The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-02-06
THE RUSHING WATERS.
Result or the Recent Thaw an" '"e
Breaking Of the Ice.tiorEes'
Grea, Destruction OF Property In Pen"s'i-
vania-Loss OF Life-scenes ana 'n''"'"
Travel interrupted.

Travel interrupted.
From late dispatches II appears .'a'
while the loss OF life from the noouS ~
PENNSYLVANIA has been comparatively slnan'
the destruction OF property has been enoi,
nous. and the disaster attended win hos'
thrilling scenes and incidents.
PITTSBURGH.
special OF Sunday from PittsDurgh
saws: The great Oil-City ice-gorge, eigii-
teen miles long, reached Pittsburgh tnis
morning at o'clock. The Allegheny river
began rising at the rate OF two feet an nour,
and the ice swept In, grinding eVery'nnns
before It. The great cakes OF Ice, as t,'cs
struck the piers OF the suspension pIiuge'
made the structure groan. Tens OF .uou-
sands Of people lined the banks ana priuges
watching the terrible sight, While river
men rushed hither and thither, iran.'c
with excitement Coal-barges, coal-noa's,
boat-shanties, skifIs, and other river cia't
could be seen in every dlrection'' ooihe
were being smashed against the piers.
some were overturning, while others sailed
calmly out from beneath the bridges to steer
their own way toward the gulf. In the
short space of an hour over thirty barges
went down stream or were sunk. At l2:lo
the cables holding the hull OF the John L.
| Dean gave way. and the boat, swinging
ont. tore loose five barges and two steamers,
the Modoc and the Cora, and all went WIN
fbe flood. Most OF the barges sunk or
foated away i'm pieces. No accurate estl-
mate can be placed upon the losses incur
red by Pittsburgh river-men. Most OF the
floats lost were ordinary coal floatS worth
| from 1900 to $500 apiece. The Darges are
worth from 81 900 to $4,000 apiece. The
amount of lumber lost cannot be estimated.
The loss, exclusive OF lumber, will reach
100000.
The ice went out OF the Nesha1nOck and
Cbenango at New Castle last night with
very high water. Some OF the streets and
many of the houses in the lower part OF the
city were flooded. The "World" was
beng PLAYED in the Opera-llouse lust night
| TO a large audience. When the latter were
dismissed it was found that the structure
was i'm the centre of a miniature lake, and
escorts were compelled to take their ladies
i'm their arms and wade through the water.
Trains on the Oil City and Chicago. Pitts
burgh and Lake Eric, Pittsburgh, Buffalo
and Western. and the Erie and Pittsburgh
railroads were suspended, the water put
ting out locomotive fires. Two county
bridges and q new bridge OF the New Cas-
lie railroad " ere carried away.
MEANWHILE.
A Meadville telegram says: The greatest
destruction occurred at Meadville. Satllr-
day night the heavy gorge in French creek
/ broke, and the waters rushed through the
principal streets, carrying along huge
| blocks of ice and driftwood. Sunday
morning the waters receded, and left the
streets covered with distractions. During
the afternoon the ice gorged south OF the
| city, and backed the waters into the lower
portion. The rise was so unexpected mat
fully two hundred families had not time to
leave their dwellings. Citizens rescued
large numbers in boats, but not before they
had suffered greatly from hunger and cold.
A large number Of small bridges were car
ried away, and considerable live stock IN
the inundated valley were drowned. All
the railway dep0ts are under water and
travel is entirely suspended. The three
large bridges spanning French creek,
in the city limits, are expected to
60, as the pressure on them Is very
great. The gas-works are submerged. and
the city is in darkness. The ice went out
of the Clarion river, tributary OF the Ale
/
boats valued at $4,000. The loss will be
much greater when the head-wateTs are
heard from. Another account says the wa
ter is two feet higher than during the big
flood OF 1915. Last night the lce-gorge in
the mill-run broke. and the whole central
part of the town was flooded, numberless
cakes of ice floating swiftly about. This
| freshet subsidized. and then one third OF The
city was submerged in consequence OF the
ice-gorge in French creek extending three
miles. over 800 families were rescued in
boats. There was much suffering from
cold and exposure. No railway trains
can enter or leave. The station agent
at the Junction was rescued in boat
lust before his little house was washed
away. Many head OF cattle and other live
stock were drowned. Several bridges are
Ill great danger.
BRADFORD.
A Bradford special says: Bradford was
visited Saturday night by disastrous
Hood, which inundated about 800 houses
along Pearl, Globe, Boylston, Florence.
Pine, Main, and other streets. The lower
part OF the city was submerged. in some
cases TO the depth OF ten feet. The food
was caused 10y the rains OF Friday and Sat
urday and the melting Of the snow in the
mountains. Five bridges were swept
away. and several houses along the banks
Of the creek were badly damaged or totally
destroyed. Eighty-fiye families on the flats
between hereAnd Tarport, living in one
story. houses, had to flee for their lives
when the ice-gorge broke, leaving all their
effects, and many of the houses were swept
away. II is impossible to estimate the loss
at this time. The waters are now sub
siding, and all fears OF further damage are
over.
TITUsvILLE.
A very disastrous flood has'visited this
city, says a Ttusvile dispatch. All the
lower parts OF the city are under water.
The railroads are flooded and trains will
be unable to run for couple Of days. A
span OF the iron bridge over Oil creek went
down about 1 O'clock Sunday afternoon.
Ephraim Robinson and John Pierce, each
about fifteen years old, were drowned
Reports from the surrounding country are
to the effect that miny bridges are gone and
the roads are badly washed. The flood is
abating slowly, and it is thought the dam
ger is past. The residents on many streets
were removed in boats. This has been the
most disastrous flood since the spring OF
lcoO. Inc pIiuSc spdHHlilR MIL cTteh, II
small stream, was washed away, carrying
with it three boys. Two were drowned.
Trans on all the roads have stopped run
ming.
OIL CITY.
At Oil City the river rose unexpectedly
and caused the widest panic. The lower
portion OF the city is under water, and a
large number Of families were rescued with
boats and RATS. The Derrick Office is COM
pletely at the mercy Of the waters, and its
| Id L.