Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1883-02-22
FLOODS AND FAMINE.
Widespread Devastation and Suffering
from FlOOds.-The Ohio River
Becaying all Near its
Banks.
Families Homeless and Many Lives
Lost.

The situation along the Ohio River is
appalling. The rain fell IN torrents for
days and the destruction of property Is
millions, and of lives numerous. The
water is now several inches higher than
ever known before. The water contin-
ued to crawl up the streets slowly until
at II a. M, it was sixty-four feet and
eleven inches high, and at noon sixty
FIVE feet was closely enroached upon.
The scene of devastation along the front
of the city almost battles description.
There is q wide stretch of water from
Pearl street, on the Cincinnati side, to
the hills beyond the bottoms on the
Kentucky side. More than a thousand
families have been driven from their
hom es in the three cities.
DRIVEN FROM THEIR HOMES.
In Cincinnati at least 600 families
have been rendered homeless and many
are suffering for food and fuel. While
the loss to merchandise and other prop
erty has been immense, the greatest
concern is now for the untortunates
who are suffering for the necessaries OF
life. To this duty, to-day everybody
is turning their attention and thous-
ands Of acres of the best portion of the
city are accessible to-day only by
skiffs and RATS. Business men who
have been driven from their warehouses
forgetful of their own losses are allie
Waiting the sufferings of families who
have neither food nor fuel 10 keep
themselves warm.
FOOD FOR THE STARVING
The streets leading to the river are
covered with RATS and small boats,
which run from house to house with
bread and cooked meat for the starving.
The merchants relief committee got to
work this morning, and with the aid of
the police are doing much to palliate
the sufferings of the unfortunates who
have been flooded out. Last night the
moon shone feebly but the streets we're
very dark. Along the line of the wat
er people were moving about all night,
many of them carrying lanterns. The
relief movement inaugurated at the
Chamber of Commerce amounted to
S14,037 before the Office of Sup9rinten-
dent Maxwell closed for the day. The
relief committee appointed have taken
IN Quarters at 90 West Third-st., in
the room lately occupied by the Union
National Bank. Over 1000 loaves of
bread, and cheese and crackers and
ham, sausage in great quantity were
purchased and stored in the room. Six
boats were loaded down and sent up
and down the river, to be distributed to
sufferers.
ASKING FOR RELIEF.
Hundreds of men, women and child
rem called during the morning and ask
ed for relief. The Council met this
morning to take action to relieve the
sufferers by the flood. A resolution
was adopted to appropriate $4,000 for
the purpose. The money will be dis
tributed through Committee ofCoun-
Gil and the Citizens Relief Committee.
RELIEF FUNDS ISSUED.
The Western Union gave free use of
their wires. The Legislature at Column
bus was notified and in two hours gave
authorityto the Council to issue $780,
900 relief bonds. There is great suffer
ing among the families living in tone
ments on Front, Water and Second
streets, east of Plum. The police Of
Hammond street and the Relief are
supplying them with fuel and provi-
sions by boats. Many are leaving their
homes and seeking quarters up town.
In the old Spencer House there are 100
families, all of whom are furnished
with food by the relief committee.
West of Plum street the people are in
terrible plight. The water is up to
the Third street station. The. police
have FIVE boats and are still unable to
answer all the calls for help in supply
ing food and coal.
CONTINUED CALLS FOR HELP.
The calls are continually coming, and
bread and coal are being distributed
freely. About 9 a. m. a report came
to the station that young man IN An
derson Alley had died, asd an old lady
in the same house was dying. A DO
liceman was dispatched at once to rem
der assistance, and succeeded in secur-
iDg the unfortunate woman and remov-
ing the dead body of the man to dry
place.
pITIFUL STREET SCENES.
Women and children driven from
their homes on Mill and Park streets
are gathered on the sidewalks near
their flooded dwellings crying for help.
A one story frame house belonging to a
widow named Ritterman was washed
away. The old lady and her child
were saved with some of the household
goods. Bsggagemaster Ennis, of the
Southern Depot, says "The first thing
noticed of the break was at Ryan's
restaurant, directly across the street
from the depot"
NUMEROUS LIVES LOST.
There was crash, and the building
whirled round IN the water and the
people rushed to the street to watch it,
when the centre of the depot and a
portion of the street gave way and car
ried with it large number of persons.
Thy were carried off in the flood and
drowned. In the depot were large
number Of men and boys and one wo-
man, all of whom went down and were