The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1883-02-17
RUSH OF THE MIGHTY WATERS
Great Floods i'm the Ohio River-Damase
to PrOperty-LOss of Life ana
Drowning of Cattle.

The rains and melting snow and ice caused
the Ohio river and its tributaries to rise to an
unprecedented height. The rise began to get
threatening on Saturday last, and by Sunday
night the Ohio, at Cincinnati, was nearly oZ
feet high. Communication with the Kentucky
side was cut off, and people along the river
front were moving goods out of danger all
day. Cellars were flooded. Mill Greek Val
ley for miles north from the river was one
broad sea of water. Newport, Kentucky, and
Covington and Louisville were flooded also,
and boats were moving about taking fuel and
provisions to the inhabitants in the submerged
portions of the cities, delivering them through
second and third story windows. Nearly two
square miles of Newport was under water and
the barracks were flooded also. All the man.
ufacturing establishments along the river from
Cincinnati to Louisville are flooded, causing
great damage. All freight business and nearly
all express business from Cincinnati was sus-
pended. The Cincinnati stock yards were
Hooded.
On Monday nearly all business was sus,,
pended in Cincinnati, except the moving OF
goods to places of safety and giving relief to
the sufferers by the floods. The water had
risen to ga feet % inches by 10 o'clock Mon
day night.
At Louisville on Monday the water in the
channel was GA feet, and there were from
three to eight feet of water in the houses IN
the lower part of the city. At Frankfort the
lower floor of the penitentiary was Hooded,
and the prisoners had to be huddled together
in the upper cells. At Shipping Port and
were homeless, being driven out by the water
Near Louisville 800 head of cattle were
drowned.
On Tuesday a restaurant at Cincinnati was
undermined by the water and washed away.
Whilst number of people were watching
this from the depot ofthe Cincinnati Southern
railroad, the depot collapsed and sunk in the
river and some six or eight persons went with
it and were drowned. The track sunk
at the same time and several cars disappeared
from sight also. The river reached its high
est point on Tuesday afternoon, the water
then marking Is feet II inches. When it is
remembered that in the summer season very
light draft steamers have to be used on the
| Ohio, it can be we'll imagined what volume
of water is required to raise the river up to IS
| feet II inches. 1t is estimated that the flood
ing of factories, business establishments and
railroads threw between thirty and forty thou
sand persons out of employment at Cincinnati
! alone. Many thousands more were thrown
out at Covington, Newport, Louisville and
other places along the river, and the loss will
foot up millions of dollars. Buildings and
| property of all kinds have suffered much dam
age, and fine farming lands have been entire
| ly submerged for five or six days. The gas
and water works of Cincinnati were damaged,
and the city was in darkness several nights,
and the hotels had to use candles and coal
oil.
! At Louisville on Tuesday thirty five squares
were submerged, and boats were going about
rescung persons from second and third story
windows. Houses are toppled in every di-
rection and many were crushed In the sub
merged districts and at Portland and Bowie
vile all the houses are more or less damaged.
About 5000 persons were homeless.
Relief committees were organized in all the
flooded towns and cities The city council OF
Cincinnati telegraphed to the legislature at
Columbus on Tuesday night for power to Dor
row $50, 900 to relieve the people, and in halt
an hour a bill was passed by both houses and
signed by the Governor authorizing the city
to borrow 100000.
At Louisville on Tuesday night the water
marked Co. feet, an inch more than the great
| food of 1847 and 8 inches less than the flood
of 1892
At New Albany Indiana, 5000 persons
were thrown out of employment and 100000
damage was done.
/ Heavy rains fell in the West on Wednesday,
raising the swollen rivers to a still greater
height and aggravating the suffering in the
overlooked cities and towns The Ohio river
rose at Cincinnati, but no additional disasters
were reported. The situation at Louisville
remained practically unchanged The home
less people in the river towns are dependent
on the charity of their more fortunate neigh
bors for the means of subsistence.
Among the incidents of the food in Cincin-
natl on Wednesday was the finding of a baby
asleep in its crib in house floating at Fern
Bank, below Cincinnati. The little wait was
rescued and taken care of by the Catholic
Orphan Society. A barn with fine barouche
i'll ii foated by the city, but the parties find
ing it were unable to secure the prize.
There was no material change on Thursday
in the condition of the overfowed cities and
towns on the banks of the Ohio. At Cincin-
matt the river reached the unprecedented
height of G6 feet inches. New York, Bos
ton, Chicago and other cities are preparing to
send contributions. Mr.. John W. Garrett, of
Baltimore, has contributed $1,000. General
Hazen, chief of the weather bureau, in re-
Spouse to a resolution of inquiry offered in
the House of Representatives, sent an official
communication predicting heavy floods in the
Mississippi valley. Apprehension is felt at
St. Louis and other places on the Mississippi.