The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-02-22
TIE WESTERN DELUGE.
Tcrrible Results o: the Overflow of the
Ohio.

Terrible Results Q; s;,,; the Overflow of the
CISClNNATI, February ia special
from Louisville, Ky, says that the dam
protecting the low lands in the eastern
part OF tho city broke about milninht
letting sixty feet of water upon twenty
blocks of dwellings. The scene which
followed is indcscribablr. 1t is reported
that thirty lives were lost, but the fact
cannot bo verified at present. The houses
inundated afe as n rule small and mainly
occupied by poor people.
WAsliINGToN, February ia dis.
patch from Louisville dated last night
SAYS: The highest point Of the food of
February, 1882, was reached this after.
noon aud is passed now. There is more
than sixty six feet of water on the falls
and sixty four feet in the channel at the
foot of the falls which is but tYo fec,
below the great December flood of lSi7.
The water is rising slowly and the great
tide from the Kentucky River is t. lie
added. The houses along the river front
are vacated and the drift is damaging
them seriously. Fourth street is closed
from Main to the river. Every building
III the shipping part Of the city has from
three to eight feet Of water on the floor.
Tho Cement Mills, the principal indus.
try there, are submerged. Nine squares
u Portland are a. :!ie mercy oF the wa.
ter and business is at an end. The
houses on the river front will nave water
on the second floor before morning. It
is estimated that in the shipping par, of
the city and Portland 800 persons are
homeless. In the city proper heavy
damage has been done. Work has been
stopped in the factories and two thou
sand men have been thrown out of EN-.
ployment
Business is almost ut standstill ow-
ing to the flood. The mayor is distribut-
ing food to the sufferers with n liberal
hand: The Board Of Trade has turned
over 5000 TO the sustenance fund and
more is to follow. The German flood
sufferers funds has been diverted to home
use. 1t amounts to $7l6. The theatres
Will give the gross receipts of Saturday y
performances. The greatest disaster
that ever befell Louisville is now upon
us. The flood crisis came about mid
night and to-day nearly square mile of
territory Is under water within the limits
of the city. From 5000 to 5000 people
are driven from their homes. TO cap
the climax there has been loss of life,
how great II is impossible to say. This
morning the entire section of tho CITY
from Preston street East is cutoff and
oil North of the short line cmbankment
is in the river. The people living there
had plenty of warning.
The river all day yesterday just Tapped
the top of the Fulton strect cut OF em-
bankment and in places the water
Fri nI 4. Il
able break occurred at Adams street,
and hundred men worked vigorously to
stop the waves, but in the face =
the inhabitants of the bottoms
Bear Grass remained in theil .v
About IL o'clock last night the break
came. The cutoff dam, overcome by
the terrific weight of water from above.
roar the flood rushed over it,. The water
had fall of from fifteen to eighteen
feet to the low ground beneath. The
unfortunate people were surprised in
their houses. The water swept from
square to square, rapidly rising in the
houses and swcrving many sc them from
their foundations. The scene was awful,
The roar of waters could not drown tho
screams of the terrified people escaping
from the doomed dwellings. Skiils shot
about from window to window. Men.
women and children waded through
the advancing waters with whatever
household goods they could lay hands on.
Bonfires glimmered from the higher
ground which the poor outcasts had
gained. HUNDREDS of people shivcrcd
in their wet clothing about the smoky
fires. 10 an observer who stands to day
at the foot Of Jackson, Shelby or Clay
streets, it is impossible to understand
why the loss OF life was not larger.
Many persons were removed from their
beds and escaped with children in their
arms as they came from bed. Thirty i've
squares are inundated, The situation
may be briefly summed up as follows !:
All Of "The Point" is under water, and
the country beyond the cutoff, compris.
ing one hundred and fifty houses, known
as Bocalevile, is flooded. Half of Port
land and all of the shipping part of the
city are in the waves. Most of the
houses arc small cottages Of frail con-
struction, and perhaps one-third OF those
in the flooded locality have been swept
away from their foundations. In the
lower hollows of the bottom lands
the water is within foot or two of the
roofs of tho houses. The entire neigh
borhood is doing all it can for the succor
of the sufferers. The river is still rising
an inch per hour, with few inches over
thirty.nine feet in the canal, thirty.six
feet and eight inches in the chute on the
falls, and thirty.four feet and two inches
over the rocks.
LOUISVILLE, KY, February 13-
Evening.-The river continued to rise
slowly all day, and is now about sixty.
six and half feet at the foot of the
canal and forty one feet at the head.
The weather is warmer, and light rain
is falling with indications of an Increase
during the night. The rise is now an
inch above the food of 1S47, and eight
inches below that of 1882. On the point
where the disaster occurred last night
tho flood extends over space more than
quarter of mile wide and more than
a mile in length. Over $50 houses are
either under water or floating about.
The fact that the water was comparative.
ly still prevented most of the houses
from floating away, and many are tied
with heavy cables. Comparatively few
are thought to have lost their lives
Many occupants of houses in the sub.
merged districts had moved away and
thus escaped. The survivors are scat.
tered over the city, which renders il
impossible to mako a definite statement
AZ to who are lost or saved, and it il
sufficient To say that the death rate /.
smaller than the circumstances woulC
| indicate.
A 1pEAr mo AcTup ny <,rHruy~.rr