The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-04-05
Scenes at Vienna, Buda PeSth
and Other Points.
4 Floating Family, Pilots Looking for Church
Stseples and Rats in Flight.
HUNDREDS OF HOUSES DESTROYED
Dead Bodies DecOm-
posing.

at 10 not an inundation, It Is the Deluge
againl'' The cry from Hungary; for the
Danube there has swollen and expanded to a magn-
tude equal TO that OF the broadcast parts Of the hssis
sippL The foundations In Austria three weeks ago,
when the winter suddenly broke up chid's
play In comparison with the fearful calamity in
Hungary.
It Is true, the low lying quarters Of Prague still
flooded. The Moldavia, that turbulent tributary Of
the Danube has changed hundreds of broad acres
and in whole estates-into huge lakes on
the surface Of which roofs OF houses and the tops
Trees visible. But there such floods happen fire.
qucny in the midst of summer after rain storms, and
Inc population are, therefore, accustomed be onIthe
ALERT their houses for the most part sodly built
Of stone. suffer littic from the surging waves
which rush along the banks OF the river
the greatest sufferers railway companies
whose rails, secpers and embankments have been
partially swept away. Nevertheless, 81, 000, 600 win
the whole OF the damage done there These two
provinces fruitful Austria and their in
habtants are the most Industrious
THE COMMENCEMENT DELUGE
On the 18th of February, just month ago, after
steadily severe and altogether old fashioned winter,
the temperature suddenly changed within the space OF
= few hours from eleven degrees (Reaumur) below
A
deus thaw followed. The telegraph worked day and
night The population astir. IL was not the ad-
vent Of genial spring. the nrst rays of the bright
torcboded disaster The in the Bavarian Alps in
Upper Austria and in the Bohemian mountains which
were here and there covered to depth eighteen feet
suddenly changed into water which rolled
down from enormous heights gathering strength from
thousands OF rvulets brooks and rls and rushed
the bed OF the Danube and the Bohemian river Mol
THE BREAKING UP OF TIKI ICE.
With crash beard for miles in the dead OF night,
the Ice in many places feet in thickness, broke
up into huge fields and masses, and began to move
slowly. Soon it began TO heave and splinter. and,
caught by the violent OF the Danube sped
switsr and swifter increasing rate Of ten miles
hour before reached the bed tho river near
Vienna
DEVASTATION ON THE DANUBE.
Then tho broken fields of ice were squeezed upward
and many an iceberg formed, some nearly fifteen
and twenty feet in height In Austria tho river rose
eighteen feet above low water Hungary to twenty
four feet and It Is Mt this moment twenty-five feet
above its normal height although tho ice passed
weeks ago and has already been engufed tho Black
Sea
ANXIOUS PREcAurIox
From the FIRST day OF the setting in OF the thaw
everybody, taught by experience and tradition "handed
me worst Everyone counted the hours with the
precision OF a mathematician. Tho risk likely TO be
incurred by every township and village situated within
me reach of the river was calculated beforehand
Thousands disodged themselves voluntarily other
thousands by order OF the auth critics
Valuable property, such portable and the few
thatels Of the poor carried to places Of safety
rELEGRAPH
Telcgraphic messages came hourly from tho Bavarian
border, bringing information to the height Of the
rising river and the exact degree OF swiness thus
Ibng the viennese tfor instance) to know almost TO
HE minute the time when the tremendous onward
march OF the food should reach the precincts OF the
atty and It's outlying suburbs This lasted for days and
nights, and then the icebergs swept past In awful
majesty, rolling and tumbling and rising again, bury
Ing and bridges and parts of houses which they
lad destroyed on their way. The yiennese had been
occupied for I'VE years in trying regulate bed OF
their glorious river In fact they have dug spacious
sew bed for 1T but this powerful swell Of water-s00
bss broad--broke down many OF the bulwarks and
AGAIN.
Get the works did entirely fail They served to
rave the railway bridges, and the trafc only in
corrupted for = week The floating ship which
In winter closes the channel in order to prevent
Ihe passing through the city, failed to iu6i the
psctations formed regarding L. IL lifted up high
was, however, crushed, and thus the danger les
sened. II tho water In the channel had only risen
three inches more the whole OF the Lcopoldstadt
wcuid have been flooded fathom deep For week
boats we're placed ready al every doorstep Through
I'll streets and lanes panks were laid high posts,
hus forming . boarded walk along the houses above
he possible reach OF the food After days and nights
Hanguish the water fell OF tho many
INCIDENTS nAiRHREADrH xscArEs
The following tho most astounding I'm the
lead Of night, when iron boats directed by po-
Neers OF the army picking up squads OF helpless
'eope who had been suddenly cut OF IRON the world
y their houses and homes having been turned INTO
sands an entire wooden house swept by on a Geld OF
The windows were Ia up and the the DWELL
- for help were heartrendine. The bravo fellows OF
be boats forced their way through tho crushing ice
nd binding foam this icehcld which hurried along
"a tremendous speed They succeeded in saving the
Inhabitants and carried them. fainting with cold to
Aer boats minute aiterward the ice broke into
silisn Of splntsrs and the house. with windows
un lighted, slowly disappeared In the huge torrent
EXPOSITION GROUNDS.
Although the greatest danger Is over large por.
eas Of the Praier arc sin flooded, also all the
snsbs islands this city, together with hundreds
gardena The many boating mills on the river
psroysd When the hood at lis highest IL reached
steps OF tho Exhibition buildings OF 1874 which
ow being pulled down The gigantic roiunda alone
s,h It's square Of buildings, will DO preserved. The
als and foundations had been happily strengthened
ssnsy, IL being feared that the water would under
line them and cause the ruin OF the RotundA The
hole Of the broad sxpanss Of Of The wheat
marsh neld In former centuries the cockpit Of con-
nding nations, whore every village bears name
snored In the history Of wars, Is stsil
BROAD SKA, youR rKxr Dxxy
n rx.tlo md In
. borders OF Hungary The Same stats Of things OK.
. along the river sou,hward, 20 the sciavonian
sors, facans Besrsd in . total length Of zoo miis&
TEE rsrxDArox II nrxoAaY