Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-04-12
Thursday Morning, April II, 1860,

and that stream continued 10 rise, ana not
hoinr able TO contain itself, poured out
,,,or the low country. The water was
Inning all over the Island and hundreds
ofpeop!o are quitting their homes and
lrgssng the bridges in anticipation of
till greater rise The Suspension bridge
rss crowded from daylight until late in
,be day by wagons containing household
roods. men, women and children pIodding
,Iong in the rain. Business is almost en-
relvsuspended and desire to escape i'm
pending damage has swallowed up every
thing else along Water and Main Streets,
where many of the cellars arc already
filled with water, and where the people are
moving their valuables into the upper
stories During most of the day, the river,
high as it was, swelIed Mt the rate of five
or six inches per hour.
The 'Narrows" on the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad are washing away, and
trains could not get up to the city. Some
three or four trains were collected at
Moundsyile The passengers by the mail
train. arrived on time yesterday morning,
and came up to the city on the steamer
Woodsidc They report tremendous rains
in the mountains during Tuesday and
Tuesday night, and the rivers and creeks are
oil ont of their banks. The Central Ohio
Railroad is under water in many places
and nothing can be heard from the trains.
The Cleveland and Pittsburg road is in the
same unhappy condition: the swollen and
turbulent Ohio having completely wiped it
out in many places and carried away its
bridges There is yet no estimating the
damage to the Hempfield road as nearly
half of its entire track is submerged.
There is no such thing as telegraphing
anywhere from this point, the heavy drifts
and rapid currentshaving broken down the
poles and snapped the wires, east, west,
north and south. There was no commu-
nication between this and any other part.
Two flatboats loaded with railroad iron
and manned by upwards of twenty men,
were deserted by their crews, below the
city, some time during Tuesday night,
and were found yesterday morning by the
steamer WoodsiIc, with only man apiece
upon them. all the rest having sought dry
land from the rushing waters. The Wood
side. after great deal of trouble, succee-
del in tying up the heavily laden boats
and rescuiug the solitary passengers.
4 report reached the city yesterday
morning by the steamer Emma Graham,
tlat II house in La Grange, short dis
lance ubotc the city, had been washed
away and that five persons were drowned.
Bridgeport. Krkwood, Mnrtiusville, and i'll
fact all other towns along the lower lands
of the Ohio are overlooking, and those &C
uninted with the state of the water, and
who remember the floods of former years,
warn Ms that to-day will show us "city
of the sea" in our own town.
Last evening the water was running over
the Main street stone bridge and was
crowding against the walls of that struc-
ture with Il tremendous force. There was
no way of reaching Centre Wheeling ex-
rcpt by means of skiffs or other convey
ances. Drift wood had collected against
the bridge in immense piles and had to-
tally obscured the surface of the water as
far up as the wire suspension bridge, and
men and boys were walking about upon ii.
The river bank was crowded with men,
women and children during the whole OF
the dav. and the greatest excitement pre-
vailed.
Some three or four of the bridges on the
lIcmpfcid railroad have been swept away
I hat NN.iti
require weeks, if not months, to repair
Many Of the bridges on the Bethany turn
pike also gone. and many houses arc
overturned and dangerous land slides made.
4 railroad bridge. with about fifty feet
of track upon it, was seen going down the
river yesterday
At Bcair yesterday, the people were
Fleeing to tue mountains" i'll vast NUM-
hcrs, and were holding running debate
as to the propriety of erecting an ark after
the fashion of ancient Noah. In some
parts of the town formerly known as Ben
wood, there are several roofs sticking up,
like little islands in the sea, Inhabited
principally by rats and mice and such
small deer" as furnished poor Toms bill
Of fare for year
At about 9 o'clock last night the water
was upon the sidewalks on Water street,
and had backed up Main street a consider
sble distance from the stone bridge which
was not expected to hold out against the
rush of waters. The water had found its
way into the cellars on Main street and
a a., Inns liz
engaged in hoistiug out their goods.
The water got into the gas pipes, aud
talow candles and fluid lamps took the