Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-07-19
Death AND HAVOC
CAUSED BY FLOODS
LIVES AND PROPERTY LOST
WHEN RIVERS OVERFLOW IN
VICINITY OF PlTTSBURG.
WIDE TERRITORY is
AFFECTED BY RISE
Sections of Pennsylvania, Ohio and
West Virginia SuHer-Home Is
Wrecked and Three Children Are
Drowned at McCombs, w. Va.

Pittsburg, Pa, July 19.-The loss
of several lives and great monetary
damage has resulted from heavy rains
throughout western Pennsylvania,
eastern Ohio and West Virginia dur
ing the last "a hours The river and
mountain streams are out of their
banks, live stock has been drowned
and bridges and buildings washed
away, railroad tracks swept off or
undermined, trolley systems demoral-
iZed electric light plants put out of
commission and hundreds of families
compelled to abandon their homes
and seek refuge on higher ground.
About this city the rivers have risen
five feet In ten hours. Reports from
above the city say that recurring
storms in the last IS hours have re-
suited in a precipitation of from three
to four inches, which, being at the
headWaters, when they reach this city
may cause some damage unlocked
for at the present time.
Damage in West Virginia.
Parts of West Virginia have sus
age of the Western Maryland and the
coal and iron railroads in Tucker and
Barbar counties have been washed
away The service on these roads is
said to be at a standstill. The Dry
Fork and Baltimore & Ohio railroads
are under water for many miles and
no trains can be operated. In the Ty-
CART valley the towns of Grafton
Rowlesburg and Tunnelton are almost
submerged, the property damage
amounting to nearly quarter of a
million dollars At Elkins the rain
fall was five inches and at other
points the fall was about as heavy.
Three Children Drowned.
At McCombs, w Va, the home Of
Mrs. Mary Ballard was wrecked by
the high water and three young chill
dren of Mrs. Ballad were, drowned.
The bodies were washed away.
Many remarkable features have
characterized the flood. While hun
dreds of persons watched the raging
Tygart river a large church fioated
down past Rowlesburg. Fifteen
bridges were counted passing Grafton
The lowlands of western Pennsyl-
vania points along the Monongahela
river above this city are not affected
to any great extent, according to re-
ports While the property damage
will be heavy and many people have
been forced to abandon their homes
no fatalities have been reported as
yet
Damage in Cheat River Valley.
Clarksburg, w. Va, July 19.-More
than half a million dollars damage re-
suited from cloudbursts, storms, and
floods Wednesday night at Newburg
and along the Cheat river valley in
Preston county and this vicinity
Houses were washed away, the main
line of the Baltimore & Ohio railroad
is out of commission and telegraph
and telephone wires are all down. At
Fairmont the Monongahela river is
at a high stage and freight and other
property has been removed. The B.
& o. tracks along the Monongahela
river are damaged slightly. At King
wood three miles of railroad tracks
were washed away. The United
Brethren church at Evansville was
overturned and swept down stream.
Coleman Morris, aged 80 years, a
farmer of Big Isaac, this county, was
struck by lightning in the road near
his home during the storm and in
stantly killed.
Heavy rain at Weston caused the
highest waters along Polk creek and
the West Fork river into which it
empties, near the town, since the flood
of 1883 and considerable damage has
resulted All the bridges across Polk
creek and other property along the
creek and river, were carried off in
the flood A number of residents had
to use row boats to get to and from
their homes. Part of the insane asy-
lum grounds are submerged and some
stores and residences are under
water.