The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-05-13
From the Pittsburg Commercial Journai of n,
18TH
Unparalleled Flood in the Ohio .---T as,
of Life

ANoTHER FLoOD-GREAT DEsTRvcT,o.
OF PROPERTY MAILS DELAYED w.
have scarcely been able to sum up be ds,,-
age and disasters of the late flood. y .sf. ,,,
find ourselves surrounded by another ana
still more destructive innndation 4 IA.
time we Commence this article nntay
evening at 10 o'clock--the water is VI 10
twenty three feet, and both rivers rising 81
the rate OF six TO seven inches an hour. with
heavy rain falling which commerce. f:i-
day evening about 6 o'clock, and has CON:
tinued almost without interinission until MS
hour.
In the recent flood, the great rise was in
the Monengahela, III hIst the Allegheny mas
scarcely swollen beyond the bound Of an Or
diuary spring freshet Now, BON ci,ers
are gushing over their banks and nforma-
lion from the head waters of both, leads "a
TO look for still further encroachmeats Of
The flood.
AT Brownville, on Sunday morning. The
MOnongahela was rising at the appalling
rate of two feet an hour, and from he head
waters of the Allegheny we learn Mat The
valleys were charged with heavy bodies Of
snoY to aggrava:e the unprecedented iall Of
rain.
What may be the effect Of the heavy rain
of Saturday and Sunday Oh the streams so
enormously swollen, aud still rising, it is inn
possible 10 predict with certainty Win
the information we have of the state of tie
streams below us, the Beaver, the Muskiug-
uu, the kanawha, and Scioot, all running
over their banks, and the Ohio at TIL, point
already up to within eleven feet of the crea,
flood of 1892, and still rising a, an Incredible
rate we must conclude 1t is scarcely posi-
bic for the waters to begin to subside before
l the influence of the rain now falling will 10
felt, to add disaster upon disaster
The Allegheny river is covercd with
floating fragments OF RATS, valuable timber,
and lumber of all descriptions, v hich have
been swept from their moosinss, and now
mingle III wild confusion with tree. rift
wood and fence rails. Numbers of human
beings have been seen on RATS, and portions
OF RATS, as they swept past the city, citueing
to their property, AT the peri! of the. YES.
And we regret to say tina, lives have uctu-
ally been sacrificed in view Of our inhati-
tants, by this adventurous spirit. One ra-i
of lumber, on which a deficiency Of sweeps
gave evidence that it had been carried off,
Unexpectedly from its landing, and having
three men on it, was preciptated upon one
ioi the perpendicular piers of The upper Me
3chanic's street bridge, the raft shattered 10
fragments, and the men lost. Wewere Tot
AN eye witness To this disaster, yet our IN
formation Is from several sources ami 50
positive, that Incredible as the statemen! ap-
pears, we must admit it.
1t Is dillicUlt TO realize that three men IN
broad daylight. in view Of numbers which,
despte.,he pel,ing rain, lined the bauks,
surrounded too by he multiplied means Il
saving themselves which The several boards
presented, could thus have been drowned
But the IinpetuosIty of the stream, v hcf ~
this moment beggars description, with the
chilling temperature of the water, fro,h
from frozen fountains, may he sufiic en-, 10
explain sudden paralysis of the vital pow
Iers-the only hypothesis on which We can
admit that drowning has occurred In these
circumstances.
We have direct and unimpeachable infoF-
nation Of an escape from precisely sinclair
peril, which was witnessed by Numbers,
Sunday morning, opposite this city.
A fragment OF 4 raft of logs was seen ie-
scendius with the maddened torrent, and
man on IT, was yigorou>ly struggling To ton
troll It's course. He guided its heatllong ca
reer safely past the mechanics street bridge,
The aqueducf, ami the Hand street bridge
but was not so lucky IN steering by the PIERS
OF the St. Clair street bridge. Fortunately
the piers Of this bridge have been strength
ened within few years, by the adlii.iyn 10
their upper edges, of massive walls, or ice
breakers, which instead OF standing p. rpen.
diculariy to the current, present an IN lines.
plane, with fin easy angle. Our solitary
navigator finding himself doomed to incgita-
bic contact with the pier, dropped his steer
ins oar, and squared himself for a running
jump and just as his doomed craft roso to
the swell OF the INSTRUCTED torrent, be srrang
forward aud leapei bravcly clear q The
crashing and surgIng timber, made sure bis
footing, and cheered by the rarturous and
Joyful shouts of en- excited crowd Of wit
nesses, he clamhered steadily up The pier o.
all tours, and with friendly hand from Tie
top, he was soon on the bridge. Ii was. as
he pithiiy remarked whilst he wiped tbs
sweat from his brow, "a pooty tigh, fit
Al the time we write, all the lower par,
OF Allegheny City i; overlooked. and the
inhabitants are in most depOrable state OF
suffering and alarm.
On our side, the lower situations Of Ale
gheny border of the city, are subme rged;
and the water has Invaded the basement
and cellars of numbers Of dwellings.
Fears are entertained that the large stores
OF lumber piled in this quarter may he swept
away during the ght. Some few men are
busy moving of whatever is most enjang-
cred, but toe dreadful weather renders {
next 10 impossible 10 induce men To work,
so that owners are compelled TO await tho
waters subsiding and stopping short, Us no
Only chance for the saving of their prop
crty.
AT the moment we write, fears are en-
terianed for the security of property stored
IN the cellars on the Monongahela from be-
tween " God and Market streets, and along
Wood street to Second street. The wafer
advancing up the large sewers which under
line " God street and converge there, may
invade the cellars from below, should
The rise continue a few feet further, as roN
appears pretty certain. Parties intere
however, having taken the alarm, ar ou
he alert. and have set watches upon tn ad-
vance OF the food. Some of the merci ants
are exposed to damage. Wick s. M'chauG-
less, Lewis Dazell & Co., James 4. Hut
chnson s. Co., King s. Moorheai, and
Graft, Lindsay & Co., have entered upon
The removal Of all destructlble properly
hair