Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1901-09-10
FLOOD AT CLEVELAND
CITY SUFFERS $1,000, 900 DAM
AGE FROM FIERCE STORM.
Streets Flooded, Houses Undermined
aud the Pauic-Strieken Occupants
Hemmed In by Raging Torrcut-The
Corpses in Cemetery Are Washed Ont

With the breaking of dawn Sunday
morning the citizens of Cleveland awoke
to look upon a scene of unparalleled de
vastation and destruction, caused by
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 approx
mated at $1,000000.
The appalling overflow was caused by
a terrific rain that commenced to fall
shortly after > o'clock, turned into a per
feet cloudburst between the hours of 8
and o'clock, 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 that city over forty
years ago.
That no lives were lost is nothing short
of Il miracle, as stories of thrilling es-
capes from the water on several of the
principal residence streets of the city are
told.
The surging waters spread over aB
area in the east end nearly eight miles
ipAlS anu a AAAAlN anu Il nun NANN' bAS
extended from Woodland Hills avenue to
East Cleveland, and back TO East Madi-
son avenue.
Torrent, Rush Dowu Streets.
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 avenue to Euclid ave
nue., and then ON TO. Glen Park place,
where houses were undermined as though
built of straw, and almost incredible dam
age done to streets and property.
Over a large share of this exclusive
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 of destruction.
Rowboats piled back and forth assist
ing whole families from pcrilous posi-
tons, but these boats proved pitifully in
adequate. and it was soon found neces-
sary to go to the extraordinary precau-
ton of calling on the life-saving crew
from the river, a-distance of seven miles
Rescued by Life-Saviug Crew.
The torrent surged with awful force for
hours in Deering street from Fairmoupt
to the boulevard, and over dozen fanri-
lies were penned in like rats in trap.
with water five and six feet deep sur
rounding their homes. At this point the
life-saving crew worked, and, assisted by
squads Of firemen and policemen. finally
succeeded in landing the telr0rstrickeu
people in places of safety. The fear was
greatly enhanced by the momentary eX-
pectation that the great Shaker Heights
dam would break loose and belch forth
terrible destruction.
Shortly before noon the torrent sue
ceeded in undermining n score of graves
in the St. Joseph cemetery. Mt the cor
ner of East Madison and Woodland. and
the bodies were soon being tossed about
in the waters. FGlly dozen of the
corpses were washed into cutters,
Every steam railroad entering the city
and the street railways suffered great
loss. But the vast amount of damage falls
upon the householders within the hOodea
district. The great sea If water reached
depth Of one foot on the first floors
OF scores of the East End homes boil
ing up from the sewers and pouring ip
from the streets, carrying everything
that came in its path. along with it. IU
many eases the fear-stricken residents
battered down cellar walls in order 10
give the torrent an outlet and prevent che
swapping of their entire homes.