Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-02-22
THE OHIO RIVER FLOOD.


Flooded Region Around CincinnatI-Sev-
era1 Persons Killed by an Explosion OF
Fire-Damp.
A Cincinnati special of the 18th to the Chi
cago Inter Ocean says:
Since noon to-day the weather for the first
time since the flood was fine overhead. The
sun shOne out bright, and as all factories
using steam are closed, to save water, there
were multitudes with leisure to come out
The streets were soon thrOnged, and both
bridges spanning the Ohio were filled with
sight-seers. Along the waters edge, and from
half-submerged houses, photographers were
busy everywhere taking views, as if a photo
or 10000 of them could convey the faintest
conception Of this appalling reality. The view
from Nit. Adams and from the Shelter House
Hill in Eden Park was grand beyond all pow
ers of description. From the point OF
Shelter House Hill a glimpse can be
ton of Cincinnati. It can be seen
peering across the point of a Kentucky hill
around which The Ohio River sweeps from the
south and curves nearly due west. Pendleton
and Fulton, on the Ohio side, are in full view.
and on the Kentucky shore are successfully
Dayton, Bellevue, Taylor's Creek, and the
eastern portion of Newport All along the
Ohio shore in Pendleton are great houses, the
water up to their very caves, and barges OF
In ordinary stages of water these buildings
stand high on the bank, hundreds of feet from
the shore, and out of view to an observer
standing on the deck of & steamer in the river.
For stretch of four miles down the Ohio
River, from Crawfish Creek to the water
works, this scene is repeated. The houses that
line the Ohio shore stand thickest, and
there are many clusters of little cot
tages with only the gables above the
water. Hundreds upon hundreds Ct hand
some frame buildings, neatly and beautifully
painted, are surrounded with water to the
tops of the doors and windows of the first
story. On the Kentucky side, the village of
Bellevue lies between the foot of lofty hill
and the Ohio River, where the view of the
Ohio River looking up stream from Eden
Park is lost behind the hill Bellevue from
this view looks as if situated on little cape.
The hill rising behind it is even now green
with Kentucky blue grass. The waters on the
point OF this cape are dotted with the roofs of
many little home, and the statelier houses Of
the village by scores are submerged to the
door-tops of the first story. Next below on
the river, in Kentucky, and adjacent, is the
village of Dayton. 1t is larger and moro ex-
posed. From the hill-tops it looks as if one
fourth the town nearest the river was
utterly submerged and all the houses
rendered untenantable. Certainly one
half Of the remainder of the village
is under water to the depth of a few
inches to several feet on the ground floor.
Below Dayton is what is known as Taylor
Creek Bottom. The Ohio overaows this more
or less at a stage of from forty-five to f1fty-1ve
feet 1t is not built up as a village by any
means, but is pretty th:ckly studded
with houses in the higher grounds, where
people have lived for years without
disturbance by high waters. To-day these
houses show only their roofs above the foods.
and they look like little black islands on the
shining waters. Taylor's Creek would be-
easily mistaken by a stranger for the Ohio
River winding to the north out of the Ken
lucky hills but for the forest trees peering
above tie surface of the waters from shore
to shore. This phenomenon OF trees far
from the shore is striking scene all along the
four miles of the distance down the Ohio, from
Pendleton to the Cincinnati Water-works
pumping house. Just across the Ohio, oppO-
site the water-works pumping house, is what
was once WolfPs Rolling Mill, situated on a
high bank just below the mouth of Taylor
Creek, Ky. It is a large strong building of
brick, with lofty chimneys. AMI has not been
used for several years. Only from the caves
up is this great building visible. From the
lower edge of Columbia down to Taylor Creek
the river makes great sweeping curve. and,
while ordinarily it averages about 400 yards in
breadth, to-day it is never less. and often mores
than mile from shore to shore.
From the top of Mount Adams magnificent
view of the Licking River, winding up from
the south, opens up to the view. One sees it
floating in the sun for miles and miles back.
1t winds through the hills and disappears at
intervals. This gives IL the appearance of a
series of terraces. It's banks are lined with
forest-trees, and at its present stage it looks
like mighty river with great trees scattered
across 1t from shore to shore. At ordinary
stages its banks are steep and high, and its
channel narrow and deep.
Turning down the Ohio, the great suspen-
sion bridge looks dwarfed by the magnitude
of the waters beneath it. Its arc seems to
Uise from the river on the Ohio shore, and to
touch it again on the Kentucky side. Even
the large steamers, that nestle in as closely as
they can get to the Shore look insignificant on
the top of these waters.