
enhanced by the mOmentary expectation
that the great Shaker Heights dam would
break loose and belch forth terrible de-
struction.
Shortly before noon the torrent succeeded
IN undermining score of graves in the St
Joseph Cemetery at the corner of East
Madison and Woodland and the bodies
were soon being tossed about in the waters
Fully dozen of the corpses We're washed
into cutters and had not been recovered late
tonight.
The great food boiled over the banks Of
Doan brook all along the boulevard and
caused damage that il viii take months 10
repair. Great jagged holes are torn i'm the
beautiful driveway and the look of ruin
stretches in every direction. Gordon and
Wade Parks on the East Side and Brook
side Park in the South Side where the
water also did great damage as il Ieaped
over the banks OF Big creek are damaged
10 an amount figured at 10000 Through
Glenville the overflow WAS terribly de-
structive.
Many houses are swamped. culverts torn
out and several streets turned into seethmg