Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1883-02-15
THE TERRIBLE FLOODS IN
THE SOUTH.
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF
LIFE AND PROPERTY.
PROBABILITIES OF AN
EXTRA SESSION.
The Floods.

eu6peIlucu Ou ACCOuut VI SuC hOoNss -
Mayor is literally feeding the sufferers
The Board of Trade has given $500 ant
promises more. The German food suf
ferers' fund has been diverted to hom'
use. The disaster i, the greatest tina
ever befell the city. The crisis came al
midnight. Nearly square mile of ter
ritory is submerged within the limits Of
the city. Fcom 5000 to 5000 people
are driven from their homes. There
has been loss OF life also, but it is i'm
possible to say hos great. This morn
ing the city, from Preston street east to
the Cutoff and north to the Short-line
fill, is in the river. The resi-
dents had plenty of warning, hav'
lug seen the disaster coming since
yesterday morning, but were infatuated
and stuck to the bottom Of old Bear
Grass Creek. They stayed at home.
and most of them went to bed as usual.
About II o'clock last night the break
came. The cut-off dam, overcome by
the terrific weight of water from above,
gave away. and instantly, with a loud
roar, the flood rushed over. 1t may be
imagined with what force the waters
came when they had fall of from Is to
is feet to the low ground beneath. 10
less time than it takes to tell, the vel.
low tide was sweeping IN from all
points, and the unfortunate PEG.
pie were surprised in their houses.
With mighty rush the water swept
from square to square, rapidly rising in
the houses, severing many from their
foundations. The roar of the water
could not drown the screams Of the ter
rified ones escaping from their doomed
dwellings. Skiffs shot about from win.
dow TO window, and men, women and
children waded through the advancing
water, each with whatever household
goods they could lay their hands on.
Bonfires glimmered 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.
CIScISNArI, Feb. IA An additional
gloom hangs over the people this morn
ing. caused by the fact that the river,
after falling to 81 feet l04 inches, be-
gan to rise under the influence of q
steady, hard rain. The rain has adj
vanced from the west, thus checking
the fall, and extends this morning as
far as Plttsburg. Unless it stops speed
lily, there is no hope of the river re.
ceding. while there is the gravest fear
that the great high. reached yesterday
will be surpassed. The rain seriously
the work Of the relief
but they are doing
all they can to distribute food. Soup
houses were opened in various parts Of
the city to-day to feed these able to get
to them. Bishop Elder has ordered all
Catholic Churches thrown open to &C.
the homeless, and sends a
circular to the churches to day asking
that contributions be sent to the Cham
Der of Commerce and City Council Re-
lief Committee. The Sinking Fund
Trustees will advance money on
the bonds yesterday authorized
by the Legislature so that the relief
would be prompt. There are mary
cases of extreme destitution reported
by the Relief Board, and in some cases
the frantic cries of starving children
for food are heartrending. Bakeries not
inundated are pressed to their fullest
capacity and keep supply of bread.
There have been some fears of a famine
on account OF the difficulty in receiving
live stock, but several Thousand res.
cued distillery cattle can be utilized in
case of necessity.
The Oregon short Line.
NEW YORK, Feb. l4.-General Man.
ager kimball, of the Union Pacific. ar
rived here Monday to consult with Dill
Ion, it is said, about the establishment
Of revised through tariff, on accou Mt
Of the competition for Pacific coast
business by other lines. He is reported
as saying: 1--WE hope to finish the
Oregon Short Line this year. The
track was completed yesterday to Sho
sh one, new town at the crossing of
the drainage of River Mountain Dis
trict. We have branch line from this
crossing to HALEY, right up Wood river
valley, hfay-seven miles Of which lie
graded and ready for steel, and if the
weather is propirlous, we shall go along
laying that. In that district there is
a very large amoun. of ore aad bull
lion piled up for shipment, and a
large amount of machinery and mate
riais Of all sorts for putting up mills
auI smelters. l do not see any
sense in the low price Ct our securities
in Wall street. They are absurdly IN
der-rated. Take the Uni.n Pacific road
to day. It is laid with sixty pound
steel from the Missouri river to Ogden.
The Oregon Short Line is steel. We
have practically a new road in fret
class condition. Oar water supply has
been reconstructed, and is now second
TO none IN the country. The snow
blockades which Wall street has mag.
nihed into such proportions amount to
very little. Indeed, since our experience
in 1871, when the road suffered most
from plockades. we have learned how
to avoid them. l venture to say it is
impossible to experience any
blockade rs serious as those of 1871.
The road has two-thirds Of the grain
crop Of Nebraska to move. and the
falling of in the earnings was eau ed by
farmers withholding their shipments
and passengers delaying their travel
fear Of blockades. All this
will come back and we shall