A Furious Rain Storm Puts Lives In Jeopardy

It Beat Violently on the City for Over Two Hours Monday Afternoon

Water, in Some Places, Was Over Ten Feet Deep-Aldermen Schumacker and Clancy Save a Number of Lives, Which Were in Peril From the Flood

The Amount of Water Which Fell Yesterday Afternoon Was 2.45 Inches University Observatory.

One of the most terrific rainstorms ever known in the history of the city occurred between the hours of 3:30 and 5 o'clock Monday afternoon.

During that time it looked as though the flood gates of the skies had been thrown wide open and that the city was to be deluged with the great outpour of water.

The rain carne so swiftly and in such large quantities that it was only about thirty minutes after it began to fall that some of the low lying portions of the city were submerged in two feet of water. In an hour after the storm toad begun the water in these same places had risen to a height of ten feet.

The storm in its fury lashed the sea of water, as it fell, against the sides of business and dwelling houses, in many cases damaging them quite badly. In several instances small houses were partially carried away from their foundations so strong was the rain tempest.

In the valley of the Allen creek the danger to life was most imminent. This water course overflowed itself and so closely invaded the dwelling houses in the vicinity that it looked for a time as though there was to be serious loss of life. The prompt assistance, however, of a number of persons, notably Aldermen William Clancy and Phil Schumacher, averted the drowning of a number of people who were in a most perilous situation when they were rescued.

Clancy and Schumacher did splendid and heroic work, driving their wagon submerged in water above the hubs to houses where the inmates were appealing for succor and carrying them away in safety. In one instance, on Chapin street, the mother of a new born babe was rescued with her infant by Schumacher and Clancy, while Mrs. Charles Schneider and her four babies were among other instances of the rescues made by the two life savers.

While the rain poured, the artillery of the heavens was sending forth its thunderous intonations. The reports coming with such force that a number of the little children who had been rescued from the waters which threatened the snuffing out of their lives were almost frightened into hysterics. Added to the deafening noises of the thunderclaps, the lightning, as in forks of fire it sped on its lurid way through the sky, made a scene which will not soon be forgotten by those who witnessed it.

The damage caused by the flood and storm is estimated at between $30,000 and $50,000.

THE STORY OF PHIL SCHUMACHER

TELL HOW HE AND CLANCY WENT TO THE RESCUE

He Explains How They Came to be in a Wagon at the Most Serious Point of the Flood

A most fortunate coincident of the flood was the fact that Aldermen Clancy and Schumacher were at its most serious point with a wagon, when it came about. How they happened to be there is best explained by Alderman Schumacher. This is his story:

"In company with the Mayor, City Clerk Harkins and Engineer Groves, Clancy and myself had started out on an inspection of the streets. We were in a wagon and had almost reached the house of Mrs. Staebler on W. Huron street, when the storm began. Clancy and myself concluded to take shelter in the Staebler home as we saw the storm was going to be a bad one. The rest of the party hurried home. We had only been at the Staebler house about five minutes when the rain began to come down heavily. We looked at the skies and felt that the storm was going to be worse than we thought at first. We then decided that we would go home. About this time Clancy's wagon and driver came. We hailed him and asked him to take us downtown. He agreed and we got into the wagon. We had got to Third street, when some woman shouted to me from the porch of her house.

" 'Oh! 'Mr. Schumacher, have Mr. Clancy drive over to those houses on Chapin street. There are people drowning there, surely.'

"We got to the houses indicated by the woman just as quickly as the horses could get us there. It was hard going for at this time the storm was reaching its height and tons of water had already fallen. The first rescue we made was that of a woman with an infant about a week old. From here we made what other rescues we could."

THE NARROW ESCAPE OF PATROLMAN COLLINS

One of the persons taken to a place of safety from his house at 539 N. Ashley street which the flood threatened to sweep away, was "Doc" Collins, the well-known patrolman. Aldermen Clancy and Schumacher were on their way to render assistance to those who might need it when Clancy said:

"Let's find out if "Doc" Collins Is all right."

Both men drove up to the house, which was engulfed almost to the threshold of the door in water and the flood still rising. Schumacher called out:

"Are you there 'Doc?'" "Yes," carne the reply, "wait until I can get some of my clothes." "Hurry' up," yelled Clancy, "if you don't want to be numbered among the missing."

In a jiffy Collins raised a window and looked out, but the water was so deep that he hesitated about getting into it. Noticing nis hesitancy, Schumaeher shouted,

"Hold on 'Doc' until we can get a plank.'"

The latter being procured it was stretched from the wagon to Collins' window. He stepped on the board and was soon in the wagon with the city fathers. He had nis uniform with him, tied up in a piece of paper. In fact, it was "Doc's" anxiety for the safety of his blue suit and brass buttons that kept him in the house until the water had so far enveloped it.

RESCUED HER PIGS WITH A GARDEN RAKE

A rather amusing incident of the flood is told by Frank McIntyre, the actor. Mr. McIntyre was on the brow of a small hill near Spring Street in company with some young ladies as daring as himself watching the hurried rising of a ravine when he says he was suddenly horrified to notice the water in the ravine had risen twenty feet and was fast overflowing the yard, the house and pig pens of Mrs. August Hintz, who lives at 727 Spring street.

For a moment," said Mr. McIntyre "I was undecided as to what I should do, when I was surprised to see Mrs. Hintz come from her house with a long-handled rake. She is quite a heavy woman and was wading laboriously through the water. When she got within a few yards of her pig pens she stretched forth the rake and with it pulled the pigs one at a time to a place of safety. The little animals kept up a horrible squealing and really it appeared to me as though they would just as soon have been drowned as to have been hauled out of the water with that rake. It surely was quite a funny scene but at the same time there was much to admire about it as it displayed a wonderful presence of mind on the part of Mrs. Hintz."

WAS CAUGHT IN MICH. CENTRAL CULVERT

Harry Heinzman came near losing his life at the Michigan Central railroad culvert. If it had not been for the timely aid of Chief of Police Frank Warren the lad would probably have been lost in the waters. The office safe of Michael Staebler, the coal man, had been carried away by the flood. It reached the Michigan Central culvert and dammed it up. Warren and a number of other men went to the place to clear it away as, owing to its presence the water was rising at an alarming rate, threatening to carry away the railroad tracks. It was finally removed and the water having free access dashed at a furious rate through the culvert. Young Heinzman, missing his footing, fell in and was in a fair way to be completely engulfed when Warren and some other men pulled him out.

WHAT SIPLEY SAYS OF THE FLOOD DAMAGE

"It is the worst flood that I have seen here in fifty years," said Fire Chief Sipley, as he ruefully looked over the scene of devastation, after the storm had spent its force. "In fact I don't believe I have ever seen anything like it in Ann Arbor. The loss to property is terrible. It's a wonder that no lives were lost. We will be completely knocked out for water in the fire hydrants in the ruined section until repairs can be made. The damage will probably reach $50,000 or $60,000."

During the flood the chief lent valuable assistance to some of those who were in danger. He worked with all his might until the storm had abated and it was seen that the worst of the danger was past.

LOST HIS WOOD BUT SAVED HIS BABIES

John Bird, the proprietor of the Walker house, was one of those who was least able to be a loser by the disaster. He is not a man of means, in fact he is far from being rich in this world's goods. He was struck, however, with a force which is liable to hurt him quite seriously for a time at least. Among the property which he had destroyed was 200 cords of second growth oak. It was nicely arranged in the rear of his hotel when without a moment's warning the flood came suddenly along and carried it away. Mr. Bird, however, takes his loss as quietly as could be expected and expresses himself as satisfied that he did not suffer any greater damage. He loses sight of the loss of some of his property over the saving of his two children, who came near being lost in the angry waters.

STRANGE DISCOVERY MADE BY GEORGE RASH

A peculiar find which might indicate that someone was lost in the flood or was robbed, was made by George Rash, an employee of the Michigan Furniture Company, this morning. Mr. Rash, who lives near Seventh and Liberty streets, had left his home to go to his work, when he noticed a number of papers lying in the street near his home. He examined them and found among them a number of blank checks, Michigan Central railroad orders and other documents pertaining to the road. He took his find back to his home and later said that he would report the matter to the Sheriff's office. How the papers carne to be at the place is a mystery. Inquiry among the railroad offices here does not show that any of the employees are missing. Nor is it known that any of them was robbed or lost any papers such as were found.

HEROIC SERVICE GIVEN BY ROBERT NOWACK

Robert R. Nowak, a bartender at the saloon of Oswald Dietz, 111 E. Huron street, made one of the most heroic rescues of the evening. He was near the corner of Main and Summit streets, when Ernest Cabella, whose home is at 326 E. Kingsley street, was carried away by the flood, and into the culvert on Summit street. He disappeared quickly. Nowak saw the incident and ran to Cabella's aid, much endangering his own life. He hauled Cabella from the flood at a point about ten feet from where he went into the culvert. It was a splendid piece of heroism on Nowak's part and when he pulled the almost drowning man to a place of safety, a number of spectators cheered him Ioudly.

THE LOSSES TO CITY AND INDIVIDUALS

The losses caused by the flood are variously estimated from $30,000 to $50,000. It is said that the city will have to pay $25,000 at least for repairing the damaged culverts, while the individual losses are estimated to range all the way from $10,000 to $20,000. The individual losses in some cases were very great, property owners having suffered a great deal of damage to their houses and household goods. Outside of these losses there were the damages accruing to the Ann Arbor Railway, which had some of its roadbed washed away and to the property of the Michigan Central, which was considerably damaged by the flood. In all it is conservatively estimated that not much short of $50,000 will cover the damage done. Perhaps the amount may exceed that figure.

A SMALL BOY SAVED MRS. F. WOOD

Mrs. Frank Wood, who lives at 107 Summit street, was one of those who were caught in the flood. She had come from her house to rescue her dog, which was at a rear portion of the dwelling, when she slipped on the veranda and fell into the swift current. Luckily the water was only about four feet deep or she might have lost her life. She was carried some distance. A. little boy named Keebler carne to her assistance. He grasped her by the wrist and pulled her out of the water. When talking of her narrow escape this morning Mrs. Wood said she never wanted to see such a flood again. "I save my dog," she said, "and I am thankful."

PROVIDENTIAL ESCAPE OF DR. M. L. BELSER

One of those who miraculously escaped being caught in the disaster and who if he had would probably have been drowned, was Dr. M. L. Belser. The physician had just crossed the Miller avenue bridge about three minutes when the structure collapsed, owing to the attack of the rushing waters upon it. He was driving in a light buggy and was on his way to make a sick call in the third ward when the storm was at its height.

Mrs. Emma A. Clancy, wife of Alderman Clancy, who knew of Or. Belser's perilous situation, said that it was one of the most providential escapes from serious injury and perhaps death that she ever knew of.

BABIES CARRIED BY RUSHING WATERS

TWIN CHILDREN OF JOHN BIRD NEARLY LOST

They Were Rescued Near the Felch Street Bridge - Alderman Johnson's Story

One of the most pathetic scenes of of the flood was witnessed by Alderman Willis Johnson. He was near the Felch street culvert and describes the Incident in this way:

"I was alarmed at the proportions that the flood was reaching when my fear was much increased by seeing two little children being carried by the swirling waters down Ashley street. They were tiny tots and appeared to be unconscious of their situation. I was on the point of going to their rescue when some man whom I do not know jumped in and saved them. I afterwards learned that the children were the twin babies of John Bird, the proprietor of the Walker House. I never saw a sight in my, life that made my blood run colder than that did. For the moment I did not know what to think. My only impulse was to save the children. The children, it seems, were playing at the corner of First street and Miller avenue when they were carried away by the flood." This was one of the most miraculous escapes of the afternoon as if the children had been carried farther down the stream to the Felch street bridge, there is no doubt but what they would have been lost.