River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-09-05
RUIN IN CLEVELAND.
Cloudburst Causes Flood in the
Ohio City.
RAGING TORRENT FILLS STREETS.
The Damage to Property Esti-
mated at SI,OO0,OOO-NO Lives
Lost, But Many Narrowly
Escape Death.

Cleveland, O., Sept. with the
breaking of dawn Sunday morning
the citizens of Cleveland awoke to
look upon a scene of unparalleled
devastation 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 approximate at
100000. The appalling overflow was
caused by terrific rain that com
menced TO fall shortly after two
o'clock. turned into a perfect cloud
burst between the hours OF three
and five, and then continued with
great force until nearly ten o'clock.
The storm, according to the weather
officials, was the heaviest that ever
swept over Cleveland since the estab-
lishBent of the government bureau
in this city over 40 years ago.
No Loss of Life.
That no lives were lost is Bothing
short of miracle, as the stories of
Thrilling escapes from the water on
several of the principal resident
streets of the city are told. The
surging waters spread over an area in
the east end nearly eight miles long
and ~ miles 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 ave
nue., back over on East Prospect
street, rushed like a mill race down
Lincoln avenue to Euclid avenue, and
then on to Glen Park place, where
houses We're undermined as though
built of straw, and almost incredible
damage done to streets and property.
swept Everything Before 1t.
Over large share of this eXclu-
sive residence territory the water
rushed with terrific force. varying in
depth from one to six feet. Culyerts,
trestles and bridges were torn down
and for hours nothing seemed ca
pable of stemming the tide of de-
struction. Hundreds of residents who
were imprisoned in their beautiful
homes like stranded islanders were
almost panie-stricken, expecting to
be called upon to wade out into the
swirling waters at almost every
minute. Danger signals were flashed
about the city as speedily as the dis
bled telephone system would allow
and the work of rescue commenced.
Rowboats piled back and forth as
siSting whole families from perilouS
positions. but these proved pitifully
inadequate, and it was soon found
necessary to go to the extraordinary
precaution of calling on the life say
/ ing crew from the river, distance
of seven miles. The life boats were
quickly loaded on wagons and hur-
ried to the scene of destruction.
Rescued by Life-savers.
The torrent surged with awful
force for hours in Deering street
| from Paramount to the boulevard,
and over a dozen families were
penEed in like rats in a trap with
water five and six feet deep surround
| ing their homes. At this point the
| life saving crew worked valiantly,
and. assisted by squads of fremen
and policemen, finally succeeded in
landing the terror-stricken people in
places of safety The fear was great
| ly enhanced by the momentary cX-
| pectation that the great Shaker
Heights dam would break loose and
belch forth terrible destruction.
Cemetery Invaded.
Shortly before noon the torrent sue
ceeded in undermining a score Of
graves i'm the St. Joseph cemetery, at
the corner of East Madi son and Wood
land. and the bodies were soon being
tossed about in the waters. Fully a
dozen of the corpses were washed in
TO cutters and had not been recovered
q late hour.
Damage to Parks and boulevard.
The great flood boiled over the banks
of Duan brook all along the boulevard
and caused damage that it will take
months to repair. Great jagged holes
are torn in the beautiful driveway, and
the look Of ruin stretches in every d.
rection. Gordon and Wade parks. on
the East side and Brooksde park on
he South side, Where the water also
dii great damage as it loaped over The
banks of Big creek, are damaged tC an
amount figured at 100000 Through
Chenille the overflow Was terribly de-
structiye. Many houses are swamped,
culyerts torn out and several streets
turned into seething quagmres The
loss in the village is also estimated :;
100000.
street Railways SnfTer.
The street railways viii suffer an
immense loss, extending in varying de-
greeS over every portion of the city.
The Big Consolidated will have to re-
build their tracks over different parts
Of the inundated East end district. and
The loss is placed at $4,000. The Su.
pcrior street trestle of che Little Com
solidated is practically ruined. and
this, with other serious damage in the
lines ~ The company extending way