The Portland daily press., 1883-02-14
Terrible State of Affairs Along
the Ohio.
Houses Swept Away at Louisville
and Many People Drowned.
Two Depots Undermined and De-
molished at Cincinnati
Several Persons Crushed to Death by
Their Fall.

LOUISVILLE, Feb. 13.--A dam protecting low.
lands In the eastern part of the city broke al
nlonight. 1t is reported that thirty lives were
iost, out the statement cannot be verified al
present. The houses inundated were as a rule
small and mainly occupied by poor people,
NEW ALBANY, Ind Feb 13-The river rose
Is inches last night and is still rising. All
houses and factories along the river have been
abandoned. The water got into the glass
works furnaces last night and the fires are all
out = loss of 100000 will result. About
I 5UoO persons are also thrown out OF employ
menl.
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind, Feb. 13.-Tbe entire
village of Hardentown is covered. Some peo-
pie had to abandon their houses entirely.
CINCINNATI, Feb. 13.-Noon.-Th riv er at
il o'clock was GA feet, II inches. 1t is rising
slowly and will certainly reach 65 feet before
il begins to fall. The weather is cloudy and
warm. The water works engines are ali idle
and the water in the reservoir will last for six
days. The police report no increase of crime
consequent upon the lack of gas last night
There is much sickness among the impr soned
people In tenement houses, which is being at
tended TO by relief boats.
Both freight and passenger depots of the
CinciDnatl and Southern railroad were under
AaihOA "hN iOiA iubo tu0 surrounding water TO-
day, carrying with them 100 or more people,
The depots we're oDe-story frame structures
resting on Mclean avenue, which was almost
covered by water. Both sides fell into the
water 30 to so feet deep. The earth has be-
come SO soaked as to melt, and the catastrophe
was further hasteLed by the breaking of a
sewer, which sent current along the bank. A
crowd OF people has been in that vicinity look
ing at the floods, and it is supposed they are
the victims
II. Mt is impossible yet to tell the ex-
tent OF the disaster, only that wheu the freigh {
depot went down great crowd of people were
there looking at the flood when suddenly the
whole depot collapsed and sank in the water.
me track was at the same time depressed
ana cars standing close ran into the depression:
covering the people who had gone down with
the falling structure.
Not one body had been recovered at o'clock
nor could the bystanders give any intelligent
account OF how many escaped. The work of
recovering the drowned will be exceedingly
din1cnlt, as the place is isolated, with the dan
ger OF other parts of the street melting as this
portion did
mend an appropriation of $4,000 and to ask
aid OF the legislature.
LOUISVILLE, Feb. 13.-Business is almost at
q standstill owing to the flood. The mayor is
distributing food to the sufferers with liberal
hand The board of trade turns over $500 to
subsistence fund and will have more to follow.
The German flood sufferers fund has been
diverted to home use The greatest disaster
which evei befell Louisville is now upon us
Ihe Hood crisis came about midnight and to-
day nearly a square mile of territory is under
water within the limits of the city; 5000 to 5000
people are driven from their homes. To cap
tne Climax there has been some loss of life
but how great it is impossible to say. This
forenoon the entire section of the CITY from
fresto1 street, east to the cut off and north of
the Shore line fill, is in the river
Ihe river all day has just Tapped the top of
ration street and cut off the embank ments
and in places the water has trickled over. AT
3oclock considerable break occurred at
Adams street and a. hJlrldrad re n. -zacsy- ID
all this the Inhabitants of the bottoms of Old
Bear Grass creek remained in their houses and
most OF them went to bed as usual About II
O'Clock last night the break came and cut them
oil, The dam was overcome by the terrific
weight OF water from above. 1t gave way in
stantly and with loud roar the flood rushed
over in less time than it takes to tell it. The
yellow tide came sweeping in from all points.
The unfortunate people were surprised in their
houses with the mighty rush of water which
swept from square to square, rapidly rising in
houses and swerving many from their fonnda-
tons. The scene was awful. The roar of the
waters could not drown the screams of the ter
ritied ones escaping from the doomed dwellings.
Skiffs shot about from window to window;
men, women and children waded through the
advancing waters each with whatever house
hold goods they could lay hands on. Bonfires
glimmered from the higher ground which the
poor outcasts had gained and hundreds of
people shivered in wet clothing about smoky
fires. The scene last night begears description.
The people who were sleeping in confidence
that the embankments would shelter them
were rudely awakened by the flood coming in
10 their houses. Some were even surprised in
bed when in the darkness and cold they fed
cd ino
nothing with them save children and the help
less. large part of the city has constituted
itself into relief committee with the mayor at
It's head and all that can is being done. The
entire northeastern corner of the city is pic
ture Of utter destruction. Thirty-fve squares
are under water. The situation may be briefly
summed up as follows: All the point is under
water and the country beye d cut off
comprising 15e houses known as Bowleyile
is flooded. Half Of Portland and ! of the
shipping port are under water. All day long a
stream of people has passed up and down the
short line track to look at the ruin wrought by
the river. The outlook is appalling. Houses
are overturned, some on their sides, some al
most on their roofs and other buildi ngs are
crushed tos pieces. Most of the houses are
small cottages of frail construction and per-
haps third of those in the flooded locality
have been swept from their foundations In
the lower bottoms of the bottom lands the
water is within foot or two of the roofs of
houses The entire neigh ghborhood is doing all
it can for the succUr Of the sufferers Several
we're rescued. Along the wharf the river is still
rising an inch per hour with few inches over
80 feet in the canal, sc feet inches in the
chute on the falls and "a feet 2 inches over the
rocks.
The river continued to rise slowly all day
and is now about 66 1-2 feet. The rise is now
inches below that of 1882. On the point where
the disaster occurred last night the flood ex-
tends over space over quarter of mile
wide and more than mile long. Over 25O
houses are either under water or floating
about. Those known to be lost are John
French and son, George Lynch, Edward Har-
ris aud George Bell. Harry Browning, a
lieutenant OF police and his wife are missing
and it is feared when the waters subside ghast.
ly scenes will be disclosed in houses now under
water
CINCINNATI, Feb. 13-Later information
makes it definite that three boys. two freight
handlers and four members of Coups circus
are drowned by the fall of the Southern Rail.
road depot. No bodies have been recovered
The names of the members of Coup's circus
reported missing are Harry Cardoni of Eng
land, Miss Fanny Reind cf New York, Wm
+. franklin and VIM. G. Matthews of ST
Louis. The bagg age master says he is sure a.
least 90 people were thrown into the water.
1t Low appears certain that the disaster was
caused by the breaking of the great sewer
and half of passenger depot are gone, the lat
ter being separated at the portion between the
waiting room and ticket Office. Books, tick
cts, safe, etc., were gone in an instant
CHICAGO, Feb. 13.-The bridge of the Chi
csgo, Burlington and Quincy Railroad south o
Ottawa, ILL.,, the abutment of which has beer
undermined by the freshet. gave way thi
morning which freight train was passing
over it. The bridge and five coal cars were
wrecked.
INDIANAPoL1s, Feb. 13-A meeting wa
held at the rooms of the Board of Trade toda,
and subscription for the sufferers at Law.
renceburg taken up. A carload of provisions
started at O'Clock by special train The rive
is still rising at Madison at the rate of an incl
per hour. Hundreds of families have beer
compelled to leave their homes. The city is il
total darkness, the gas works being submerged
Milton, Ky, opposite Madison, is entirel,
covered by water. Several buildings hoatet
off this morning, including warehouse be
longing to Ben Morris, and Cassiday's wagol
| factory At Jeffersenville large portion O
the city is inundated and hundreds of families
are houseless and destitute. The gas works ar,
Ial ~ I.frhA A 7