The Portland daily press., 1881-02-14
RUSHING WATERS.
Disastrous Floods in the South
and West.
WASHINGTON STREETS SEVERAL
FEET UNDER WATER.
10000 Persons Destitute in New Or.
leans.

and ice was running fast. A little after mid
night the ice in the Washington harbor broke
up AT Georgetown the river began to rise
rapidly and ice to move down. Every precau-
ton was at once taken to prevent and save the
property along the river front. Ats o'clock
this morning the river had risen two feet six
inches. 1t continued to rise steadily, and all
the wharves and the lower part of the CITY
were soon flooded. AT p. m. there was about
five feet of water around the Baltimore and
Potomac railroad depot, and the lower por-
ton of the hotels in Pennsylvania Avenue be-
tween Third and Seventh streets were flooded.
There was about three feet of water Con the
ground floor of Washington market, and about
the same depth around Ford's Opera House
Pennsylvania avenue from First to Seventh,
and from Eighth to tenth streets was sheet
of water, and all the cellars and number of
the first floors on either side of the street were
submerged The lower portion OF the census
office, in which the records are stored, COM
menced flooding this morning, but the fire de-
partment were called upon and succeeded in
keeping the water down until the documents
of most importance were removed. Great
damage is reported along the wharves in
Georgetown.
Near the corner of Sixth and B streets. in
the neighborhood of the Potomac depot, five of
the 9th street line of cars had to be abandoned,
the drivers taking their money boxes under
their arms and riding off on their horses. The
Seventh street line of cars continued to run
through the flood during the day, passenger
adopting kneeling position on the seats, and
the same was the case of the Belt line of cars
The government botanic gardens were ever
flowed and great damage done. Three spans
of Long bridge were carried away in the
evening.
TOLEDO, O., Feb 1.-THE middle ground
was inundated and water stood at a depth of
three feet in the Island House Hotel and
Union depot cutting Off communication with
Summit street, except by means of boats and
preventing the entrance Of passenger trains
The westerly span of the Pennsylvania railroad
bridge was carried away. This bridge was
rebuilt last summer and was substantial iron
structure. In Water street the water was feet
deep and rushed through at fearful rate. At
$50 a. m. the westerly span of the Union rail-
road bridge, an old wooden bridge just below
the new Lake Shore railroad bridge, came out
and was swept down at high rate of speed
throwing the draw in the Cherry street bridge
and when last seen was still going towards the
lake. On Summit street, between Monroe and
Perry, there was from one to two feet of water.
The Easements OF the wholesale stores were
all full of water and many large stocks will be
completely ruined. The little steamer Emer-
aid is reported sunk. The schooner G. Benson
has also sunk. She was valued at S15, 900 and
had cargo of $1,000 bushels of wheat valued
at $4,000. The Mediterranean had 1000
bushels of wheat aboard, the Dunford $4,000,
the Stalker 1900 and the Atmosphere 1850,
the total valuation of which is about 1913, OOO
The four vessels are valued at $4,000.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 12.-Dispatches to the
morning papers show increased damage nv
floods throughout Indiana and Ohio. At Troy.
Ohio, tho hydraulic reservoir burst and tIo
TOW was inundated, doing much DAMAGE
The Tuscarawas River is higher than it has
been for 80 years. Thousands of acres of farm,
lands are overlooked and many families are
obliged to leave their homes. Trains are dis
has broken several levees and the bridge on
the Muskingum Valley road is considered m
safe. Trains do not cross at Muncie, Ind.
fine iron bridge is washed away and several
dams gone. Many families are driven from
their houses. Trains on the Cincinnati Rich
mond and Chicago road have been stopped for
two days. The bridge over the Miami-River
near Hamilton. Ohio, ON the Cincinnati. Ham;l,'
ton and Dayton road cannot be used.
New ORLEANS, La, Feb. 12-There is no
material change in the condition of the water
in the overfowed districts. Ten Thousand
persons were supplied with food YESTERDAYS S" bv
the relief committee. There was heavy rain
yesterday morning with strong wind.
PHILADELPHIA. Feb. 12.-The flood dam
aged mills and houses yesterday at Manayunk
to the amount of 100000
NEW HAVEN, Feb. 1.-THE bridges over
West river between this city and Orange
have been swept away.
HARrER's FERRY, Feb 13.-The river is
still rising The depth is now 16 feet,
ohOhOhiOWN, LIZ W, 4 gu. lC-lQ6 water
foot above the wharf and still rising.
FREDERICKSBURG, Va, Feb. 13.-The Ran
pahannock is 10 feet above low water mark
Some lumber was carried off and steamboat
warehouse was under water to the second
story. No mails and no through trains since
Friday night.
.BoRDENTowN, N. j., Feb. 13.-The freshet
is very heavy here. Railroad tracks between
Trenton and Burlington City are under
water. Canal boats are lying across the track
on the Trenton road. Small buildings near
the Delaware and Raritan canal locks are par.
TALLY under water. The old Camden and Am
boy shops are inundated. AS far as the eye
can reach the shore of Pennsylvania is covered
with water. Since midnight the railroad
bridge on the main9inel between this city
ana New YORK has been in perilous position.
Twenty-seven laden cars containg eight tons
each have been placed to hold it in position.
The water is at the axles of the wheels.
New ORLEANS, Feb. 13.--A mass meeting of
property holders and business men is called for
Monday night in front of City Hall to devise
some means to avert the threatened danger to
the city from the overflow of the Mississippi.
TOLEDO, Feb 13.-At o'clock this morning
the water reached its highest point, II feet
above the usual mark. AT 9 p. m. it had
fallen 16 inches. Trains will run tomorrow on
schedule time.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 13.-The flood has SUBJ
sided. An immense ice gorge extending from
auoso 1uo City W d polRI several miles DelOW
1T and reaching nearly over to the Virginia
shore, has accumulated and now lies immova-
BILE, threatening destruction to the wharves
and to a number of steamboats, lying at them,
when it commences to move. The damage
already to vessels, wharves and property along
the river front is variously estimated from
$4,000 to 100000.
Damage to property in that portion of the
city inundated is 100000. The section of the
Long bridge, about 200 feet in length, which
was swept away last night, was carried about
100 yards down river on to the flats where it
now lies. Telegraphic communication with
the South is badly interfered with as the tele-
graphic cables at Long bridge have been car
ried away. Railroad travel to the South on
account of the break in Long bridge will be
seriously impe6ed. Arrangements have been
made to transfer passengers and mails for
Richmond and the coast by stages from Wash
ington over the Georgetown bridge to the AL
exandria, Fredericksburg and Richmond road
at Fort Union on the Virginia side