The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-02-08
The Iuuudations.

A full and interesting account of the
which have visited this 7
city and the surrounding country du-t
ring the last two days will be found on |
another page of this paper. The heavy |
rainfall, companied by light thaw,
seems to have spread over al area OF
several. hundred miles in Ohio and
Pennsylvania, causing great destruc-
ton OF property and some loss OF life.
The rain came at the most inopportune
time. The ground was everywhere
frozen and hard, and in many places
covered with a thin layer of ice. AS
the rain fell upon this surface. instead
of being absorbed by the ground, it at
once ran with rapidity down toward
the first outlet, causing every stream
aud river within the radius Of the
shower to speedily overflow its banks.
Friday night and Saturday morning
| it was raining in andaround Cleveland,
and there were places about the city
where diminutive rivers and miniature
| lakes had formed as hastily as if an
Aladdin's lamp had been used in their
creation. But there was nothing to
indicate the destructive flood that was
coming. At about O'Clock Saturday
night gentlemen doing business on the
flats sent their men home, believing
that everything was safe, but the next
morning they found their places in
vaded with water and their property
threatened with destruction. The riv-
er, up as far as eight miles, following
its winding course, had swollen its
banks, and in some places it was three
quarters of mile wide. The neigh
boring railroad tracks were entirely
submerged, and the cars standing on
l-s, i al l. Il froT
view. Farm houses in the valley
were invaded, and the inmates com
pelled to fly to the nearest elevated
spot of ground. Vessels in the river
were floated out over what few hours
before was unoccupied ground, and
there some of them will probably re-
main after the flood subsidies. The
new rolling mill on the flats neal
, Broadway, and several large manufac
turing establishments were partially
inundated, with resultant destruction
of property which cannot at presen
!, be estimated. The flood rushed int
several lumber yards, upsetting tht
piles of boards, and sending them ou
into the current. The surface of the
river in many places was covered witt
, boards, barrels, boxes, and various de
bris that whiried about in the eddie!
and finally found their way to the lake
From four to five million feet of lum
Der are now floating about the river, o
: packed in SO as to form gorge ant
,, dam the progress of the stream.
The incidents surrounding the fioot
: in the neighborhood of the works o
, the Standard Oil Company, on SatuI
day night, were of an appalling gran
9 deur. The flames from thousands O
| ho rf I,,, oil hn oi
now and then Illuminating the cit.
with red glare which was soon inter
+ cepted by an envelope of heavy smoke
0 AS the flames arose the rain descende
O and the sound of rushing waters swell
ed ON the ear, only broken by an occa
. sional explosion of an oil tank. Th
s people living in the nelghbOrhoo
}. were filled with horror at the spectacl
> and passed night of fear and terror
: Many persons a mile from the fir
spent the night In watching the pre-
= gress of the flames, expecting at an
moment to see confagration sprea
over the entire city. In the neighbol
c hood of the Standard Oil Works man
, families had their movables out {
i doors in the rain, ready to cart ther
i away if necessary. But thanks to tn
h heroic services of the fire department
It the flames were held In check. Th
j. destruction of property from this foo
r. is great, but it cannot be estimated fC
"a several days yet. At this writing til
waters are rapidly falling, and With
70 the next twenty-four hours it is MOI
r than probable that the Cuyahoga wi
Il have returned to her old shores an
y resume her wonted good behavior
:, Leader.