The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1875-03-19
SPRING FLOODS.
The Situation along the Susque'
hanna.
Fears of Further Trouble.

NEW York, March 1S.-The situation on the
Susquehanna river last night is told as follows
by Herald correspondents at Pttston, Pa, ana
vicinityi
The ice Is damned back in the main channel
about two miles below Pittston, and the waters
are cutting new avenues through the flats ON
either side. At Plainsville the Lehigh Valley
Railroad depot is all out of sight Several
freight cars with their contents, together with
the freight in the depot, are ruined. Just below
this point and about four miles below Pittston
are seen two spans of the old covered bridge
and one of the new bridge, all lodged in the
ice and apparently but little damaged. A few
rods below is another span of the new bridge,
twisted and rolled into a ball of wood aud iron.
At this place the waters have cut to the west
ward through the plains forty four feet, and
covered the entire level, even into Kingston
borough, Just west of Wilkesbarre. Kingston
is beautiful village of about one thousand in
habitants, and its main street is now traversed
only BY skis, and families are deserving their
homes for more secure locations. from TINS
point where the waters overflow the banks,
forty feet to the Wilkesbarre bridge, the chan
mel presents a spectacle even more inspiring
and dangerous than any other point below Ran
som. The ice is piled up in masses, IN some
places fifteen to twenty feet high, and is held
in its place by the gorge below and the trigldlty
of the atmosphere, the wind blowing gale
and snow falling rapidly.
The water has reached the mine openings in
several places between Pittston and Wilkes
barre. and begun to flood the anthracite regions
below. Last evening measures were taken 10
stop the damages by cementing up their open
ings, and the work still goes on. All trains
north of the Lehigh Valley railroad are stopped
at Wilkesbarre, and the United States mails
are piled up in the storehouses of the company.
All things considered justify the gravest a2pre-
tensions, not only for the bridges but Tor the
towns of Wilkesbarre, Plymouth and N anu
coke, and nothing but the power of an inter-
prnuidoppa will the valley from
still greater damage.
The total loss at Port Jervis and above May
be summed as follows: Erie Railroad bridge
S75,OO0; Barrett bridge $4,000; Basket bridge
loss in lumber $4,000; damage to property
above 1000; total $2SS,000, This does not
include probable losses down the river, which
will no doubt swell the above amount 100000,
making this the most disastrous Hood ever
known in the Delaware valley.
PITTsToN, March 1S.-The loss of the flour
bridges and damage to property will reach more
than half million dollars. Ice is again gorg-
ed at Ransom three miles above here, to the
height of twenty feet and extending up the
river about five miles. The Lehgh Valley rail-
road track is entirely covered with ice six feet
in height in the narrows, two miles north of
here. They have gang OF workmen digging
through and trying to clear the track. Its i'm
possible to say how soon they can run through.
No trains are able to reach here yet either way.
IA
ped working having no route to ship COAL The
greatest anxiety exists in regard to the wealth.
er. Should 1t become warm enough to move
the gorge it will cause even more destruction
than Tuesdays flood.
CoNEwINGo, Md, March 1873 p. M.-The
river has risen ten feet in the last two hours.
The bridge here will doubtless go.
WILKEsBARA, Pa, March 18.-The river is
falling slowly this afternoon and it is now
nearly TIVE feet lower than "Wednesday. just
below here the Pittston bridges are jammed up
in the ice in the main channel. For some dis
lance above this station and nearly two miles
below the track of the railroad is covered with
water and large cakes OF ice.
From Kingston to Wilkesbarre the distance
is one mile, and the water spread across the
fates between the two places in an incredible
short time. A dam was swept away which had
stood the floods of many years, and no fences
whaver are left. Huge boulders of ice were
carried along with such force as TO tear up great
trees. All the Geographic poles on the
fats are down and communication in that way
can only be held via Scranton. From the Oppo-
site end of the bridge at this place only vast
sea of ice can be seen until the eye reaches
Kingston. III house close by has ice all around
it. The cakes are piled against it as high as
the top of the first story window.
The street railway is covered with massive
bouiders OF ice heaped upon each other in some
places to the height of ten or fifteen feet In
this city the water has ceased runni G over the
banks of the canal.
The cold weather of last night froze the water
in many of the cellars to .he depth of several
inches. The bridge which has stood floods of
48 years is in dangerous situation. A thaw
will set ice in motion, ard if it does not carry
off the structure the Pittston bridge will be
swept down and destroy it.