Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-02-15
THE ANGRY WATERS.
DEATH bY THE DELUGE.
Fu:ious Floods Completely O.erwheinIinE
"es,ern Cit.es-piuuGcr arn CrIuIe
Euruicg E,ut

EuEnirS fstUt.
The river at Cincinnati reached sixty
six fee, at o'clock last evening. eleven
inches above the point reached night
before Mill creek was from two to three
feet higher than Tuesday night, and even
the Cincinnati, Hamilton s. Dayton road
was compelled to suspend trains. The
rise in the Ohio probably came from the
little Miami largely, which einptics into
the Ohio just above the city, and also
from the Licking just opposite ti,e city.
at what hour the new rise will stop aIid
what figure will be touched 10 one c.in
do more than guess. u! cUitrs6 the .Isa
Of "A foot in height extended the surface to
a considerable extent, but the Increased
damage CaulOt be stated, and, in fact, de-
tails are amazingly meagro and must bc
largely SO till tho waters subSIde. In
many instances second removal Of goods
stored at a supposed safe height was
made But the worst effect was cu the
railroads. The city OF Cincinnati has no
connection with the outside world save
by country roads over the hills aud Jcle
graph wires. The Cincinnati Northern, d
narrow gauge road, that went over the
hills, the only one left aud serious acci-
dent Oh that closed it for the present
The Cincinnati Southern is the only road
in working order. The express companies
have ceased TO receive goods, and viii
have to haul what they must seud, miles
over tho hills to points not reached by
water, and ship in all sorts of round about
ways. The newspapers will have to 90 TO
press at an hOrr or two earlier to get
away papers to country subscribers.
The streets have been crowded with OK
cited thousands, iGlers out Of employment
and cuyious spectators, all discussing few
elishly the news Of the day. People who
live out of town fouini themselves unable
30 leave and the hotels ate crowded.
Houses in the flooded district are getting
to be very unsafe, and must be constantly
watch. Sewers are bursting and it be.
comes hourly more apparent that the
damage will increase. Coal oil has gone
up from 80 TO 100 per cent. to day and
produce the same way. Even the price of
staple groceries have been raised by some
dealers, aud poor people, even when safe
ly housed, must suffer in many caScs f.um
tho high prices of their daily food
Cries OF the Starving.
Many cases nf extreme dcsttution are
reported by tho relief boats. In Some
eases the fran ic cries Of starving children
for food is heartreudins. The l,ikcric>;
not Inundated are worked to the fullest
capacity to keep up tho supply Of bread
There have been some fears oT Il meat fam
inc Oh account of the difficulty in receiving
livestock, but several Thousand rescued
>iistillery cattle can be utilized ia case Of
necessity.
The work of relief il: .:',ing on with
energy. Every society il the city, from
Masonic lodges to church sewing circles,
seem to have joined in and everything is
being done which is possible. Bishop
Elder has sent I'd all his clergy cnjoiuin"
ti.c,n tn aid in every possible way. The
Coliseum theatre has been placed st the
disposal O: t!e relief cvnmittec for tho
reception OF the destitute. About SO. .O0U
w.s raised 10y private subscription, beside;
the $lU0, ,000 at councils disposal aud the
outside gifts, the latter COMING. in rapidly
from all quarters. Everyone ui ihe many
thousands Who necs! help get il promptly.
But their number is 50 great that IL is
Impossible 80 give statistics
,ucen..iari.itl iur Piun,i-r.
The decreasing water supply is c:.uf;l.4 :;
aTGat u,ieasiress. Wasletul coDSunels
are at once cut off. Saloons were ;llowc,!
\ barrel 4 day, and then thcir hytirauss
were mostly turned of. Several small
fires under suspicious circumstances have
led to the belief that incsntiiari,,I has
been tried TO furnish opportunities io!
plumber. Every large consumer OF coal
as IL rule, las been obliged to stop lis
works because, OF Inability to get Incl
Ia short, the city Of Cincinnati, with
ber quarter million citizens, is helpless
and stasnant IL tile presence Gi Il calamity
whose proportions have ou5grown the
widest cnn.jectures, fottared by nature
and almost destitute of the necessities Of
life. While surrounded ut So short, yet ut
prCseut inaccessible distance, by plenty.
Among tho Incidents of the flood was tie
iindiug OF baby asleep ia it's crib IL :,
house; floating at Fern Eduk below the
city. The little waii Was rescued and
cared for by the Catholic Orphan society,
A barn with a tiIe baroUc:le II it floating
by the city. The parties tinciii:s it were
unable to secure the prize.
The Depot Disaster.
1t is ROW definitely settled that at least
four people went to their death with the
break in Mclean avenue and the wreck of
the Cinc n 1ati Southern railroad depot on
L
much greater number lost their lives.
Herman Wifer says that he and his brother
Joseph had gone to Mclean avenue.
Noticing a crowd around Ryan's saloon,
they walked over to it. They We're about
fifteen feet away from it, when some ore
suddenly cried that the saloon was falling.
Herman Witer looked over his shoulder
and saw the fraii structure slip down the
1t,
cred. There was q shout of "Looi1 out,
it's going to cave" and all ut once a
yawning chasin opened at his feet
Mechanically he jumped and regaiuel
terra tirma. AS he did SO, Tor one brief
second he glanced behind him. His bro
ther Joseph had gone down into the hoi-
low with the slipping Street and was
caught IN The imprisoning mire. Then
another great cave-in of the yellow earth
TOOK place: and the young man was buried
from sight, raising his hands aud crying
as the irresistible mass bore down upon
him. ln the meanwhile Herman ran for
dear life. Four times the earth gave
away beueath his feet, anu iour times he
ieaped across the cracks and was saEN.
With hiS brother and himS.if were at
least fifteen persons who We're gathered in
group on tDat SIGe OF the avenue that
first caved in, and these Herman believed
to have all been entombed under the
avalanche Of mud, lie saw 10 ono escape
and he was the last Ole On that eide Of th,
bank to reach a place of safety. Those
with them were strangers, and he is not
able to say anything positive about them.
Driven From their Homes.
Most of the residents 0: ,Jeifersonviiie
have been driven from their homes. They
are suffering for food and the greatest des-
titution prevails. To add to the horrors
of the situation there is no light to be had.