Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-02-16
FROST AND FLOODS.
Alarming Freshets in the
Eastern States.
Cities Submerged And Proper
ty Destroyed.
Dire Disaster.
In Pennnsylvania.

In PennnsyIvania.
Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and
portions of Indiana were suddenly
fiooden last week by rising and over
flowing rivers and creeks, caused by
heavy rains and melting snow and ice.
Great damage is reported in various lG-
calities. In Ohio eleven bridges Oh the
Pittsburg, Fort Wayne and Chicago
railroad, are reported swept away.
The mild weather and heavy rains
caused the Allegheny river and tribu-
taries to overflow the banks, washing
away the bridges, houses and barns,
and doing damage to property between
Pittsburg and Oil City to the amount of
several hundred thousand dollars, The
river commenced rising in the morn
ing, but no damage was apprehended d
until the afternoon, when suddenly ali
the retail coal dealers barges and about
twenty RATS of lumber were swept away
in few minutes entailing loss of ten
thousand dollars.
The residnets of the lower portion of
Alieghany City and the south side are
moving to safer quarters. At points
above, the!damage is estimated at $780,
600. At Parkers, Pa, the river is twen-
ty-nine feet, and rising. On River ave-
nue. the wate is from six inches to six
feet deep. The stores are all flooded.
Six occupied and number of unoccu-
pied houses were swept away. Famil-
les and merchants were moving to the
bluff in Freeport. The lower portion
of the town is submerged and the resi-
dents are leaving. At Emlenten a
bridge with four men on 1t was wash
ed away. Three men are known TO be
saved. At Foxhurg the water has
oveIfowed on River avenue. The
trestling and span of the new bridge
were carried off. Kittarning is par
TALLY inundated. Cunnoquessis creek
at Butler is higher than for twenty
years. The pier at Pittsburg bridge has
washed away, and several bridges above
are reported wrecked. The flood at
Bradford is th e most disastrous ever
known.
IN MEADyILLE
The greatest flood ever known prevails
now, the water being at least two feet
1875. About 10 o'clock Saturday night
higher than during the big food of
an ice gorge in Mill run broke and
flooded the whole central part of the
town. Huge cakes floated down Mar
ket, Chestnut, Centre Arch, Water and
Dock streets. Cellars were flooded, and
the first floors of many stores were COW
cred several inches deep. People we're
afraid to cross the street in the drift
wood and ice. This food subsidized be-
fore morning, leaving all the principal
streets and sidewalks covered with
huge chunks of ice, empty barrels and
drifGwood, Several small bridges were
carried away, but so far no loss of life
has been reported.
The Mahoning river overhowed its
banks. inundating large part of the
city. Over two hundred famiIie. were
compelled to leave their homes in boats
the fire department rendering all the
assistance possible. The water on one
of the principal streets is over six feet
deep. Floating cakes of ice crash into
houses and destroy lamps and tele-
graph poles. The rolling mills lining
the Mahoning valleys are with few ex-
ceptions entirely submerged, causing a
cessation Of all work. The entire west
side of the city is covered with drift
wood, ice cakes and water. The street,
are crowded with people and the great
est excitement prevails. Some houses
with water to the ceiling of the first
floor are momentarily expected TO go
down stream. A great part of the rail-
road is under water. Traffic is at
standstill The abutments of the bridge
of the Pittsburg & Western road at New
Castle junction are washed away. The
Iron railroad bridge at Hilltown is
swept away. Some regular trains on
the Mahoning division of the New York
Pennsylvania & Ohio railway have been
abandoned. The water is higher than
the great flood of 1873. The fires in
some furnaces were put out by the wa
ter. Thousands of men are thrown out
of employment by the mills stopping.
AT AKRON
The damage by the floods aggrsgates
$4,000, of which the Ohio Canal prob
ably loses $50 000, the Valley Railroad
company $4,000, the Akron Sewer
Pipe company 5000, and private
houses SO 600. Saturday night it was
feared the upper basin would give way,
emptying Summit lake into the lower
basin, and flooding the entire valley
through the business centre ofthe city
The factories along the canal all suffer
ed. Water ent red the kiln at Alexan
der's fire brick works, generating steam
that exploded it, causing consider able
loss. Locks 19 and 20 on the Ohio Ca
nal are washed away entirely. Others
are badly Injured.
AT MAssILoN
The floods at Massilon are the heaviest
ever known. 1t swelling the race from
SiPpo lake, three miles northeast of
city, TO the reservoir of the water works
and the waste therefrom, which enters
into the Ohio canal, was increased to al
alarming extent. Inc arched masonry
under Erie street, through which ii
passed on its way to the cana, and also
q large sewer, proved insufficient for
the vast volume of water. 1t backed
up and flooded large portion of the
city. 1t was found necessary TO carry
out the women and children from sew
eral tenement houses in the inundated
district to places of safety, men wading
in the water for this Rurpose. The
cellars o. many business bouses we're
filed with water, inflicting heavy loss
on owners. The Tuscarawss river also
ovelfowed its banks covering that part
of the city north of Main street over q
mile in length and q quarter OF Illie
in width, the water being 80 deep in
some places as to hide the gas lamp
posts on the streets.
OTHER POINTS.
At Bradford, Pennsylvania, the flood
swept away five bridges and inundated
FIVE hundred houses in the lower pari
of the city. Eighty-fve families had
| to flee for their lives.
Bridges on the Lake Shore road q,
Huron and Fremont nave been swept
away, and tnose at Pigus and Ottawa
en- the Dayton road, are considered IN
safe. Thirty empty freight cars weni
| down with the bridge At Fremont
killing q conductor and brakeman.
South Peru, Indiana. Is flooded tc
the depth o. fifteen feet, and the resi-
deIts have been taken from the seconc
and third stories OF their houses a
crest hazard. Many who cannot bt