Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-07-06
CLOUDBURST WRECK
Jeannette, Pa, Visited by Dis
 astrous Floods.
ONE HUNDRED LIVES MAY BE LOST
Oakford Park Pleasure Resort Was Inundated and & Large Party Overwhelmed by the Waters.
 Car Washed Into a Creek.

Overwhelmed by the Waters.
 Car Washed Into a Creek.
 PITTSBURG.. July GA cloudburst struck Jeannette, a short distance east of here, and reports say that many peo- pie have been drowned and much dam- age done to property.
 It is said that the Oakford park dam, near Jeannette, burst, enguldng an ex- cursion party on trolley cars.
 The cloudburst caused a washout on the Pennsylvania railroad east of Greensburg, and trains are being held there. The wires are all down east of that place, and no communication is had with Jeannette.
 Oakford park Is a summer resort about mile east of Jeannette, and sev aral hundred men, women and children are known to have gone there. The damage done by the cloudburst in the vicinity of Greensburg will not be less than $2o0,o00. Brush creek rose higher khan ever before and washed away ev erything along it's banks. Scores of people barely had time to escape from their houses so sudden was the rise in the stream.
 It is known that at least twenty per Hons lost their lives, and rumors place the number of dead at more than 100, but up to late hour only three or four bodies have been recovered, having been washed to the banks of the little creek that runs parallel with the park.
 The rain began to fall in torrents in Rhe vicinity of the park and spread over territory covering probably ten miles Half an hour later the cloud burst occurred The waters in the lake north of Oakford park began to rise, and Manager James MeGrath, believ- sng there was danger of final break In the great walls of the dam, hurried among the crowds of pleasure seekers who had gathered under the roofs of khe eating stands, the dancing pavil- 5 aon and other buildings in line of the water should the banks break, and warned them to run to the hills.
 On both sides of the pleasure grounds are high hills, the park being located in ravine about a fourth of mile wide and mile long, The people, being pro tected from the rain, were loath to Aeave the cozy places, and not until MHr. McGrath and his assistant Charles E Thomas, entered each building in turn and simply drove the crowds out dnto the rain did they realize that the managers were in earnest, that earnest ness being depicted in their pale faces, for they knew after careful study of She dam that the awful flood meant probably the breaking of the wall that held five acres of water.
 Half an hour after the buildings had been cleared of the people the waters mounted the wall of the dam, and within i've minutes water seven feet deep was flowing over the entire length of Ehe 400 feet of wall. The park or ravsne studded with buildings, the merry go round and other amusement ! places were twisted about, and all but ahe dancing pavilion and lunch stand were knocked from their foundations The rain continued to fall in awful tor rents, and forty feet of the wall of the dam to the east gave way with an awful crash. The flood beat down the Ravine with a roar that was heard for two miles.
 -s~S-Half a mile down, at the junction of . Ehe Greensburg and Jeannette and the park car lines, the car barns are locat- a ed The entrance gates to the park were lifted, and with the force of a pile driver the mammoth posts were hurled by the waters against the barn. Be yond was located the small waiting room, and on the track was standing a car laden with people on their way from Greensbufg and Jeannette. The electric storm had rendered the power Nf fN.>~~ man was unable to move the car.
 The flood struck the waiting room, < containing probably dozen people. A number of them struggled to point of safety, but in the excitement that fol lowed there is no way to be positive 2 how many lives were lost. The street car was caught and swept into the Sreek. A number of the people in the car jumped off, and there are conflict Ing stories as to the number of persons who were carried with the car.
 Among those who were washed into The flood were 0. M. McClain of Greens burg, Edward O'Brien, Joseph Overly ' and Misses Keefer and Crum, Young McClain is an expert swimmer, and tho cries for help from the two unknowr
 
 side as they struggled in the water. Ht grabbed them about the waists and kept their heads above water as th' three were carried in the direction o1 Jeannette by the raging torrent. The brave youth held to the wome1 2 for more than mile, and then, ex hausted and ready to sink to his death he released his hold, and the wome1 sank. It was with the greatest difh guilty that he managed to get to shore He went back to the park, but up to |: late hour the names of the women wer, not known. It is believed that ten peo ole who were in the car were drowned
 Oakford park is patronized by tn people of this town and Jeanette, an' ,. when the fact was announced that tn ' dam had given way and rumor sait Ehat from POO to 300 people wsr x drowned excitement knew no bounds