Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-04-26
Great Freshet In the Ohio-LosS Of Life
and Property.

tremendous food, We copy from the Pitts.
burgh Post of Tuesday morning last:
SuNDAY.-The rivers, which had been
rising for two or three days, commenced
I filling up very fast. AT Brownsville, this
morning. the water was rising at the alarm
ing rate of two feet an hour; and at the
head of the Allegheny. The long accumulat-
ed bodies of snow were fast melting, which
with the rain helped to swell the Allegheny
at Tremendous rate. Both rivers were
| consequently on the rise all the day; a. 2
| O'Clock, P. M. there were % feet water in
the channel, and rising at the crate Of 9
inches per hour, while the rain was pour~
| ing dowE in torrents.
During the day, the rivers were covered
| with RATS, floating timber, DRIFT wood, &c.
Numbers of persons were seen on the RATS,
and it is feared with bot too much reason
that many lives were lost. There were
two RATS lodged on the piers OF tho Old
Allegheny Bridge, in The course Of the day,
off OF which one person was drowned, and
two succeeded in making their escape Il
is reported that two lives were los, by a
raft striking against the Mechanics Street
Bridge.
The lower part Of Allegheny was becom.
ing rapidly submerged, and a great deal Of
suffering was experienced. On this side Of
the river, watch was kept during the night,
and not much damage was done; several
RATS, however, were carried away from the
Allegheny wharf. The boats which ar
rived on Saturday night, did no. discharge
their freight, on account Of the manner in
which the river was rising. Persons were
engaged all night in moving off whatever
! was endangered by the flood.
MONDAY MoRN1Ne.-The river, this
morning, has reached the heigth oftwen,y-
nine feet. and still rising at the rate Of FIVE
inches an hour. The water is doing
tremendous amount of damage. having in>
vaded the cellars and Easements of all the
houses near the river. In Allegheny city,
the lower part is totally submerged. and the
inhabitants are moving from house TO house
by means of skifs, and whatever means Of
conveyance they can find TO answer their
purpose. From the canal back, the whole
bottom is under water, and the inhabitants
are suffering great deal. On this side OF
the river. the lower part of the city, known
as the P oint, is partly under water, which
extends up both Penn and Liberty streets,
covering the lower part Of the levee en-
tirely.
THREE O'CLocK.-We have just return
ed from q visit to the upper part Of the city,
in the Fifth and Ninth Wards. The ut-
mos, suffering prevails; most of the houses
in the neighborhood Of the river are under
water, and the people have either moved
out, or into the upper part of their houses.
The water in the Fifth Ward comes near
ly up to Penn street, completely covering
Etna is,ree,. which is navigated by skiffs
and flats. No idea can be had of the
amount Of damage done; and the suffering
of the people living in the neighborhood is
but too plainly visible. Not only is the
suffering produced by the food, but also in
consequence Of the stoppage of work in all
the foundries and mills in that industrious
portion Of our city. The city Water
Works, Knapp's Foundry, Shoenberger's,
Crafts, Lindsay g. Co.'s Rolling Mills, as
well as many other manufacturing estab-
lishments, have been compelled 10 suspend
operations. In the lower part Of the town,
the water is fast encroaching into the busi-
ness portion of our city. II is now in the
cellars as far up as Wood street, and the
steamboats are moored to the doors Of the
warehouses. z.-..s
We visited the upper wharf last evening,
and found the mills. glass.works, &C., to-
tally submerged by The water, while on the
opposite side Of the river, Birmingham and
South Pittsburgh appear to be in like
condition. The loss on that side of the riy-
or must be immense, as the dwellings Of
the operatives 10 the mills were generally
built on the side of the river While in
this par. we saw several cabins, stables, and
barns, pass down the river; one Of the sta>
bles was brought to the shore, and persons
were engaged in emptying the hay from it.
AS we pass down the wharf everything
appears to be in state of confusion,
steamers are tied up TO the telegraph posts
on the pavement, and il is but step, COM
paratiyely, from the stores TO the boats;
further down near the point, the real suf>
fering commences, and families are forced
to fly from their habitations by the inex-
orable element. The ferries land on the
pavement on Penn and Liberty streets,
while the back streets, such as Point, Mar.
bury, and others, are filled with water TO
the second stories of some of the kouses.
Here the loss will be felt more than in
any port Of Pittsburgh.
But, it is in Allegheny city. where the
effects Of the flood are SO severely felt.-
Here, where great part Of the city, lies
on bottom land, has this devastating ele-
mens obtained complete mastery. On
Federal street, when we crossed last eve-
ming, the water was near two feet deep
between the bridge and Robinson street,
and passengers were conveyed across, by a
horse and wagon, boats, RATS, &C., for a
compensation. From Lacock street to the
| river, the easements and alleys, are COM
pletely under water, the families being
compelled either to leave or move up 10 a
higher story. The scene in this vicinity,
beggars description. From Federal down
to what is called the Island, is where the
effect Of the water is more felt than in any
other part Of the city. Robinson, Rebec-
ca, Ann, Carson, and all the streets in the