The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-21
CINCIHNATI.

Appalling DestitutiOn-Children Crying for
Food-Fears of "A Famine-The Depot
Disaster.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 14.-Additional gloom
came over the people this morning, caused
by the fact that the river, after falling to
sixty-four feet ten and three-quarter inches,
began to rise, under the influence of q
steady, hard rain. The rain has advanced
from the West, thus checking the fall, and
extends this morning as far as Pittsburg. I'm
less it stops speedily there is no hope cf the
river receding, while there are great fears
that the great height reached yesterday will
be surpassed.
The rain seriously embarrasses the work
of the Relief Committee, but they are doing
all they can to distribute foed. Soup houses
will be opened to-day in various parts of the
city to feed those able to get to them.
Bishop Elder has ordered all Catholic
Churches thrown open to accommodate the
homeless, and sends circular to the
Churches to-day asking that contributions
be sent to the Chamber of Commerce and
City Council Relief Committees. The sink
ing fund trustees will advance money on
the bonds yesterday authorized by the Leg
islature, SO that relief will be prompt.
Many cases Of extreme destitutiOn are re-
ported BY the relief boats, and in some cases
the frantic cries of ofstarviDg children for food
are heartrending. The bakeries not inun-
dated are pressed to their fullest capacity to
keep the supply of bread There have been
some fears of meat famine on account of
the difficulty of receiving live stock, but
several thousand rescued distillery cattle
can be utilized in case of necessity.
The river is rising at the rate of an inch in
half an hour. 1t stood sixty-five feet an
inch and a half at u o'clock, when it was
warm and still raining. Reports up and
down the river show rain.
The river is falling at Portsmouth and
Maysyille, slowly at the latter place.
The first authentic report concerning the
loss of life at the Cincinnati Southern De
pot yesterday was made to-day to the police
at Oliver Street Station. by Herman Wiels
berg boarding at IL Wilstach street. He
says he and his brother, Joseph, with thiT-
teen other boys, were on the platform when
the water broke through Mclean avenue;
that the entire party were thrown into the
water; that he swan to Gest street and es-
capped; that his brother and all the other
boys were drowned. He does not know the
names of the other boys No other re-
ports of missing boys have been made to the
police.
The river at 9 o'clock tonight was sixty
six feet and three-quarters OF an inch and
rlsing slowly. The day has been the gloom
lest in the history of the city. Business has
been wholly neglected on Change, and all
attention given to saving property and af-
fording relief While the unexpected rise
OF nearly foot to-day has not made very
great change apparently in the situation,
there is such uncertainty about the future
that all plans are unsettled. Not only is it
impossible to estimate the extent of the
coming rise, but no one can tell when the
rain will cease along the river. Here clouds
broke away late in the afternoon, but gath
cred again be 'ore TO- The rain is falling
above and below. The weather is warm
and almost sultry. The effect of this un-
certainty is TO cause another lifting to higher
levels of the vast quantities of goods hither-
to supposed to be above the reach of water.
This Is done at immense labor under the
most trying circumstances. Men are stand
ing in water. The water now stands in the
cutters on the south eide of Pearl street on
Walnut.
The Little Miami Depot is flooded.
port bridge. Louisville and Nashville trains
receive passengers on the trestle at the Gin
cinnati end of the bridge, they reaching II
by boats. The Cincinnati, Hamilton and
Dayton Road, which has been the only out
let for trains north and east, tonight went
under the food to such an extent that no
trains could pass. This leaves the city prac
tically cut off from the rest OF the world to
the North, East and West by rail commune
cltion, except that the Bee Line Road still
runs trains, leaving from the Stock Yards
Station. This route is also accessible by the
Cincinnati, Washington and Baltimore
trains. and they may enter and depart in
that way. The difficulty on the Hamilton
and Dayton Road is not fully understood,
though the water ON the track
in the city limits is sufficient to
account for the stoppsge. Three
hundred passengers are waiting at Window
place for transportation by omnibus into
the city. The Cincinnati Southern sent out
a train tonight and received one, but the
water has so permeated Mclean avenue that
wagons sank to the hubs removing express
and baggage, and the most lively fears are
entertained that the whole street will sink
under the trains. No effort will be made
tomorrow to run on this road at all into the
city. There is no point this side of the
bridge where passengers can be taken on the
cars. 1t can not yet be told what arrange
ments will be made for forwarding mail, OF
even what will be done about running
trains But single road is now able te
reach the depot, that Is the Cincinnati
Northern. The narrow-gsuge, which comes