Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-02-14
LOUISVILLE


come. The situation is alarming.
LOUISVILLE.
LARGE PORTION OF THE CITY INUNDATED
GREAT DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY AND
Loss OF LIFE-THRILLING SCENES.
LoUIsvILLE, February 13.-The greatest
disaster that ever befel the city of Louisville
is now upon US. The last crisis came about
midnight, and to day nearly square mile Of
territory is under water in the limits of the
city. From 5000 to 5000 people have been
driven frum their h0mez. To cap the oli-
max there has been loss of life, how great it
is still impossible to say. This morning the
entire section of the city from Preston street
east to the cutoff and north Of the Short
Line fell in the river. The people living
there had plenty of warning, as stated yes
terday. The river all day just Tapped the
top OF Fulton street and cutoff embank-
nents, and in places the water was tricklins
over. At o'clock = considerable break oc-
| Cured at Adams street and hundred men
| worked steadily 10 stop tho waves, but in the
face of all this nearly all the inhabitants
OF the bottoms Of Beargrass creek rem aimed
| In their houses, and most of them went to
bed as usual. About IL o'clock last night
THE BREAK CAME.
The cutoff dam, overcome by the terrific
weight Of water from above, gave way. In
stantly, with loud roar, the food rushed
over. 1t may be imagined with what force
the waters came when they had fall of if-
teen to eighteen feet TO the low ground be-
meath. In less time than it takes to tell the
yellow tide was sweeping in from ali points,
and the unfortunate people were surprised
in their houses. With mighty rush the
water swept from square to square, rapidly
rising in the houses and sweeping m any
from their foundations.
TIE SCENE WAS AWFUL
The roar of the waters could not drown
the screams of the terrified ones, who were
escaping from the doomed dwellings skif.
shot about from window TO window. Men,
women and children waded through the ad-
vancing waters, each with whatever house
hold goods they could lay their hands on.
Bonfres glimmered from the high ground
which the poor ou,casts had gained. Hum
dreds of people shivered in wet clothing
about smoky fires. To an observer who
stands to-day at the foot of Jackson, Shelby |
and Clay streets it is impossible to under |
stand why the loss of life was not larger. |
The scene last night
BEGGARs DESCRIPTION.
The people, who were blissfully sleeping |
in foolish confidence that an embapkment |
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 the darkness
and cold they fled the watery death half
clothed and carrying nothing with them save
the children and the helpless. No scene of /
broken dyke in Holland can be more ter
rible or more thrilling.
THE PANIC WAS INDEscRIBABLE.
With an awful roar and the shrieks of the |
terror-stricken people as their warning, they
hurried to higher ground, leaving home,
furniture and all to the mercy Of the water.
A large part of the city has constituted itself |
into relief committee with the mayor as its |
head, and all that can is being done 10 lend |
a helping hand. The entire northeastern
corner of the city is 8 picture of utter de-
struction. There are thirty Eve squares un-
der water. The situation may be briefly
summed up: All the point is under water |
and the country beyond the cutoff, COM
prising 150 houses, known as
THE BowLEvILLE, Is FLOODED.
Halt of Portland and all of Shippingport
are in the waves. All day long a stream of |
people passed up and down the Short-Line |
track to look at the ruin wrought by the |
river. The outlook is appalling. Houses
are overturned, some on their sides, some |
almost on their roofs. The other buildings |
are crushed to pieces. Most of the houses
are small cottages of ail.constructiop, and |
perhaps third of these in the flooded 10.
cality have been swept from their founda-
tions. The doors, windows, sashes, pieces of |
furniture, lumber, drift wood and shingles
are also floating about in confusion. In the |
lower hollows of the bottom land the water
is within foot or two of the
ROOFS OF THE HOUSES.
The entire neighborhood il doing all it
can for the succer 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 babies in their arms; in some
cases sick people had 10 be taken through |
windows and carried in skifs to places of |
safety, several were rescued from trees to
which they climbed. Along the wharf the
river is still rising at the rate of an inch per
hour, with few inches over thirty mine feet
in the canal and thirty-six feet eight inches
10 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, bat |
this year it has reached thirty-eight feet, |
with an addition of an inch or two. The |
houses along the wharf are in miserable |
condition, as the water is in the second |
stories at Fourth street, and people are |
moving higher up to escape the water.
DISTRIBUTING RELIEF.
The mayor is distributing food to the sui. |
ferers with liberal hand. The Board of |
Trade turned over $500 to the sustenance |
fund, with more 10 follow. The German
food sufferer fund has diverted 10 home use |
S7l6, and the buckingham Theater gives the
gross receipts of the Saturday matinee to the
German citizens for the sufferers. Business
is suspended.
The Latest.
LOUISVILLE, February 14.-2:15 Ocloek
A.M.-Tne river is siiil rising. The grperal
condition of affairs remains unchanged.
The Kentucky River Falling.
FRANKFORT, February 13.-The Ken
lucky river fell three feet last night, aud is
falling all the way up.
INDIANA.
CONTINUED RISE AT ALL POINTS.
From New Albany: The river rose
eighteen inches last night, and is still rising.
All the houses and factories along the river
are abandoned. The water got into the glass
works furnaces last night, and the fires are
all out. Mr.. Depauw will lose at least |