New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-16


acres are covered with water, over LOCO houses
Inundated and $500 families homeless. In
I.on;sville XIV. on Monday night, the breaking
away of dam added the sudden suomersonoo
of twenty blocks of houses to the other fa'aReS
of the waters. Business there has peeh suS-
pended. From Lawrenceburg, Madisoh' III
dianapols and Jacksonville in Indiana co"ie
tales of distress, while the same story u hea'u
from score of other towns, but little heeded
because of the far greater distress OF Clncinna''
and the surrounding district.
And the end is n OF yet. Yesterday afternoon
the river at Cincinnati showed depth OF %
feet 21o inches, greater than in the Hoods OF
1880 and 1S47 The fact Of there being no IN
crease during the day caused'a hope that the
worst had come, but the same hope was lnduiged
ON Tuesday night and followed by an increase
in the food. And this may happen again. Nor
can we vet tell whether there may not be greater
suffering in store than has befalleD the tens OF
thousands OF homeless, destitute uniortunateS III
Cincinnati We are told by the Signal service
Bureau that the lower Mississippi will continue
to rise, that it will reach the danger line az
Memphis on Monday, and that the floods IN tiie
Mississippi below Cairo will prove Destructive
II il TO be hoped that these warnings may pre-
vent loss of life ut least in the districts referred
TO. But the same bulletin predicts an additional
rise in the Ohio above and below Cincinnati
and speaks of approaching heavy rains. SO that
the force of these disasters has not yet spent
itself
II is usual TO attribute floods like these 90 the
cutting away OF timber. and doubtless there IL
connection; yet it is curious fact that the
greatest floods, excepting the present. occurred
in 1882 and 1917, before the timber was cut OH
and the records of the last twenty years during
which time timber-cutting has been going on,
especially between Cleveland and PittsburE,
show no regular increase in the greatest depths
of the river rs taken from year to year. The
point emphasized by these floods is the need of
greater protection for the submerged districts.
Last year the water rose to 80 feet mt Clncln-
natl and this should have been taken as warm
ing to provide against floods either by higher
embankments or a system of canals and over
flow basins such as are in use along the khibe.
Yet we question whether either the plan of
penning the river into its channel, or that oil
allowing its water partial escape. would nave
avertcd all the results of 50 great rise. How
to restrain great rivers remains much vexed
problem, and one which in connection with the
Ohio, as well as the Mississippi, is likely to at
tain national Importance. But TINS Is not the
time to talk Of ght-have-becns. The
wretchcd thousands at Cincinnati and elsewhere
in the Ohio Valley demand our liyeliest syInpa-
thy and commiseration. As yet, more IN
dependent and courageous than the sufferers by
the European floods they have made no appeal
to the General Government. The Ohio Legs
lature, it appears. has appropriated NlOO,ouO'
with such wisdom that Tire money Is not
available. IL is probable thar help VIII be
needed from the East. a call has already been
sent to Boston, aud in any charitable undertake
ing il will be expected that New-lork should
take tie lead The first duty is to provide for
! the sufferers, whose number j. likely to be in
creased within the next week, and whose suffer-
ing has not yet reached Its height After that
is DONE il will be time To discuss the cause ana
prevention of snch devastating floods