Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-02-21
FLOOD IN THE WEST
DESTRUCTION IN THE OHIO VALLEY
AND CATAsTRoPHEs.
TIE TRAIL OF FIRE AND BLOOD.
Some Tragic Occurrences Of Recent
Happening

Some Tragic Occurrences Of Recent
Happening
THE WESTERN FEEsHEis
Misslssippi-lmmense Destruction
and Great Distress.
Great excitement has prevailed through.
out the Ohio Valley to-day, on account OF
the swollen streams. The Ohio river is
fifty-fcur feet above low water mark, and
people living even four blocks from the
river front, il Cincinnati, have been
Obliged to vacate the lower portions OF
their houses. Along the lcvecs the water
has reached the second story cf many Of
the poor peoples dwellings, The river is
within four feet and ten inches Of the
highest point ever known. The rain con-
tinues to fall and all the tributaries OF the
Ohio are flooded. Torrents of water are
pouring from the mountain slopes of New
York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, sweep
ing over the low lands and destroying
bridges on the way to the Mississippi.
The freshet promises to be the most disas
trous in many years, and coming as it docs
a month earlier than usual causes Increased
| peril, because al! were unprepared for it.
Navigation Oh the Ohio river is closed,
and tie suspension bridge, which is 1902
| feet above low water mark, is now only
| 45 feet above the surface OF the river
The Southern railway bridge has !. draw
span to let tho river steamers up the
stream, but between the Suspension and
Newport bridges all the steamers are now
imprisoned. The Ohio & Mississippi.
Cincinnati, indianapolis, St. Louis s. Chi
cago, Cincinnati & Baltimore, and Gin
cinnati, Hamilton & Dayton railroad
| tracks arc covered with water. All the
trains on these roads are stopped. Back
| water extends ten miles up the Little
| Miami river and ten miles up Mill creek,
| submerging thousands of acres. In Gin
| cinnati al! the street railroads in the bot
tom lands are inundated and impassablc on
some portions OF their route. Covington
and Newport, on their river fronts, are
under water. \ great number OF the
factories in these cities have been COM
PEELED to stop. The entire ten miles Of
river front of Cincinnati, covered with
saw mills, lumber yards, rolling mills,
railroad depots, foundries, machine shops
great furniture factories, commission and
warehouses, are more CT less inundated for
| from one to four squares from the river.
The damage will be less in actual de-
struction OF property than iu water soa!:
ing building and in delay TO business.
In Missouri rain has fallen steadily and
heavily since Saturday morning. All
trains were from four to eight hours late
in arriving at St. Louis At Gaze Clifton
the Iron Mountain railroad there is an ex-
tensive washout, and two passenger trains.
which left tue union depot last night, Were
obliged to lay over all night at Carondelet,
and are still there. 4 scaifold erected for
the use of the workmen repairing the
bridge Oh the Wabash railroad was wash
ed away. The river has suddenly risen
ten feet. All the freight lying on the
levees near the Old short line road was
swept away. The trains on the Ohio &
Mississippi aud the Missouri Pacific rail
roads alone departed to day. All trains
on the other roads have returned on &C
count of washouts. \ special from St.
Charles says that the three temporary
spans and the two wooden piers support
ting the middle trcstles OF the St. Charles
bridge were carried away at two O'Clock
this afternoon. The river is still rising
rapidly and rail-, is falling continually.
Representative Dunn, .of Arkansas, has
| introduced i resolution ia the House
authorizing the secretary .; war to grant
| Immediate relief Ey issuing ratiOns 10 tli.;
destitute citizens OF Arkansas and con
tiguous territory of Louisiana embraced
in the Red River valley. The resolution
was referred to the appropriation com
mittcc, with instructions to make IN early
report TO the House. Representative
Dunn said that several hundred thousand
persons are already in destitute condi.
ton that the recent overflow OF the river
has flooded four millions acres of land and
driven back upon a section already i'm
poyerished thousands more Of starving
refugee. lie estimates that at least three
hundred thousand persons will require
immediate assistance to prevent great DIES
titution and actual starvation.
The signal service Office reports that the
rivers have risen as follows at st. Louis,
1Q5 inches ;SCairo, 6 feet j inches Mem
phis, II inches, and stationary Eicks
burg, ? feet ; inches ; Shreveport. / foo,
) inches Cincinnati, 8 feet 6 inches, ANA
Louisville, 6 feet 6 inches.
The Ohio at Madison, lad, is overflow
ing its banks, causing :. suspension OF
business along the river front and consii
erable damage to property. The river l.
still rising two inches pcr ho"t, an;t Il
dri@ziing rain is still falling,