Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-02-14
Louisville.

from 500 to 500 people driven from their
homes, and to cap the climax there has
been loss of life, how great it is still i'm
possible to say. This morning the entire
section of the city from Preston street to
| the cutoff and ,north of the short line
fill is in the river. People living there
had plenty of warning, as
stated yesterday. The river ell
| day just Tapped the top of Fulton street,
and the cutoff embankments,an and in places
the water was trickling over. At O'Clock
considerable break occurred at Adams
street, and 100 men worked vigor-
| ously to stop the waves, but i'll face of all
this the infatuated inhabitants of the bot
toms of old Bear Grass creek remained in
their houses, and most of them went to
bed as usual. About II o'clock last night
the break came. The cutoff dam, over
come by the terrific weight of water from
above, gave way. Instantly, with a
loud, roar the food rushed
over. 1t may be imagined with what force
waters came when they had fall of fifteen
to eighteen feet to the low ground. In less
time than it takes to tell it, the flood was
sweeping in all directions, and the unfor-
tunate people were surprised in their
houses. With mighty rush the water
swept from square to square, rapidly ris-
ing in the houses, sever1ng many from
their foundation. The scene was awful.
The roar of the waters could not drown the
screams of the people who we're escaping
from the doomed dwellings. Women and
children waded through the advancing
waters, each with what household goods
they could lay hands on; bonfres glim-
mered from the higher ground which the
poor outcasts had gained. Hundreds of
people shivered in wet clothing about the
smoky fires. To an observer who stands
to-day at the foot Of jackson, Shelby or
Clay streets, it is impossible to understand
why the loss of life was not larger. The
scene of last night beggars description.
The people who were blissfully sleeping in
foolish confidence that the embankments
would shelter them, were rudely awakened
by the flood coming into their houses.
Some were even surprised in bed. When
the stroke came it was like lightning in
theSdarkness.
No scene of broken dixie in Holland
can be more terrible or more thrilling.
The panic was frightful. With an awful
roar and the shrieks of the terror stricken
people as their warning came they hurried
to higher ground, leaving homes, furni-
ture, and all to the mercy of the water. A
large part of the city has instituted itself
into a relief committee, with the mayor at
its head. and all that can be is done to lend
a helping hand. The entire northeast
corner of the city is a picture of utter
destruction. There are thirty-fve squares
under water.
The siltreation may be briefly summed
up. All the point is under and the coun-
try beyond the cutoff, comprising $50
houses, known as Bowleville, is flooded.
Half of Portland and all of the shipping
part are in the waves. All day long stream
of fpeople passed down the short line track
to look at the ruin wrought by the flood.
The outlook is appalling. Houses are
overturned. some on their sides, some al
most on their roofs; other buildings are
crushed to pieces. Most of the houses are
small cottages of frail construction, and
perhaps one third of them in
the flooded locality have been
swept from their foundations.
Doors, windows, sashes, pieces of furn1-
ture, lumber, drift wood and shingles are
all floating about in confusion. In the
lower hollows of the bottom lands the
water is within a foot or two of the
roofs of the houses. The entire
neighborhood is doing all it can for the
succor of the sufferers. There were cases
of extreme individual suffering last night
which the public may never know.
Mothers hurried through the rising waters
with babes in arms; in some cases
sick people had to be tax
en- through windows, thence in skiffs
to places of safety. Several were
rescued from trees to which they
had climbed. Along the wharf, the river is
still rising at the rate of an inch per hour.
with a few inches over thirty y-nine feet in
the canal, thirty-six feet eight inches in
the chute on the falls, and thirty-four feet
two inches over the rocks. Business is en-
tirely suspended on the wharf from First
street around to Portland avenue. The
river last year reached its highest mark
| at thirty seven feet ten inches in the canal,
but this year it reached thirty eight feet
/ with an additional inch or two. The
houses along the wharf are in miserable
/ condition, as the @ater is in the second
stories, and people are moving higher up
| to escape the water.
! LoU1svILLE, Feb. 13.-The wagon is
distributing food to the sufferers with
liberal hand The board of trade turns
over $500 to the sustenance fund, with
more to follow. The German flood suffer
ers' fund is diverted to home use, to the
amount of S716, and Buckingham theater
will give the gross receipts OF the Saturday
matinee to the German citizens for the
sufferers. Business is suspended.
HIGHER THAN THE FLOOD OF AT.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 13.-The river con-
tinued to rise slowly all day, and is now
about sixty-six and one-half feet at the
foot of the canal and thirty-one at the
hood The waather il warmer. LIGHT rain